Chapter 6
Tommy meets Mr Keeper
Soon they were below the tops of the trees, making their way down a slight incline to the bottom of the valley, it felt nice and cool beneath the foliage.
“Here we are,” said Esmeralda to Tommy and Saber who both sat down on the lush green grass that carpeted the floor of the valley.
“We are now in the ‘Valley of The Keeper Of The Forest’.”
And what a beautiful place it was. The trees that grew there were similar to others that Tommy had seen earlier, in that they were very big. The rich green grass was everywhere, fruit trees, plum, pear and apple mingled with large oak and cedar trees. Strawberries were growing under many of the trees, and one of them would fill a bowl because of their size. Squirrels played in the branches above, jumping from one branch to another. Birds whistled and sang happily as they flew from tree to tree.
A waterfall nearby, cascaded down into a lower ravine, reflecting the sunlight that broke through the branches above them. Tommy was totally awestruck and lost for words for a moment. It showed in his face.
“It’s like… a different world down here,” said Tommy as he took in the scene around them.
“Oh yes,” agreed Esmeralda, “it’s most striking when you first see it and something you never forget,” she explained.
“Has anyone ever been lucky enough to have found their way here?” asked Tommy.
“No, not to my knowledge, the forest has its own way of keeping unwanted visitors at bay, should they get too close for comfort,” she said smiling confidently.
After a while they were on their feet again, refreshed from the short rest. Esmeralda led them towards the waterfall. Tommy and Saber walked carefully behind her as she made her way behind the cascading water, onto a ledge about three feet wide, which opened up further along into a cave.
“Now then,” said Esmeralda. “We are about to meet the ‘Keeper of the Forest ‘and we must be on our best behavior at all times,” she insisted. “We must call him, Mr. Keeper when speaking to him,” she said.
Esmeralda reached up on the cave wall that glistened with water droplets. She pulled on a piece of rock that was sticking out, suddenly a secret door swung open. Tommy was amazed.
“How…How,” he could hardly get the words out. “I mean…how does it work?” He asked in astonishment.
“It works by somehow harnessing the power of the waterfall,” replied Esmeralda.
“At least that’s what I was told by Dramatrisa many years ago when I asked the same question. Apart from that I can’t tell you any more I’m afraid.”
With Esmeralda pointing the way, the three of them went inside. Tommy discovered that they were in an area lit by four oil lamps. They hung on the walls casting an eerie yellow glow, and flickering shadows all around. A stone staircase spiraled downward for as far as the eye could see.
The walls appeared damp and wet in parts, probably due to the waterfall, Tommy thought to himself as he followed Esmeralda and Saber downward. They continued onward down the stone steps, their shadows following them as they went.
There was no way of knowing what was ahead as the steps twisted their way round and round spiralling downward. It was after some time that Esmeralda announced that they were nearly at the bottom. Sure enough, in front of them was another door of solid oak with the words ‘KEEPER OF THE FOREST’ painted in gold letters across the top.
At the side of the door was an old fashioned ‘Bell Pull’ with the words ‘RING ONCE’ also painted in gold. Esmeralda reached up and pulled on the bell pull, as Tommy and Saber looked on in silence. A loud BONG could be heard distinctively on the other side of the door, as if to tell the visitor that they needn’t ring again, as the first one was sufficient to wake anyone inside. After a few moments they could hear the turning of a key on the other side as someone started to open the door.
They waited in suspense, Tommy gripping Esmeralda’s arm...
The large oak door creaked as it swung slowly open and the three of them stepped cautiously inside. The door closed behind them with a CLONK, making Tommy jump for a moment. It was rather dark inside and took a while for him to get his eyes accustomed to it.
Soon he could begin to see that the room was very large and the ceiling very high up. It appeared to be covered in a sort of green moss, the walls being made of some kind of crystals, which gave of the only light in there, accounting for the low visibility. Standing everywhere in the room were enormous statues of animals and birds. They looked quite real in the half-light.
“Good day to you!” a voice called out from behind a nearby statue of a badger. Tommy jumped again.
“Good day to you too,” replied Esmeralda: “Would the keeper of the forest meet with us today please?”
A reply came back from behind the statue. “And who do I find in my domain that wishes to meet with me, at this busy time of the year,” the voice enquired.
“It be Esmeralda, friend Tommy, and Saber,” she replied back again.
