The Adventures of Lucy the Unicorn - Chapter 6
Copyright © Author: Susan Harris 20.01.2018
Chapter 6.
Betty and Mavis were by the gate, the gate that grandpa had left open, the gate that led to the veggie patch and they couldn’t believe their luck! Behind the wigwam of runner beans they knew were the strawberries, ready to be picked or pecked! They’d heard grandpa come down the garden and he’d thrown them some crumbs from his breakfast of toast and jam, but they hadn’t heard the familiar sound of the lock catching when he came out, that was most unlike grandpa and so they’d gone to investigate.
“These are the best ever” murmured Mavis, her beak full of strawberry, they’d run straight past the runner beans and were devouring every strawberry in sight! Grandpa would not be happy.
“They’re simply not here” said Albie as he and Lucy wandered through the flower bed and peered into the chicken run, where could they be?
Lucy and Albie hadn’t been as far as the gate before, they hadn’t even been as far as the pond but it was very quiet in the garden and there were no doors open in the house so they decided to venture further afield.
As they approached the pond they noticed a large frog was sitting on a lily pad and looked to be fast asleep, as they quietly made their way past him he opened one eye and said “ok, move along, nothing to see here” and then gazed into the water intently.
Lucy and Albie looked into the water too, curious as to what he was looking at.
“Just me here looking after the children” the frog informed them, still gazing into the water.
If they looked very closely they could see hundreds of jelly-like balls joined together in one big mass with a small black blob in the centre of each, and when they looked even closer some of the black blobs had a tiny tail emerging from it.
“Oh” exclaimed Lucy “I’ve never actually seen frogspawn before, how interesting, we’re just looking for Mavis and Betty, have you seen them?”
“Knowing them two, they’ll be up to no good, try round by the veggie plot” he gestured for them to go further around the pond and beyond the shed.
As Lucy and Albie approached the gate leading into the veggie plot they could hear Betty and Mavis scratching in the dirt.
“Let’s surprise them” said Albie “and fly in to see them.”
And so the two little unicorns swished their tails together, with Lucy’s multi-coloured pink and purple tail and Albie’s pale green and blue tail it was really quite beautiful.
Very slowly their wings started to emerge and they gently lifted up off the ground.
“Come on, let’s go and surprise them” Albie loved it when they could fly and was much more adventurous when he was in the air.
They flew over the gate and into the veggie plot, Albie went around the wigwam three times and Lucy headed to where the sweetcorn were standing very tall and sat herself on top, when Albie joined her they could see the two hens enjoying the strawberries.
“Hey, you two” shouted Albie “are you allowed in here? Don’t think grandpa will be happy about that!”
The two sisters looked around expecting to see Lucy and Albie but couldn’t see them.
“Okay you can stop being invisible now” said Betty.
“No, look up here” Lucy laughed, it was comical to see the hens looking on the ground for them.
Betty and Mavis finally realised Lucy and Albie were sat atop the sweetcorn looking like fairies on the top of a Christmas tree.
They flew around some more, enjoying themselves and didn’t spot grandpa coming down the garden at a pace.
“You girls better not be in there eating my crops” he shouted halfway to the gate.
“Quick, we better hide” said Albie.
But before they could find a place to hide grandpa had spotted them.
Goodness the butterflies are big this year was his immediate thought but then he realised what he was seeing wasn’t butterflies and as they landed on the grass they ran into the cabbage patch, no, definitely not butterflies, they do not run!
Without speaking and out of puff the unicorns quickly touched horns and disappeared.
“Be quiet” whispered Lucy as she hid under a cabbage and pulled Albie down beside her.
Grandpa had seen the unicorns run towards the cabbages and was surprised when he couldn’t find anything, he looked carefully at each cabbage but there was nothing to be seen.
On standing he noticed his strawberry patch had been attacked and he knew exactly who had been responsible, those flipping hens he thought, I really should put them away when we go out.
Mavis and Betty had run back through the gate and were relaxing under a shrub, wondering where their friends had got to.
After a few minutes grandpa came through the gate and slammed it shut behind him, glaring at Mavis and Betty and mumbling under his breath.
When the coast was clear Lucy and Albie made their way back to Betty and Mavis.
“Grandpa nearly caught us” exclaimed Lucy “we really need to be more careful!”
Walking back to the house grandpa was scratching his head, maybe he was going mad but there was something very strange about what he had just witnessed and it took him back to when he was a very small boy, not much older than George, surely not?
Continue Reading Chapter 7 - The Adventures of Lucy The Unicorn
Copyright © Author: Susan Harris 20.01.2018