Miss Kelvingrove the librarian knows every single inch of Horsmarlonerpool library so well, that if you ask her for a book on any subject in the world she can walk straight to it and pick it out as if she were a computer.
She knows how to find out about Space in the science section, she knows how to find stories about trains or tigers or toothbrushes in the story section. She knows how to find out about any plant in the gardening section, and she knows how to find out about any king, queen, dragon or battle in the history section.
So imagine her surprise when, walking down the high and heavy rows on history one morning, she stopped suddenly at the sight of a book that she hadn’t seen before.
And it was impossible that she hadn’t seen it before. Because it was four times as thick as most books, with a heavy, ornate cover and gold writing down the spine which read: “The History of Horsmarlonerpool.”
Well this must be someone playing a joke. Someone must have made the book and put it there late at night to surprise her. Because not only would she know if she’d had any new books delivered to the library, she’d certainly know of one so large and so old and so beautiful. And she’d CERTAINLY know of one - as the Horsmarlonerpool librarian - called ‘The History of Horsmarlonerpool’, wouldn’t she!
But when she took the book off the shelf, she saw that the space it had filled was clean, whilst behind it was dusty. This proved the book must have been there a long time. Confused, but excited, Miss Kelvingrove took the heavy book to her desk and laid it down. The front cover was wooden, and had a wonderful engraving of the town carved in to it. Miss Kelvingrove ran her finger around the engraving, and then went to lift the cover…
But it wouldn’t move. She tried a bit harder, now concerned that it was a sealed box and not a book, but no - she could feel the individual pages down one side. It was certainly a book, but it couldn’t, and wouldn’t, be opened.
Throughout the morning, Miss Kelvingrove got more and more nervous and agitated - what was she to do? Eventually, she locked the library and took the book over to the Town Hall and presented it to Mayor Dubbin.
“But it MUST be opened,” said the Mayor. “If it is the history of our town, then we must know what’s inside! I insist! We all insist!”
“But I’ve tried,” said Miss Kelvingrove. “As you see for yourself, it won’t open.”
“Then we must have a competition!” roared the Mayor. “The first to open the book wins the prize, a prize of… Hmmm.”
“Being the first to read it?” suggested Miss Kelvingrove.
“Precisely!” said the Mayor.
The book was placed on a table in the square where Pepperpot Street meets Candlesmoke Lane. Everyone in town gathered round to look at the beautiful item. Everyone except Douglas, the storytelling dragon who you know so well. Douglas just stood at the side of the square and looked at the book, and everyone circling around it, and seemed lost in thought.
Everyone seemed to have an idea of how to open it.
Sophie held onto the front cover whilst her cousin Georgie held onto the back cover and they pulled in different directions. But still the book wouldn’t open.
Anna and her friend Pietro suggested centrifugal force, and attached the book to a rope and then spun it around as quickly as they could to see if it would fly open but still.. the book wouldn’t open.
Amira and Dylan took the book down to the railway station and had Shampoo the engine and Sixwheels the engine attach the book to their buffers and then reverse away from each other but even with might of two engines… still the book wouldn’t open.
Mrs Western the toy expert tried making a special magic key - but still the book wouldn’t open. And then, Mrs Perrinpeas the headmistress of Half Hitch, looked through the school’s archives to see if the previous headmaster - Mr Gelati - had any magic spells for opening books. But even though she tried them all - and turned her toenails blue in the process! - still the book wouldn’t open.
For two whole days everyone tried everything to open the mysterious book. And then, it was Douglas the dragon who called everyone to the square. He stood by the side of the book.
“I’d like you all to sit down,” he began. “Because I’d like to tell you a story.”
Everyone - and there must have been over a hundred people - sat down on the ground around the square and Douglas began.
“Three days ago, our very dear librarian Miss Kelvingrove was walking past a row of books in her library when she spotted this very one here. It took her eye because Miss Kelvingrove knows every book in her library, and this one - despite being so bold - well, she’d never seen it before. And yet, she couldn’t open it.
“Now. Because she cares so much for her books, and because in a way the books care for her, she thought it important enough to come to our Mayor - Mayor Dubbin - with it. And he thought it so important that he decided there should be a completion to open it.
And over the next day, Georgie and Sophie tried to prize it open. Anna and Pietro tried spinning it around. Dylan and Amira, well, they attached it to Shampoo and Sixwheels the engines. Mrs Western tried to make a magic key, and Mrs Perrinpeas attempted a magic spell. But still the book wouldn’t open. And that is what happened in Horsmarlonerpool. The End.”
Everyone in the square just looked at each other. Then, very gently, Douglas lay his hand on the cover of the book.
Suddenly, it started to glow and - opened! Everyone gasped and got to their feet. A mist seemed to come from the book, and as it cleared and everyone gathered around they saw what Douglas had just said - Douglas’ story of everyone trying to open the book - written beautifully inside with glorious illustrations of the book between the engines, Anna spinning it around, and Mrs Perrinpeas casting her spells.
The pages were spectacular, and then, with a smile, Douglas carefully closed the book shut again.
“B-But,” stammered Mayor Dubbin. “What does it mean, Douglas?”
Douglas looked around the square at everyone. “It means that the Story of Horsmarlonerpool cannot be opened because it’s still being written. By all of us, and all we do. It means that how we treat our town, and each other, is the true story of Horsmarlonerpool. And it will all be written in this book for someone, at some time, to read. But for now - it for us to do the writing. We decide how the story goes. And what’s better still, it means that everything we say and do, no matter how big or small, we can decide how our stories go, too.”
Miss Kelvingrove smiled her thanks at Douglas, and picked up the book. Everyone followed her slowly as she took it back to the library - where it sits on display for anyone to look at or touch. And anyone to tell their story in.
