The Flying Castle Stories, 1, 2 and 3 Read online

  Now they had to face the anger of a little man, six inches tall, who wore a top hat and who seemed to think he was in charge.

  “Hi midget!” yelled one of the hunters.

  Lucky Jim turned and cast a beady eye over the man. There was little warmth in his gaze. The man had no idea who he was taking on.

  Greatlion and Swifty celebrating their success!

  “Midget, huh! Well try the magic of Lucky Jim, the Genie,” replied Lucky Jim.

  “Hey presto!” he shouted, and the next second the hunter found himself hanging upside down in mid air.

  “Help!” he yelled.

  “You have a problem?” asked Lucky Jim, a smile flickering across his face. “Can I be of any assistance?”

  “You let me down!”

  Rex in a fix!

  “Where are your manners? I am small, but I am a gentleman as you can tell from my manners, my clothes and especially my top hat.”

  “Please, please let me down!” The other prisoners were staring in amazement at the extraordinary scene unfolding before them. Rex was the leader of their hunting pack, and he always knew how to get out of a fix, and he was in a fix now! They stared in horror as they watched the drama unfold.

  “Well what are you going to do about Swifty?” asked Lucky Jim.

  “Swifty; who is Swifty?”

  “You were trying to kill him for his tusks.”

  “But that’s an elephant!” replied Rex.

  “Ah, but you are a man…..”

  “I am, I am Rex the ace hunter…”

  “...who cannot tell his head from his feet, at the moment,” replied Lucky Jim.

  “What’s up?” said Greatlion shouldering his way into the cramped space; his tail all a’twitch. “Any problems?”

  “Rex here, finds himself out of sorts,” said Lucky Jim pointing at the hunter suspended in mid air. “He is not very polite.”

  “Well if I were to behave like you,” growled Greatlion to Rex, “I should now be hearing only the sound of your bones being crunched up as I eat you all up. That would be the only sound I would hear coming from the likes of you Mr Rex. Now all we are requiring from you is that you ask Swifty to forgive you. He is waiting upstairs, and we advise you all to go and say you are sorry, because otherwise he has thought of a dastardly fate for you all. He has just been whispering it into my ear. Not nice! Do you know I thought Swifty was a gentleman,” said Greatlion turning to Lucky Jim. “He is more of a bandit from the type of revenge he has in mind for the likes of Rex and his friends.”

  “Mates,” yelled Rex, “we are all agreed, we go and apologise to Swifty.”

  “Yes boss,” they replied as one.

  Rex collapsed onto the floor, and the cell doors opened. They trooped into the hall above and found Swifty lying on the floor, looking a lot cleaner after Rosalinda had given him a good bath with her hose.

  Swifty raised his head and trumpeted.

  The hall echoed with the sound, and the hunters stood quaking in their shoes. Rosalinda sat by his side and Paddy lay at his feet watching events unfold.

  “Greetings Swifty, we have some very repentant hunters who have come to ask forgiveness,” explained Greatlion.

  “Don’t believe it!” bellowed the elephant. “Don’t believe it for a moment. They want my tusks. Well I shall give them a taste of what they are like. Bring them over here. Now you miserable creatures; these are what you are after. Feel these tusks. The next time I promise you there will be no mercy, just a nice juicy morsel of a hunter on a tusk!”

  “Really Swifty,” cried Rosalinda, “you are a beast!”

  “You are quite right,” he replied. “Now if you hunters promise to give up hunting for ivory tusks then you can go.”

  Quaking in their boots, the seven hunters nodded their heads so eagerly that you would think they were about to fall off. Then they were herded out of the door and left on the outskirts of a town.

  Free at last, they turned round and watched as the mysterious flying castle slowly rose up and disappeared, to the accompaniment of a triumphant elephant trumpeting over the roar of the jet engines.

  “Who is going to believe that?” said Rex.

  “No one,” they replied.

  “Well least said, soonest mended,” said Rex, “let’s not say a word, alright,” and mumbling in agreement they stumbled towards the town.