“Ah! My good friend, Esmeralda, of the house in the woods,” the voice replied. “You and your kind are always most welcome to see me at any time of the year,” the voice went on in a more pleasant tone.
“Would the keeper of the forest care to be seen?” asked Esmeralda.
Tommy listened to the conversation between them, and realised that it must be some kind of routine greeting which they went through at each meeting. He also remembered what Esmeralda had said earlier, about being careful not to upset Mr. Keeper in any way, as he was most particular on politeness and extremely proud of his job.
Out from behind the statue stepped an old man of about 6 feet tall, quite slim with grey hair down to his shoulders and a white beard that came down to his waist. He was wearing a long blue garment that touched the floor, and used a silver cane as a walking stick to lean on.
“I’m so pleased to see you again Esmeralda,” said Mr. Keeper.
Esmeralda bowed her head to greet him.
“And this is, Tommy, that you speak of,” he said, looking down at Tommy as if waiting for a reply.
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Keeper sir,” Tommy said, bowing his head the same as Esmeralda did.
“Ah, a well-mannered and pleasant boy that you have here Esmeralda,” came Mr. Keepers reply, “and does he know the rules of the forest yet?” he enquired.
“I am teaching him and he is keen to learn all that there is,” answered Esmeralda.
“Of that I have no doubts,” said Mr. Keeper smiling at Tommy.
Saber had now laid herself down at the feet of Mr. Keeper as if to wait her turn in getting noticed. She need not have worried; Mr. Keeper turned his attention to her stroking her head and ears and generally fussing over her.
“Ah, and this is my lovely, Saber, who I gave to you many years ago as an infant. You have done a remarkable job in bringing her up, Esmeralda,” said Mr. Keeper as he continued to stroke Saber.
“Perhaps you will find the time whilst teaching Tommy the secrets of the forest to include Saber and her past history,” he enquired. “I’m sure he will be most interested.”
“Of course I will do my very best, Mr. Keeper,” replied Esmeralda.
“Good for you, my dear friend, and to celebrate your arrival we must all have a special feast,” he said raising his arms high.
“I don’t see you very often, Esmeralda, but when I do I like to mark the occasion with something special,” he said in a jovial way.
Tommy meets Mr Keeper
Soon they were below the tops of the trees, making their way down a slight incline to the bottom of the valley, it felt nice and cool beneath the foliage.
“Here we are,” said Esmeralda to Tommy and Saber who both sat down on the lush green grass that carpeted the floor of the valley.
“We are now in the ‘Valley of The Keeper Of The Forest’.”
And what a beautiful place it was. The trees that grew there were similar to others that Tommy had seen earlier, in that they were very big. The rich green grass was everywhere, fruit trees, plum, pear and apple mingled with large oak and cedar trees. Strawberries were growing under many of the trees, and one of them would fill a bowl because of their size. Squirrels played in the branches above, jumping from one branch to another. Birds whistled and sang happily as they flew from tree to tree.
A waterfall nearby, cascaded down into a lower ravine, reflecting the sunlight that broke through the branches above them. Tommy was totally awestruck and lost for words for a moment. It showed in his face.
“It’s like… a different world down here,” said Tommy as he took in the scene around them.
“Oh yes,” agreed Esmeralda, “it’s most striking when you first see it and something you never forget,” she explained.
“Has anyone ever been lucky enough to have found their way here?” asked Tommy.
“No, not to my knowledge, the forest has its own way of keeping unwanted visitors at bay, should they get too close for comfort,” she said smiling confidently.
After a while they were on their feet again, refreshed from the short rest. Esmeralda led them towards the waterfall. Tommy and Saber walked carefully behind her as she made her way behind the cascading water, onto a ledge about three feet wide, which opened up further along into a cave.
“Now then,” said Esmeralda. “We are about to meet the ‘Keeper of the Forest ‘and we must be on our best behavior at all times,” she insisted. “We must call him, Mr. Keeper when speaking to him,” she said.
Esmeralda reached up on the cave wall that glistened with water droplets. She pulled on a piece of rock that was sticking out, suddenly a secret door swung open. Tommy was amazed.
“How…How,” he could hardly get the words out. “I mean…how does it work?” He asked in astonishment.
“It works by somehow harnessing the power of the waterfall,” replied Esmeralda.
