Ben and his mum always spent their holidays at Grandad’s. Ben and his mum lived in a big grey city but Grandad lived in a little village in the countryside. Ben loved it there – it was bright and green and it didn’t smell smoky. And you could hear the birds sing.
One holiday was especially special, more special than all the others and Ben would remember it forever.
It was the Christmas holidays and when Ben and Mum arrived at Grandad’s it started snowing – it was almost as if it was a special early Christmas treat for Ben to welcome him back!
Ben had a wonderful sleep in his own little bed at Grandad’s – he always had a great sleep there, but he got a real surprise when he got up and looked out of his window. There had been a storm during the night and the big tree in Grandad’s garden had been blown down!
As soon as he had finished breakfast Ben went out to see the tree. That wind must have been awfully strong, he thought. The tree is gigantic, but the wind had ripped it out of the ground and thrown it back down again. Superhero powers!
Ben had had lots of fun with that tree. He played games running round it; he climbed it; he read books in it’s shade in the summertime and had special picnics with Mum and Grandad under it’s leafy branches too. It’s trunk served as a wicket for his cricket games with Grandad, too, and often as a goal post when he imagined he was playing in a cup final. And it was always Grandad’s hiding place when they played Hide and Seek.
Now, the huge tree was lying on it’s side and there was a deep hole where it’s roots had been.
Ben peered into the hole – and then he noticed some tiny footprints in the snow, leading away from the hole over towards Grandad’s shed …
He followed the trail and noticed the door of the shed was slightly open. Unafraid, Ben went in. The shed was always dark, but Grandad kept a torch just inside the door and it was still there.
Ben slowly shone the torch round the shed … and there, sitting on Grandad’s stool in the corner, was the strangest wee figure. Ben bravely crept forward for a closer look … this was the strangest creature he had ever seen.
It was a mole! But this was no ordinary mole – this was a mole with a sou’wester hat, a plastic mac and wellington boots!
“You’ve got clothes on”, Ben said slowly … and the Mole replied! He actually SPOKE! In a quiet, squeaky voice the mole said: “Of course I’ve got clothes on – I’m outside and it’s cold! You wouldn’t go out without clothes on, would you?”
“Of course not, but I’m a boy! And you’re a mole!”
“Same difference”, said the mole sniffily. “We’re both small”.
“I’m not small. I’m SIX!” said Ben, indignantly. “And I’m big for my age!”
“It doesn’t matter”, said Mole. “Do you want to go out to play?”
“We can’t play together”, said Ben, wisely. “I am a boy and you are a mole.”
“Of course we can play together”, the mole replied. “I play with Badger, squirrel and hedgehog. We’re all different but we have fun together all the time.”
“Aah, but you are all … well, wild animals. And I am a boy … and a superhero! So that’s that!”
“But you play with your Grandad?”
“Yes, I play with Grandad. But he’s a grown up. He’s like an old me. I can play with him”
“Well … he plays with us, too!”
Ben was confused. This was difficult information to take in.
Finally, he said: “Okay, then. Let’s go out and play!”
Ben and Mole went back out into the snowy garden for a snowball fight, and they were soon joined by Badger, Squirrel and Hedgehog. They had great fun, and Owl and Robin watched on from the roof of the shed. It really was a wonderful morning.
When Mum called Ben in for lunch, the wee boy said goodbye to his new friends and went into the warm cottage.
Mum asked: “What have you been up to, Ben? Have you had fun?”
Ben couldn’t wait to tell her about his amazing adventure. “There was a mole and a squirrel and a badger and a hedgehog and we had a massive snowball fight and we had races and we played hide and seek and ….”
“Oh, Ben! Really, what an imagination! I’m sure you’ll be a famous storyteller when you grow up!”
“But it’s true! Grandad …”
Grandad put his finger to his lips and winked …
Ben looked outside. The snow was getting heavier and there was no sign of his playmates.
He never saw them again during the holiday, but on the day they left to go home both the owl and the robin were back on the shed roof, as if they knew …
That was their last holiday at Grandad’s. Mum said he had been very ill and that he would be happy now to be with Nan again.
Ben would never again return to the cottage and the magical animals would forever be their special secret.
DAVE PICKERING
December 2022
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