  The Sundial

  Jack was drinking his milkshake. He had just come back from the dentist, and he had some thinking to do.

  The dentist had looked at Jack with a merry twinkle in his eye and said, “Well Jack what are we going to do? Have you any ideas?”

  Jack looked up, shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t know; you see I chew my thumb when I am sleeping.”

  “I know…” continued the dentist, “...you have smelly socks, don’t you?”

  Jack’s eyes grew wide in disbelief, “yes,” he said, “when mum forgets to wash them,” and he looked up at his mum who tried to shake off her embarrassment with a nervous giggle.

  “Why not wrap one of your socks round your thumb before you go to sleep?”

  “Dad’s socks are worse. That’s what mum says anyway.”

  The dentist laughed, “Well perhaps you could persuade your husband to let Jack have one of his socks.”

  “Huh, yes but they are really bad!”

  “What about wearing gloves then?” replied the dentist, and they all laughed. So the conversation went on, and it was finally agreed, that Jack and his mum would have a good think about what to do.

  So it was that sometime later Jack was sitting on the large sundial, in the warm sunshine, while his mum sipped at her milkshake anxiously watching her son from her seat outside the coffee shop

  ‘What was he to do; all the wishing in the world couldn’t get rid of his so-called problem? How on earth was he going to stop chewing his thumb when he was asleep? Was he supposed to have a little sentry on guard by his bed ready to blow a bugle when the thumb went in?’

  Jack watched the world as it passed by; no one else seemed to be troubled by big problems like this. The breeze rustled the nearby trees and cooled his fevered brow. He was enjoying the milk shake. It was after he had taken his final gulp that he glanced over the large sundial; it was big, rising up a good six foot above him. There were great lengths of metal curving round and arching over him. The sundial was a deep bronze colour. There were carvings, circles, numbers and letters marked out in gold. Jack began to think that the sundial was a flying saucer and with just a nudge it would suddenly whirr off and vanish into the deep blue sky.

  ‘I wish it would take me,’ thought Jack, ‘where would thumb problems be then?’

  He looked across the large square; people were hurrying across, while others were messing about on skateboards, bikes or roller skates. Jack could hear the fountains tinkling away and the sound of children playing.

  Then he noticed the church steeple was getting smaller! He looked down, and his mouth dropped open; the sundial had become a flying saucer! The town, the trees, the fields and his mum were all getting smaller and smaller as well.

  One moment there had been a sundial, and the next it was gone; and Jack went too!

  This was fun!

  Jack’s mum finished her milk shake and got up to collect her son and take him back to school; perfectly timed so as to arrive back in time for play! She looked over and called out his name. It was then that panic set in; the sundial and her son had disappeared!

  “Oh my goodness where has he gone?” she screamed. People turned and looked at her; puzzled expressions on their faces. It was a though they were in a different world, and could not understand her problem. They just shrugged their shoulders, and walked on.

  “My little boy; he has gone. He was sitting on the sundial one minute and the next, whoosh he vanished!”

  “Just like that!” added a voice close by.

  “Yes!” replied Jack’s mother, spinning round to
see who it was, “yes, just like that! Anyway where are you?”

  “Over here,” came the reply and there, sitting in one of the raised flowerbeds, sat a pixie.

  “My name is Seamus. I know where your son has gone.”

  “You do,” said Jack’s mother, “well where, and the sundial as well?”

  “My name is Seamus.”

  “Oh, he made a wish and that sundial is full of magic; it took off and Jack went with it.”

  “What did he wish?”

  “He wished it was a flying saucer and that it would take him away from all his worries.”

  “What worries?”

  “His teeth problems.”

  “Oh,” said Jack’s mother. “So you know about that as well.”

  “Oh yes,” exclaimed the pixie jumping down and looking up into her face, “He will be alright; there are magic forces round here, and it being a full moon tonight there will be lots of comings and goings, but I can assure you, you will find your son sleeping peacefully in his bed tomorrow morning, and his problem will be all gone!”

