Jack sighedTheir mission really seemed hopeless now.
We’d better go to find her said Annie.
She wont go far. Said Mary. My poor Augusta. She has a fine mindand a brave heart, but she is so unhappy,Why is she so unhappy? Asked Annie.
Yeah, what is her problem? Said JackMore than any of her brothers, and sisters, miss Augusta loved mystories, said Mary.
Remembered everyoneof them she did.
Really? Asked Jack.
Yes. She will repeat them back to me word for word. Said Mary.
That’s amazing. Said Annie.
She love the stories so much, but she grew desperate to see theShea for herself. Said Mary. LAt night she will carry a lantern and crossed the fields calling forthem, by day, she popped them in every part of the farm, and sheeven used a magnifying glass scaring the earth for tiny footprints.
But I am afraid she has never found themWhy said Annie.
Mary sighed.
Because she looked for them with her head, and not her heart.
She said.
Eventually she gave up and stopped searching. She didn’t evenwant to hear the stories anymore, she’s been a dutiful but asorrowful child ever since.
That’s terrible. Said Annie.
What can we do to help her?
There’s only one thing you can do. Said Mary.
What ? breathed Jack.
Mary leaned forward on from her chair , her blue eyes seemedstaring right through Jack and Annie, you must show her the magic.
She said.
What? Thought Jack.
Does Mary know about the magic tree house?
What do you mean? He asked.
I know you children are like me, you see things that others don’t.
said Mary.
Hope Augusta can see them too.
Hope her find the magic in the fields. And in the forest.
For a moment, Jack and Annie didn’t say anything, the wind blewthrough the open door, the fire crackled, then Annie took a deepbreath,Ok. She said.
We know exactly what to do.
We do? Said Jack.
Yeah. We will talk about it outside. Said Annie.
Thanks Mary.
We will find Augusta and take her to see everything.
Jack and Annie stood up to go,Want you 20 fairies on this wonderful winter day? Said Mary.
Want 20 of them to you too. Said Jack.
Then he and Annie left the cozy cottage. Scattering the wind birds,by the front door.
It had be a little warm outside, the rain had stopped. But folk hangheavily to the sheep fields. The ground was sulky with mud,Jack could barely make out Augusta’s red cape through the fog.
She was cross the lame, sitting on a stone wall, at the edge of thesheep meadow.
Mary was right, she didn’t go far. Jack said.
So how do we show her magic Annie?
Easy. Said Annie.
We playour magic with her.
So?
No. we can't do that. Said Jack. We supposed to say the whistle formoment of great danger.
That moment is now. said Annie, come on.
Hold on. said Jack.
What great danger we facing right now?
Not us Augusta! Said Annie.
She faces the great danger of losing all hopes, and happiness andboring inside for the rest of her life. And will never been inspiredand never showing her gifts to the world.
It’s almost late already!
Ok, ok, said Jack.
But we just going to go up twins and blowing the whistle andsinging ?
That seems pretty weird.
Hmm. Yeah. It does. Said Annie.
How about this? said Jack.
We will tell Augusta, that we want to put on a play for her.
A play? Said Annie.
Yeah. Said Jack.
We can tell her we want to prove that we won't lie. That we reallyworked in a play by Shakespeare.
Oh! Cool. Said Annie. then what?
We will play the magic whistle. Said Jack.
We will sing about the Shea,We make them appear like in Mary ‘s story,.
Galloping and thundering,Augusta sees them and she gets inspired.
Our mission’s down.
Perfect. Said Annie. let’s go.
Jack and Annie hurried across the lane, to the stone wall.
Excuse us, miss Augusta. Said Annie.
We just had a really great idea , want hear it?
Augusta didn’t answer. She kept staring at the ground,How do you like to see a play? Said Jack.
Augusta looked up. A play? She said.
We want to put on our own play for you. Said Annie.
Why: said Augusta.
Because it’s really good. Said Jack.
And maybeit will prove to you that we are really well at play byShakespeare .
Augusta looked dullful.
Come on, you’ll love it. Said Annie.
Do you know a quiet spot where no one can bother us?
Augusta bid her lips and looked around.
Then she stood up.
Alright. She said.
The river near the old forest. I used to go there with my brothers.
Great. Said Annie.
Annie and Jack followed Augusta through the rain soak mistymeadowThey walked pass greasing sheep, then down a slope toward awide Russian river. RushingThe river separated the sheep’s meadow from the old forest.
Jack could barely see the trees through the ghostly fog.
Augusta stopped at a low ridge above the river bank, near somelarge rocks,Here, she said.
Good! These rocks can be a stage. SaidJack.
Jack and Annie climbed a piles of small boaters, and stood at alarge flat rock.
Ok! Said Annie.
The name of this place is :
A late winter’s daydream.
Not bad. Thought Jack.
And this is what’s going to happen. Said Annie.
Jack will be the narrator, and I will play the Irish whistle,And Jack will sing a song and tells the story.
What? Said Jack.
Excuse us a minute. Miss Augusta.
Jack turned to Annie,Why me sing? He whispered.
Why not I play and you sing?
No, I wantto play. Said Annie.
You took notes of Mary’s, right?
So just say if your words to describe the scene. Then use yournotes about the Shea to make up a song.
You can do that, can't you?
I guess. Said Jack.
Cool. Said Annie. give me the whistle.
Jackreached his pocket and pulled out his notebook and Irishwhistle. He gave the whistle to Annie,Sorry, miss Augusta. Said Annie.
We are almost ready. She whispered directions to Jack.
Ok! Say your introduction. I will start to play. Then you start to sing,then I’ve got it. Said Jack.
Let’s just start.
Jack and Annie turned to face Augusta, Jack cleared his throat,then he spoke a loud voice,All lives still in the old forest, until music songs from my hiddenworld,Jack nodded to Annie. Annie raised the magic Irish whistle to herlips and began to play. Strange sweet music came from the whistle,the music was both sad and happy, it was full of beauty and hope,pain and sorrow, like the fog over the river, the music seemed tobring everything together.
For a moment, the whistle music was so powerful that Jack couldn’tsing, he felt like cry and laughing at the same time. Finally helooked down at her notes, and began to sing:
In the spinning of light,In the cloudlike a dream,A bridge appeared overa wide flowing steam.
Jack surprised himself. He thought his words for the song soundedpretty good.
A long flattering high note, first from Annie’s whistle, bright dancinglight floated across the river, the light arched through the fog towardJack, Annie and Augusta.
Augusta gasped.
Jack looked back down at his notes. And sang:
Some came on horsesSome came with wings,From enchanted worldLittle queens little kings,The wind began to blow, Jack looked up. The leaves and grass andtwigs were flying everywhere, the whistle music grew wilder,thundering and rumbling sounds came from the old forest.
A herd of very small horses galloped out of the mist, on their backswere proud and lovely riders. Many gold men and women with longhair floating on the wind,their knives and guns with colors of nature. The Pale rose of springdawn.. the green of summer humming birds, the blue of wintertwilight, and gold of autumn leaves.
The Shea!
Cried Augusta. |