seligorscastle the home of diddily dee dots sleepy childrens bedtime stories : Badgers pt2

The Sisters Pogglewatch and Drewstitch
Little School of Excellence

It took the girls a few days to ask around Fingles Wood if anyone would be interested in them opening a Nursery School. It was met with the overwhelming answer "Yes".
It seemed everyone not only wanted a nursery school but also wanted to help Eddy and Irma to get it started. But "first things first," said Uncle Brock, "Plans had to be made." and with help they soon were.
They decided that the large cavern near the bottom of the rocks was the best option. It would be easily reached by the smaller and none climbing creatures to get to the class rooms. It was soon obvious though that it wasn't all going to come together overnight, there was a lot of work needed doing; lighting and heating would be neccesary for the winter, these were the big jobs along with an extention on the water pipes from up above. But work was soon underway and it wasn't long before all the big jobs were finished.

Winter was not far away and if possible Eddy wanted the school finished before the snow came so that it could be opened straight after Christmas. But before then Immy wanted to make a register of all the little ones who would be old and young enough to go to the school, and who better Jenny Hedgehog

to ask than the Tooth Fairy, Fiona. She knew all the little ones and most, if not all of the big ones as well. They had both already heard the story of when Fiona nearly died when she was frozen to Mrs Rabbits clothes line last winter. Aunt Izzy said the story was still being told at Easter but when Jenny Hedgehog broke her back legs, they forgot all about poor Fiona.
Aunt Izzy did laugh, not because Fiona was forgotton but because Tipsy Tortoise had a houda fixed to his shell and Jenny used him to go everywhere for a whole month.

The girls arranged to meet Fiona in the middle of the woods near the old fairy ring. The elves had discovered a new one nearer to the fairies lodgings and so the old one was used as a meeting place now. Fiona looked gorgeous in her little blue dress,
"I'll have to change it soon though." she laughed, "I don't want to hang on another washing line," she laughed.
"Right you need to know who we have and who we might have and who we probably wont have, because they think the're above school."
"Goodness me, are you telling me that there are some awkward creatures in this woods! Eddy exclaimed, "gosh I wouldn't have believed it everyone we've met has been so nice."
"Ah ha, but that's it you see Eddy, the ones you've met are all friends but there are some families that won't have anything to do with this side of the wood."
"Well I am really shocked," Immy gasped. "I thought like Eddy that everyone would love to come. Of course we can't make anyone come, we're not real teachers but we will be able to have fun and keep the little ones safe through the day." She put her hands on her hips, "well I think the awkward ones are the ones we tackle first Em, what do you think?
"I think that's a brilliant idea. If we can get them sorted out, well you never know!
"This is true," Fiona replied but please don't be upset if you end up barking up the wrong tree, some of these weasels and stoats can be really awkward. And that is not mentioning the rat families and the mink, they really are very bad news. Forever getting into trouble with Mr Boggleworth." Uncle Bart in the Kitchen

"Uncle Bart," both girls said together," surely not, nobody would mess with Uncle Bart. He is so big."
"Hm he may be big but that didn't stop the young weasels from pinching all of his prize marrows and selling them down in the next village."
"Dear, dear me, what do you think Eddy, is it worth asking the real naughty ones to attend?"
"Well I think there is more reason for them to come to school that the little angels. Goodness me Immy, it will be a challange. If we can teach them right from wrong that is really very good, and we'll be able to have marrow jam next year."
Immy and Fiona almost fell off the tree stump they were laughing so much."Trust you to be thinking of you're belly Eddy." Immy laughed and rolled about in the long grass.
"Look at the time already?" she said glancing at the sun. "If we don't get this list made we will never be home for dinner."
"Right where do we start then? Fiona said taking her pencil from her purse. Shed Shed xx