  “This you can promise?” asked Jack’s mum who felt she could trust him. “If this is true Seamus then it would be wonderful, my son would be such a happy boy. He was told to wrap a smelly sock...”

  “Oh no, not that trick,” said Seamus, “as if there was any chance of it working. No your son is in very capable hands,” and with that he threw a handful of fairy dust over her; and with all her worries gone she walked away a large smile on her face.

  As for Jack he was having a wonderful time; day was turning into starry night, and as the full moon rose up he was able to sit back and marvel at the clouds and countryside and the stars whizzing past.

  This was fun, and his thumb was enjoying the fresh air too. It was then that he noticed a small castle floating in space, outlined against the full moon: every now and again its four rockets bursting into life, as though it was showing the universe just what a flying castle could do. The sundial was heading in that direction. As it drew closer Jack saw a fair lady, with a beautiful headdress, waiting to greet him!

  “Hello Jack,” called the Ladye Fayre, “I am Rosalinda, come on board!” The sundial manoeuvred itself alongside the craft, and Jack jumped across. Then with an extra burst of speed the sundial zipped off into the darkness.

  “Time gets stuck when sundials disappear for too long,” explained Rosalinda as she guided him downstairs and into the main hall.

  What a sight met his eyes as he entered the hall; a grinning lion flicking his tail, a brown bear cleaning out a honey jar, a little man, no more than six inches high, wearing a tall top hat, and a little Yorkshire Terrier sniffing at Jack’s feet.

  “Meet Greatlion,” said Rosalinda, “this is Barnie the Bear, Lucky Jim the Genie, and the little dog is Paddy.”

  “Pleased to meet you all,” said Jack.

  “Now,” said Greatlion, always one to get to the point, “what is your problem?”

  “My thumb,” said Jack, “I can’t get it to stay out of my mouth when I sleep.”

  “Have you heard the one about putting a smelly sock over it?” asked Barnie the Bear from the depths of the honey jar.

  “Yes of course he has,” said Lucky Jim. “Everyone has heard that one.”

  “I’ve had a thought,” said Rosalinda. “Now Jack, have you ever been on a railway journey?”

  “Yes,” replied Jack.

  “Well,” continued Rosalinda, “say you know someone you don’t like. You would rather like them to go on a long train journey.”

  “Yes,” said Jack, as the others looked on curious to know what bizarre story she was about to come up with.

  “Before you go to sleep put your thumb on a train journey. Imagine a train puffing past your bed, with a lot of carriages; it’s rather like counting sheep. Your thumb boards the train when you put it under your pillow. Let the engine and carriages rattle away carrying your thumb with them. In next to no time you will be asleep and the thumb will be nice and safe.”

  Ros and Jack

  “My that sounds good,” said Greatlion.

  “Yes,” said the others, and Jack smiled a great smile.

  “Cool,” he exclaimed, “I will try that.” Then he stopped and looked at his five friends, and went on, “but what is this all about?”

  “Of course how silly we are. Come on Jack, come up to the bridge,” said Barnie the Bear, and off they trooped.

  “Wow!” exclaimed Jack as stepped into the steering room and saw the twinkling stars, the luminous moon and the sight of the world, his home, floating in an ocean of darkness. “We are in space, and this really is a flying castle!”

  “Sit down over there,” said Lucky Jim, “and we will explain.”

  “We come alive every time there is a full moon to help anyone who needs us,” added Rosalinda.

  “Your wish was sent to us by Seamus the pixie, who was close to the sundial,” said Greatlion.

  “So, the sundial is a flying saucer! That is what I was thinking when I was sitting on it. Then everything happened just like that,” replied Jack. “But I didn’t know castles could fly!”

  “One day you might see it again!” replied Greatlion mysteriously. It was at this point that exhaustion set in, and Jack slumped down in the chair, fast asleep.

  “Poor lad,” said Rosalinda, putting a pillow under his head and a blanket over him.

  “He’ll have no problems now,” said Barnie. “I wonder if he will ever find the castle?”

  “Who would believe him?” said Lucky Jim.

  “Perhaps his mum might put two and two together,” added Rosalinda.

