The sketch in the background is of the Castle of Peppercorn Green in Winter ....

This story is about the Castle, Princess Cornflower and her friends,

and their Journey into Christmas

is at GOOGLENOKS JIC which you will find on your left in the index

PEPPERCORN GREEN WITH PRINCESS CORNFLOWER   

Princess Cornflower lay in her bed watching the snowflakes falling gently past her bedroom window. She sat up in bed and pulled her dressing gown round her shoulders. She smiled as she heard the sound of the Peppercorn Express far away in the distance, it would just be entering the tunnel at Sleepy Hollow.
She closed her eyes and pictured the frozen pond that lay at the other end of the tunnel it was to early in the morning for anyone to be out skating, but it wouldn’t be long until all the children came out with their skates and sledges and began to enjoy themselves.
Gosh, she was bored, five days she had been stuck in bed with marsh flu. Five days of reading books, running temperatures, drawing pictures and runny noses, but today she felt really great, she had eaten all of her supper last night, taken the last of the foul rhubarb tasting medicine that Dr. Cornel had prescribed for her, and done everything, well almost everything she had been told.
She had to be allowed up today or she would go potty.
Cornflower climbed out of bed, slipped on her slippers and dressing gown and walked over to the window.
The snow looked beautiful most of the footprints in the courtyard had been covered by the new fall of snow, only Minnie's and Martha's could still be seen. A few of the chickens were still trying to find the corn that had buried itself in the snow.
" I wonder if their feet are cold" Cornflower thought, but she didn’t have time to find out for just at that moment the door of the bedroom opened and Minnie Speedwell came in carrying the coal bucket.
" Oh Minnie you did give me a fright, I thought it was my mother" she said walking back over to the bed.
" Its a good job it wasn’t" Minnie said putting the coal bucket by the fire place, " You might have ruin your chances of getting up today."

Minnie straightened the quilt and puffed up the Princesses pillows.
" Come on get back in before the Queen does come up to see how you are."
The Princess climbed back into the bed and watched as Minnie put some coal on the fire, Cornflower smiled as the flames began to shoot up the chimney, " Do you know Minnie your hair is almost the same colour as those flames, well the darker bits anyway."

Cornflower leaned back on the pillows.
" Do you really think I’ll be allowed up today Minnie? I do hope so I’m so fed up, up here on my own".
" I’m almost certain of it," Minnie replied as she stood up and dusted the top of the fireplace, " I’ve a feeling something is about to happen, Cook has given us a list a mile long to have finished as soon as we can, and your Mum keeps going round re-arranging things and that’s a sure sign something is up."
" Oh I wonder what it could be," Cornflower said jumping out of the bed again " Have you got a clue, there’s only one more week to Christmas maybe someone is coming to stay?"
The door opened again and Martha came in carrying the Princesses breakfast on a tray,
" Cathy is wondering where you’ve got to Minnie," Martha said as she put the breakfast tray on the bedside table.
" On my way," Minnie said picking up the bucket and making a dash for the door. She went out then popped her head back in.

" Now remember what I said, try and sit still till after your mother’s been up, or you’ll get cold and out of breath and you’ll be staying here another day "
she closed the door and went down stairs.
The Princess sat on the bed and took the porridge off the tray, it looked delicious all hot and creamy, there was a tangerine, two slices of toast covered in peppercorn marmalade and a cup of tea.
She began to eat her porridge. Martha went into the bathroom.
" Do you fancy having a bath this morning, you will feel a lot better if you do?"
Cornflower finished her porridge and picked up a slice of toast.
" Do you think I should ask Mum first?" Cornflower answered.
" I don’t think your Mum is that worried, she seems to be in one of her flaps over something or other." Martha said as she came back into the bedroom.
" She put a big bowl of water on the dressing table
" Maybe you had better just have a good wash, hurry with your breakfast and I’ll do your hair."
" Minnie seems to think someone might be coming to stay for Christmas, have you any idea who it might be Martha?" Cornflower asked as she peeled her tangerine
Martha took a clean towel out of the cupboard and hung it over the end of the bed.
" I’m sure I don’t know Princess, you know how mad this castle is at the best of times, it could be Father Christmas himself for all I know.
" Does Daddy know Father Christmas?" Cornflower said laughing.
" I wouldn’t be surprised." Martha said as she sat down on the window seat, "All I know is its like bedlam down there, Cathy has had us cleaning the kitchen since we arrived, loads of extra food has been ordered from the shops and your Mum is going round re-arranging things, and you know what that means."
" Hmm, that's what Minnie said," Cornflower said as she took a drink of her tea.
" Now who could it be?"
Cornflower picked up the stool and went and sat by Martha who began to brush her hair. She loved the young Princess very much and everyone had been a bit down in the dumps whilst she had been ill, she bought laughter into the old castle and even grumpy old Barnaby had been worried about her instead of his old backache.
Martha had just about got the last knot out of Cornflower's hair when the door burst open and a tiny pink and white ball of fluff came prancing through the door.
" Candy " Cornflower giggled as the ball of fluff jumped up on her knee knocking the brush clean out of Martha’s hand.
" You'’ll get shot if Cathy finds you up here" Martha said as she picked up the brush and as if hearing her name Cathy Fern came bustling through the bedroom door.
" Where is that little terror?" she said smiling " Who gave you permission to come up these stairs?" She caught hold of the puppy with one hand and collected the tray with the other and bustled back towards the door.
" The Queen is on the way up little one, best jump back on your bed," she said smiling. " You look more like your old self this morning, are you feeling better?"
Before Cornflower could answer Queen Pepper came into the bedroom, she walked over to her daughter and gave her a huge kiss on the forehead.
" Well " she said taking a step back and looking at her daughter, " You do look better, and it’s a good job for I’ve planned a special surprise for you."
" You have Mummy " Cornflower said sounding surprised; she didn’t want to spoil her mother’s fun.
" Can I guess what it is?"
" Of course you can darling, but you’ll never guess in a hundred years."
Cornflower put her head on one side. " Are we having visitors for Christmas?"
The Queen nodded her head. " But you don’t know who, try and guess?"
Queen Pepper had on her favourite orange skirt, the one with the little acorns on it.
" My skirt should give you a clue." She laughed
" Your skirt, how on earth could that help me " Cornflower frowned.
" No I give up, you’ll have to tell me."
" No I don’t think I will, I think I’ll make you wait till your Father gets home, then he can tell you," the Queen smiled and turned to leave the room.
" Oh Mummy, don’t be so mean you know I hate secrets," Cornflower said jumping up and down on the bed.
" And if you don’t sit quietly, I won’t let you come down stairs." Queen Pepper said as she walked out the door.
" Does that mean I can come down then?" Cornflower shouted after her Mother
" Yes, If you want to." came the answer from the landing.
Cornflower was up and getting dressed before you could say " Peppercorn United."
" Oh Martha I must be one of the luckiest Googlenok’s in the wholewide world, no one could have so much luck as me."
" You deserve it my Princess," Martha said as she helped Cornflower with her jumper.
" There you look grand, you’ve even got a few roses in your cheeks, though I dare say there there because of all the excitement and not with your feeling better"
" Oh they are Martha they are," Cornflower said as she pulled on her trainers and ran through the bedroom door.

CONTINUED AFTER THIS SHORT RECIPE