The three girls began to make the lists. First the probably never wills, there was Stevie and Cedrick Walls the weasels from Pandy Mill, then Tyrone and Martha Meadow weasel, they would probably like to go to school but the journey from the medow to the caves just might be too far for them to travel, "they can be marked down as a "Maybe" I think." Edna murmered, "you never know there might be a way of getting them over; even for a couple of days."
Fiona explained that the Weasel and rat surnames dependedon where they were born. The posher the place the higher the ranking in the weasel family. Brendan and Aiden Barn were really posh they shared the barn with a few of the rats.
The Royal rats, Simon, Susan,Sarn, Sugar and Shed! all lived in the old car that had been dumped in the woods many years ago. In someways they wanted it gone, but then it was home to quite a few creatures, so no one ever raised it at the meetings.
You may be wondering why one of the eldest of the younger rats was called Shed, their mum Matty had him in the old shed, she did have six but the other five were killed by one of the mink. It was a sad day but Simon, Susan, Sarn and Sugar came along later and Matty seems to have got over their loss now. (Matty is short for Matilda by the way.)
The mink seemed to be a no go area all round, so Eddy with a wee frown crossed them all off the list.
"What about the fairies Fiona, will any of them wish to attend?"
"Hm-m I don't think so Irma, " Fiona frowned, "Not that we wouldn't love to be there but we do have our own hall of teaching at Magic Dell Academy. We don't really need much real stuff cos we can magic things if they go wrong." She laughed. Immy did love to hear her laughter, it was like the tinkling of a bell. "Oh yes that reminds me" she said, "We must get a bell for the school, make sure everyone arrives on time. Oops, sorry Fiona do continue."
"Well as I said we don't need to come to your school but I have been thinking, and I am sure there are a couple of the Juvenile fairies that would love to be your helpers, and some of the little ones would like having there own fairy to look after them."
"What a brilliant idea. Can you sort that out for us Fiona please? Eddy was busy scribbling notes in her litle book. "Now I think maybe we can take about thirty pupils to begin with, maybe, and it is a big maybe, if everything goes to plan and we can get another adult to help, we may be able to make another classroom in the cave above." Immy smiled at her sister, it was wonderful how things had worked out and all the time Edna kept writing as she was talking. Immy laughed quietly to herself.
"The rabbits, we know will fill up a school on their own so we will have to put limits on age and amount from each family, what do you think Irma, two from each family the limit?
Irma now started to scribble in her note book, "I must get the names written down as soon as possible, I hope we don't have too many identical twins. Why it could lead to total chaos!" she exclaimed.
"Hey Eddy it will be like the old song, "The animals went in two by two" she sang the line and laughed.
"Come on my sister," Eddy laughed wrapping her paw across Irma's back " I love you so much you are just so special."
"I think I would like to second that as well." A deep voice came from behind them.
The girls both spun round to face the voice. There was their Uncle Cledwyn, cart and all.
"Uncle Cledwyn, hi'ya, where have you been? We haven't seen you for days. What have you got in the cart?" Both girls made a dash for the cart.
"Hey, hey, hey. Slow down which answer do you want first. First I have been to visit a few old friends, school friends actually. Secondly the reason you haven't seen me for days is because I haven't been here." He roared laughing at his own joke. "And thirdly" he said putting a paw on the tarpoline over the cart." Why don't you take a look!"
Both girls were under the tarpoline like the Pandy weasels.
"Oh Fiona, come and see what Uncle Cledwyn has got. Oh my goodness I love you." Irma shouted throwing her arms around his shoulders. There on the cart, under the tarpoline was a huge pile of desks and chairs for the classrooms.

Well that was it, the hustle and bustle of arranging all the class rooms began. The lighting was finished. The cave walls had been decorated and one of Uncle Cled's nephews from the lower sett came and painted beautiful murals over the classroom walls, some of them on boards even, they looked so real.

this is one of the classroom walls

Uncle Willowdown did it for us, arn't we lucky? xxx Immy.

Everything seemed to be going really well. Always there mind, in the back ground was Great Aunt Izzy, making sure that both girls were not overdoing things.
"I really can't think what we used to do all day before those two teenagers came here to live. Why even the youngest ones seem to be behaving themselves." She said to Mrs Clarissa Buck, "They just don't seem to get tired and yet I'm sure they talk half the night as well."

