Greencoat Squirrell and Little Red, Part 2

Greencoat and a few of his cronies stood beneath the pines, having a confab.
"She's always been inpetuous" said Bunny Two Shoes, "And there's that tendency to linger and pick boquets." Songbird bobbed his head and sang a sweet air.
Mouse stood very straight and raised her voice. "We're coming with you, Greenie! There's strength in numbers!
Greencoat wondered how much strength a mouse posessed, but was glad of the company. They headed out, with songbird as their scout, searching from the sky, every hollow and rotten stump for danger in the form of a Wolf.
At the cottage, Red found the front door stuck, so she entered through the back. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of turnips and moldy potatoes.

"I'm here, gram!" she called.

"Alright, dear." Gram's voice echoed through the timbered cottage.

Red stoked the fire, and set the kettle on. She placed fresh rosemary on the hob and cranked open windows, then uncorked the port and carried a tot into Gram's bedroom. 'This will liven her up.' she decided.

Gram wolfed it right down. "I'm famished, dear, do I smell egg? And may I have more of that scrumptious cordial?" Gram's bonnet covered most of her face, but Red saw alot of brown. Perhaps she'd been working in the garden?
"Yes, there's egg and Greencoat Squirrel has made your favorite cake." A thump rattled the front door. "There he is now."
When Red opened the door, she saw it had been jammed shut with an ebony walking stick.
Curious.

Squirrel sniffed.

"Smells badgerish in here."

"Gram's awfully peckish," said Red, "And you know how much she adores squirrel stew. I wouldn't get too close today." Squirrel blanched and set the cake down.


The band of woodland animals peered through the window, watching and waiting. As Red carried the tea tray to Gram, the animals crept inside.

Red and Gram each had their own special cup. So when Gram grabbed Red's cup, and then began to slurp and belch noisily, without uttering a word of Grace, Red jumped up.

"You are an interloper! Where's my Gram!" Her friends tumbled in the room.

Bunny Two Shoes yanked off the bonnet and gasped, "You're not even a wolf", he said , "You're just a smelly old fox!" Mouse lobbed a walnut at fox's head and he yelped. "Crikey, that hurt!"
Fox sprang up and bounded past them and out the front door. While they gaped at his exit, Gram entered throught the back with an apronful of mushrooms. "Oh, grandaughter, you've brought your lovely friends. Let's all have tea!"

Later, a fox could be seen, leering, as he sauntered through the glen with an ebony walking stick.

He cradled a bottle tenderly in his arm. A bottle of Elderberry Port!

The end of the first official Pinewood Tale
I hope you enjoyed the adventure!

juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com

Greencoat Squirrel and Little Red, A Pinewood Tale

Squirrel's pecan cake trembled in his paws. "Please, Red, don't take the path through the Oaks. The Pine wood will be safer." he said. "I smell Him out there."

Red sniffed the crisp autumn air. "Oh, poot." she said, "All I smell is Watercress and fresh earth. Besides, my way's shorter." She adjusted the bottle in the crook of her arm. "This elderberry wine is like lugging a cannonball around, not to mention what else is in my basket."

"Devonshire cream?" asked Squirrel, "And ginger scones?"

Red nodded. "And hard boiled goose egg, too." She kissed his cheek. "I'll have tea ready when you get to Grams, and remember, no sampling the cake!" She tripped off to the oak glen, while Squirrel took the safer path.

Neither one of them saw the long snouted face that peered at them through the hedgerow. He drooled profusely, and there shone a strange, golden gleam in his eye.

As the glen turned into the Oak wood, Red walked more briskly. She stopped for a handfull of fresh rosemary, and felt sure someone was watching her. She turned back, but only saw a rabbit in a yellow vest, sipping tea from a red polka dotted cup. She waved a hello, and hurried on.

Soon she came to Gram's cottage. Smoke puffed from the chimney. How snug it would be!

She crunched over pine needles and turned the knob, thinking surley, no one had ever been as hungry as she!

Most certainly to be continued........

juliewhitmorepottery.etsy.com