“At least that’s what I was told by Dramatrisa many years ago when I asked the same question. Apart from that I can’t tell you any more I’m afraid.”
With Esmeralda pointing the way, the three of them went inside. Tommy discovered that they were in an area lit by four oil lamps. They hung on the walls casting an eerie yellow glow, and flickering shadows all around. A stone staircase spiraled downward for as far as the eye could see.
The walls appeared damp and wet in parts, probably due to the waterfall, Tommy thought to himself as he followed Esmeralda and Saber downward. They continued onward down the stone steps, their shadows following them as they went.
There was no way of knowing what was ahead as the steps twisted their way round and round spiralling downward. It was after some time that Esmeralda announced that they were nearly at the bottom. Sure enough, in front of them was another door of solid oak with the words ‘KEEPER OF THE FOREST’ painted in gold letters across the top.
At the side of the door was an old fashioned ‘Bell Pull’ with the words ‘RING ONCE’ also painted in gold. Esmeralda reached up and pulled on the bell pull, as Tommy and Saber looked on in silence. A loud BONG could be heard distinctively on the other side of the door, as if to tell the visitor that they needn’t ring again, as the first one was sufficient to wake anyone inside. After a few moments they could hear the turning of a key on the other side as someone started to open the door.
They waited in suspense, Tommy gripping Esmeralda’s arm...
The large oak door creaked as it swung slowly open and the three of them stepped cautiously inside. The door closed behind them with a CLONK, making Tommy jump for a moment. It was rather dark inside and took a while for him to get his eyes accustomed to it.
Soon he could begin to see that the room was very large and the ceiling very high up. It appeared to be covered in a sort of green moss, the walls being made of some kind of crystals, which gave of the only light in there, accounting for the low visibility. Standing everywhere in the room were enormous statues of animals and birds. They looked quite real in the half-light.
“Good day to you!” a voice called out from behind a nearby statue of a badger. Tommy jumped again.
“Good day to you too,” replied Esmeralda: “Would the keeper of the forest meet with us today please?”
A reply came back from behind the statue. “And who do I find in my domain that wishes to meet with me, at this busy time of the year,” the voice enquired.
“It be Esmeralda, friend Tommy, and Saber,” she replied back again.
“Ah! My good friend, Esmeralda, of the house in the woods,” the voice replied. “You and your kind are always most welcome to see me at any time of the year,” the voice went on in a more pleasant tone.
“Would the keeper of the forest care to be seen?” asked Esmeralda.
Tommy listened to the conversation between them, and realised that it must be some kind of routine greeting which they went through at each meeting. He also remembered what Esmeralda had said earlier, about being careful not to upset Mr. Keeper in any way, as he was most particular on politeness and extremely proud of his job.
Out from behind the statue stepped an old man of about 6 feet tall, quite slim with grey hair down to his shoulders and a white beard that came down to his waist. He was wearing a long blue garment that touched the floor, and used a silver cane as a walking stick to lean on.
“I’m so pleased to see you again Esmeralda,” said Mr. Keeper.
Esmeralda bowed her head to greet him.
“And this is, Tommy, that you speak of,” he said, looking down at Tommy as if waiting for a reply.
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Keeper sir,” Tommy said, bowing his head the same as Esmeralda did.
“Ah, a well-mannered and pleasant boy that you have here Esmeralda,” came Mr. Keepers reply, “and does he know the rules of the forest yet?” he enquired.
“I am teaching him and he is keen to learn all that there is,” answered Esmeralda.
“Of that I have no doubts,” said Mr. Keeper smiling at Tommy.
Saber had now laid herself down at the feet of Mr. Keeper as if to wait her turn in getting noticed. She need not have worried; Mr. Keeper turned his attention to her stroking her head and ears and generally fussing over her.
“Ah, and this is my lovely, Saber, who I gave to you many years ago as an infant. You have done a remarkable job in bringing her up, Esmeralda,” said Mr. Keeper as he continued to stroke Saber.
“Perhaps you will find the time whilst teaching Tommy the secrets of the forest to include Saber and her past history,” he enquired. “I’m sure he will be most interested.”
“Of course I will do my very best, Mr. Keeper,” replied Esmeralda.
“Good for you, my dear friend, and to celebrate your arrival we must all have a special feast,” he said raising his arms high.
“I don’t see you very often, Esmeralda, but when I do I like to mark the occasion with something special,” he said in a jovial way.