And so it was, things kept being done; paths to clear, the few odd trees to be felled to make access easier for the weasels and stoats who were coming to get through.
It had taken Eddy and Immy quite a while to persuade even one of them to attend the school but something happened that changed everything in the first week of December.
It was rather a cold day, there had been quiet a heavy fall of rain and sleet, all the paths were very slippy in parts. Now not to far away from the main sett and left of the old church yard that had long since become a ruin there was a stairway that was carved out between two peices of rock by the Llannefydd Elves of Fingles Wood, this was many, many years earlier.
The "Big people" called it the "Devil's Staircase" when they found it, which made the Elves laugh, however they let the name stay because it kept the little ones from playing around them because they had become very unsafe at the bottom.
It was the day Eddy and Immy were helping Uncle Buck, William and Stephen to clear away some fallen rocks from the top of the rise above the old Huntsmans Cottage They were all hard at it when they heard a loud yelp, followed by a lot of screaming. It sounded as if someone was caught in a trap. Within minutes the girls had bounded away through the undergrowth and there lying near the bottom of the Devil's Staircase was Wilhemina Walls, the four year old daughter of the Wall Weasels, nothing was to be seen of her two brothers, but you can bet they were to be found somewhere around.
Not that it matered for it was Eddy to the rescue, within seconds she was organising the rescue.! "Immy you make your way to her from the top, I'll go down to the bottom and see if I can find a way up to her." And without further-more ado, Eddy was climbing down the side of the rock face and inching her way towards the stairs.
The Elves were right, the bottom three or four steps had become dislodged in the small gap. As Eddy placed her foot on the closest one to her, the one beneath it slipped. Wilhemina screamed, Immy let out a yell and Eddy grabbed hold of the nearest piece of ivy.
Thank goodness it held fast to the ground and Eddy managed to regain her footing and pull herself onto the first safe step.
By this time the brocks had arrived with some rope and a ladder, but it was no use there was no where for the ladder to stand safe.
"Uncle Buck, if you give me the rope I can throw it to Immy she can then take it to the top where the boys can tie it off and hold it steady. You ok with that Immy ,"
"Immy nodded her head she looked almost as worried as the little Wilhemina," I have a good idea Immy, why don't we teach Wilhemina that little song, the one that we will be teaching in school." she winked at her sister.
"Why I do believe I know just the one," Immy said smiling, be it a bit forced. "We shall sing Row, row, row your boat, do you know that one Wilhemina darling?"
Willy shook her little head and gripped onto the rope that Immy had placed in her little paws
. "Right, then we will sing it.

Wilhemina was feeling better singing the song

Wilhemina was feeling better singing the song

Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.
Midi: Row Your Boat

Come on it's your turn now Willy, you start and as we sing the row, row, row bit, we will both move up the rope, is that ok my darling," she whispered in the little ones ear.
Then for the first time since they arrived at the steps the little one smiled and with Eddy behind her helping her up the stairs, Immy in front of her guiding her little paws over the rope, and the whole lot of them singing "row, row your boat," they were up at the top in next to no time. They were safe.
When the parents of Cedrick and Stevie Walls found out what had happened and after chastising both the boys, Mr Walls ensured Eddy and Immy that both boys would be attending school when it opened, as well as Willy, if it was only to give her a chance of some time with animals of her own age.
Of course this pleased Wilhemena for after her rescue she had fallen under Immy's spell and was already calling her Miss Poglewitch! Hmm which in turn made Immy decide that she would be called Miss Immy. "I really do think Pogglewatch is far to long for little ones," she confided in Aunt Izzy later that week...
Uncle Willowdown painted a couple more Murals inside the large class room. Here you are a quick peep before the children are set loose inside the classrooms.

The days seemed to pass slowly. Eddy and Immy watched as the little ones began to get excited at the prospect of the approaching Christmas. Uncle Brock had already chosen the Christmas Tree that was to be decorated. It was down by the old Chapel of St Mary's Well.   It was last Tuesday Night when everyone was gathered at the entrace into the Big Cave. A big fire was in the fire circle and it was then that Uncle Brock told us why he had picked this special tree for this year.
"You see Immy, Eddy," The girls not ever hearing this story before. "Many, many years ago the old well "Ffynnon Fair" in Welsh, or St. Mary's Well in English used to be the place were many Weddings and Baptisms took place. There would be music and the playing of the Harp. Young girls would dance round the waters of the well. It was a very Sacred Place and some say that the waters even had healing powers." He smiled and rubbed his big paws together. "Are you all warm enough?" he asked as he put more wood on the fire.
"Yes, yes, go on Uncle Brock." everyone said impatiently. Brock smiled once more and continued. "Well I can remember when we were little, that is your Uncle Cled, his sister Jenny; your poor darling mother, and a few more of us had been out catching fish for the day by the old swing bridge. It got a bit cold so we decided to stay at the old Chapel for the night."
"Oh my goodness Uncle Brock, did you really go places with our Mum?" Eddy asked her eyes as big as doorstops.
"Well of course I did, and Cled and Old Randolf, you met him didn't you girls at Dolben Cottage."
"Yes, yes we did, but go on with the story now please." the girls leaned forwards towards the fire. "Course, course otherwise it will be after your bed times and old Aunt Izzy will be out here shouting."
"She is already here," Aunt Izzy's voice came from the mouth of the cave. "Now get on with the story Brock or I'll be there to tell it myself.

                           Thank you Uncle Willow these are so wonderful.

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