If you ever go to Horsmarlonerpool, and head north out of the centre of town and into the country - you’ll soon come across a wood. It’s a very special wood, not just because it’s full of magic and magical adventures and adventures that are magical, but very special to me - because I was born there.
The wood is called Sprivers. And I grew up in a cave to the west of the wood with my Aunt Darla and Uncle Donald. And so I reckon I know most of what there is to know about Sprivers - and it does the heart good to know that the people of Horsmarlonerpool still find magic in it today.
And two who find as much fun as any are Sandro and his sister Sophia. Every couple of weeks, whether it were wet or dry, hot or cold, they liked to pack their rucksacks with a tent and blankets and food and find a place to camp right in the middle of Sprivers. They never normally picked the same place, because half the fun is exploring and finding the perfect place to stay the night. It must be flat for the tent, it can’t have any rabbit holes, and it can’t have too many tree branches up above or you’d never be able to see the stars.
The first job was to set up the tent, because if it rained it was important to keep everything dry, and the second job was to light a fire - because it kept you warm, meant you could heat up your dinner, and most importantly, it made you feel snug.
But lighting a fire is not something you can just do - you need to be very careful, because once a fire is lit it doesn’t know what to do and doesn’t know any rules and so it will just burn up anything up it likes. So Sandro and Sophia would always find ten or twelve rocks, then build them into a little circle, and put their wood to burn inside that. Because fire has no interest in burning rocks, and so the rocks would stop it going anywhere it shouldn’t.
So tonight, after the circle of rocks had been built, and after they’d found dry wood to put in the middle, and after they’d safely lit it to form a nice little warm fire, they began to cook their dinner of vegetable stew.
But as they starting pouring the steaming stew into their special metal camping bowls using their special metal camping spoons, they noticed some small flashing green lights in the dark bushes.
“Uh-oh” said Sandro.
“It’s the Bewls,” said Sophia.
Now, there was nothing to worry about really, but Sandro and Sophia were right to be cautious. It was the Bewls, and the Bewls were the sprites of Sprivers.
Now when I was a little Dragon, I used to be scared by the Bewls, but as I grew a little bit older I realised that they were nothing to be afraid of. The Bewls were simply the guardians of the wood - the ones who made sure it was always safe - and so even though they could often be a little bit cheeky, you didn’t have to worry about them unless you were harming their wood. And of course, apart from accidentally setting a tree on fire when I sneezed, I never did.
Sandro and Sophia had met the Bewls several times before.
“Hello,” said Sophia. “There’s nothing to worry about. It’s only us. Sandro and Sophia.”
But the Bewls, and there must have been fifty of the little things, started making an agitated noise, and they sprung out of the bush and started buzzing around the fire.
“They’re worried about the fire!” Said Sandro.
“Don’t worry - Bewls!” said Sophia. “It’s a safe fire, look! We’ve made a circle of rocks so it can’t escape!”
The Bewls buzzed busily around the rocks inspecting them.
“And we just use the fire to make our dinner and keep us warm. Would YOU like some dinner?” said Sophia.
All of a sudden, the Bewls stopped zipping about and lowered themselves to the ground and stared at Sophia. The two most senior Bewls of the group, Grip and Webb, stepped forward and looked at Sandro and Sophia curiously.
“Us? Food?”
“Sure!” said Sandro. “Here… try some stew. It’s made from vegetables from mummy and daddy’s garden.”
Sandro poured out a small amount of Stew onto a plate and put it on the ground before Grip and Webb. They walked toward it, sniffed, and then dipped in their tiny green fingers and… tasted.
Immediately, they both leapt up into the air and started buzzing around in the trees like a couple of tiny racing cars.
“Oh dear,” said Sophia. “Has it hurt them?”
But then both the Bewls returned to the ground and jabbered excitedly to the others. Suddenly, all fifty of the Bewls pounced on the food and began to eat ravenously! They loved it!
In fact, they loved it so much they ate all Sophia and Sandro’s food, and all their bread, and then flew up, looked them both directly in the eye, bowed, and disappeared back into the trees.
Sophia and Sandro looked at each other. How extraordinary. But at least they weren’t in trouble, even if they were left without a meal. All they could do, was go into their tent, zip it up, and go to sleep.
The next morning they woke up just as dawn was breaking and as they opened the tent they saw a blue grey mist floating amongst the trees. They were both so so hungry, but the Bewls had eaten everything they had.
Sophia had an idea. “Come with me,” she said to Sandro and led him through the trees for about half a mile until they got to Crystal Mist Reservoir. Now this reservoir was special, and it was where I first learnt to swim, but it was also - first thing in the morning - where magical crystals come up through the water. And each of these crystals is very valuable, because each of them can grant you a wish of anything you want. But you must never break one off because -
SNAP!
Sophia broke off a crystal by the shore and said “I wish… I wish for breakfast for me and Sandro.”
As soon as the words had left her lips a lovely breakfast of eggs and toast and smashberry jam appeared by their feet and they sat down to eat it greedily.
But as they ate, angry noises started coming from the trees and soon a new army of Bewls - this time led by Stokes and Berry - zipped out and landed by them.
“Broke crystal?” demanded Berry.
“Broke crystal and make wish?” said Stokes, accusingly.
“Oh… yes,” said Sophia. “Sorry.”
“Prison!” cried the Bewls and began to bind Sandro and Sophia’s angles with golden thread.
“Wait!” Said a little voice.
It was Grip, walking with Webb, and their army of Bewls. They flew out of the wood as one and landed by Stokes and Berry.
“These not criminals. They feed Bewls.”
Grib and Webb explained to Stokes and Berry that Sophia and Sandro has shared their whole meal with them that last night - and if they wished for some breakfast, well, that was a fair wish.
Stokes and Berry flew up in front on Sophia and Sandro, and bowed.
After a long walk back through Sprivers Wood, Sophia and Sandro were soon back outside their house.
“Let’s go back to Sprivers next weekend,” suggested Sophia. “But this time, let’s pack two meals. One for the Bewls, and then a secret one - for us.”
Sandro laughed. “Deal!” he said. And with smiles on their faces, they went inside.
“Just in time for breakfast!” Said Daddy.
Sandro and Sophia looked at each other, but then sat down at the table with Mummy.
Well, there’s no harm in having two breakfasts sometimes, is there?