  “Perhaps,” echoed Greatlion, as he brought the craft to land. “Well ladies and gentlemen it’s been a good night’s work, and the clock is chiming four. What about Jack?”

  “He’ll be ok, just leave him there,” said Rosalinda. “He will wake up in his own bed. Sweet dreams Jack,” and so the castle once again became as quiet as a mouse.

  ………

  Jack’s mum stayed up most of the night sitting in the armchair until she dropped off to sleep. She woke up at about four and went up to Jack’s bedroom, and there he was fast asleep, as Seamus had promised! She could not see his thumb, but relieved that Jack was now back, she was able to go to bed at last.

  The following morning she tiptoed downstairs, made herself a hot chocolate, and sat down. A little while later she heard a jubilant boy come thundering down the stairs.

  “Mum, mum, I didn’t chew my thumb last night. Look, it is nice and dry. It was hiding under my pillow when I woke up.”

  “That’s good Jack isn’t it? We won’t bother with smelly socks then will we? Dad will be pleased.”

  “That will be a big surprise for him,” said Jack sitting down at the table for his breakfast. His mum looked at him nervously over her drink to see if he was going to say anything more. She wasn’t too sure what to say herself, but the pixie seemed to have been telling the truth.

  After a couple of mouthfuls Jack said, “Mum, I had a funny dream last night about a train taking my thumb away on a long journey. On the train was a little man with a tall top hat, and there was a little Yorkie called Paddy. There was a pixie called Seamus and a lady with a lovely headdress. There was even a lion and a bear; they kept telling each other jokes!”

  “That sounds an interesting dream, doesn’t it Jack?” said his mum just managing to prevent herself from choking at the mention of the pixie Seamus.

  “I’m looking forward to going to bed tonight. I like train journeys like that,” said Jack enthusiastically.

  “Particularly if your thumb goes on a train journey as well,” replied his mother.

  “I’m sure it must be something to do with the sundial,” continued Jack.

  “It’s a nice sundial though isn’t it Jack?” replied his mother, once again almost choking on her drink at the mention of the sundial.

  “Just like a flying saucer,” said Jack finishing
off his breakfast and jumping down, “Be nice to have a little dog though wouldn’t it mum?” and he ran upstairs.

  Jack’s mum just sat; she was feeling dazed, and her head was spinning. In her mind she saw a whole galaxy of shapes whirling around her; a flying saucer, a little dog, a lion, a Lady Fayre, a bear, and a little man with a ridiculously tall hat. She wondered whether she would ever be able to think straight again.

  ‘she saw a whole galaxy of shapes’

  Some days later Jack and his mum were walking through town. She had bought him an extra special milkshake because his thumb had been behaving itself! They were both very pleased, but at the same time rather puzzled; their memories stretched back to Jack sitting on the sundial, but apart from that they couldn’t remember very much else.

  “That was a lovely milkshake mum, thanks.”

  “Glad you liked it dear, though it did break the bank,” said his mother scrabbling around to see what money she had left in her bag. They turned the corner, and it was then that Jack came to an abrupt halt.

  “Mum,” he said, “that’s it, that’s the place.”

  “What is dear?”

  “The flying castle!”

  “Jack, it’s an old hall, you must have been dreaming.”

  “I might have been dreaming, but look, there is the bear,” said the boy pointing at the big brown bear standing outside the pub.

  “And look mum, there is Rosalinda. It only says Ladye Fayre on the shop sign, but she was called the Ladye Fayre. Yes mum, and there is Greatlion,” said the boy pointing excitedly at the lion set in stone in the front of the building. “They are all here!”

  “What all of them?”

  “No not all of them,” said Jack on reflection, “there is no little dog called Paddy and there is no Lucky Jim, with a top hat!”

  “I don’t blame you Jack, because I have a funny feeling that I was standing talking to a pixie man, by the sundial, and his name was Seamus. Something happened, both of us know that, but…..”

  “…..I am no longer chewing my thumb,” cried out the boy with glee, “and doesn’t my thumb look good.”