The Wizard's Dream.......

Where Do You Go When You Dream......

You Might or Might Not recall, Dear Readers, that the Grand Upheaval at the Castle over the past few months required that the little people should go away on Dream Vacations, and so there was a great exodus to any and all available locations around my mini worlds. It was the Wizard's Fate to find himself at the Fountain of Dreams... a place he had been to many a Time, but never before with so many unanswered Questions. Perhaps here, at Last, he would find some answers to the riddles that seemed to only multiply the more he tried to unravel them! And what were those Riddles that bothered him so, I hear you ask? Well, perhaps you have forgotten that Perry had found the Sword "Harbinger".....

And had slashed through Time itself....

bringing him to the Wizard.....

Or was it to bring the Sword to the Wizard...?

Even before Perry could turn around, 

Time had shifted again....

the Wizard had hidden Harbinger....

and the sword in Perry's hand was once again a child's plaything.

But the Wizard was not reassured.... 

What was the real reason for "Harbinger" to appear?

And why in the Hand of the Child...

 

But as he gazed deeply into the Fountain of Dreams....

 all he could see was Innocence....

Something he had Lost so long ago...

It could only be glimpsed in Dreams....

And what use could that be to him now...?

Now when all the World was so Dark and Troubled....?

When it was all he could do to Hold back the Forces of Evil....?

He could not see the use....

But the Wizard was not the only one

 who stood at the Fountain of Dreams...

Perry had also found himself before the Fountain.....

And even though the sword in his hand was a Child's Plaything....

perhaps it emboldened his Dreams...

Perhaps he would discover strengths he hadn't known...

or overcome Fears... and conquer Demons...

Perhaps anything was possible in Dreams!

 

And lest you think Dreams only come

 to those who stand by the Fountain,

 Tommy had not been able to forget

 seeing the Sword that made the Wizard appear! 

The more he thought about it, 

the more he Dreamed of holding it himself...

Was it like the Genie in the Lamp..... 

would the Wizard appear to whoever wielded the Sword?

He wanted to give it a try himself...!

He set off for the Castle on his pony Prince

 on a lovely brisk Autumn afternoon...

He knew his pesky sisters would not follow him today.... 

because they had gone to the Village

 with Mrs. Butterworth, their cook, 

and would spend hours at the market.

Every now and then when he arrived at the Castle, 

the stables would be full of the Castle horses... 

but today they were empty. 

He thought this was a good thing, 

because the last time when they found the sword 

there had been no-one in the Castle.

The Great Hall was empty....

The Guard Room was empty....

The room at the top of the stairs was empty....

Except for the chest....

 right where it had been the last time....

He marched right over and lifted the lid....

And there was the Sword...!

He pulled it out of the chest... 

it was heavier than he thought it would be.....

And suddenly he feels afraid to try it out here... 

in the same place the Wizard appeared before!

Perhaps it would be better to try it outside....

So he heads for the door....

Prince is waiting for him in the stables....

But once they are outside, 

he is afraid someone might see him

 if he uses the sword while too near to the Castle.

Perhaps it would be safer to take it farther away before using it....

But there doesn't seem to be a good place to try using the sword....

And the farther he goes, the more he starts to think

 he will need to find a place to hide it.

But where could he keep it that his sisters would not find it....?

But that is not all, Dear Readers! 

I am sure you are wondering where the Little Dreamers

 spent their Dream Vacation....

 and I assure you it was not such an exciting Time for them!

 They found themselves at Hardwick Hall... 

where they spent their time in the Attic...

There was not a lot to do....

 and they tried to eavesdrop on the Witches....

Who drank endless pots of Tea....

But were too far away to hear what they were saying.

There were hardly any books on the shelves....

And when they had read them all....

They made up stories... called "What if.....?"

And tried to play with the little doll 

who was a bit aloof and wouldn't play with them.

Until one day when she suddenly said

 

   "I was hoping to find my sisters... 

Little Rose and Sweet Pea... 

Have you seen them anywhere?"

The Little Dreamers looked at each other.... 

suddenly remembering that it had been a long while ago

 that they had last seen Little Rose and Sweet Pea....

"I think we left them somewhere..." said Amy.

"I think it was on the Distant Briar Moors..." said Beth.

"We Have to go find them....! " she added.

"What if they aren't there...?" said Amy.

 

But what of the Wizard's Dream, you are wondering?

When the Wizard returned to the Castle Caves

 he found that things had changed! 

The World seemed Darker than before....

And colder.... and Empty.....

 almost as though he had never been there before!

And in the Castle too.....

When he went to greet Guard Ian.....

He seemed not quite himself...... 

although he smiled and said "Welcome back"!

And the same with those who remained in the kitchen...

Henry and Belle and Old Meg....

The kitchen was not disturbed during the Great Upheaval.... 

so there was no need for them to leave.... 

And yet....

Even though they too greeted him and said welcome back......

He did not think they looked well at all!

But it was Old Meg who cackled at him.....

 and said he looked as though he had seen a ghost...!

which made him wonder if he was Dreaming....

And would awake at any moment.....

And lest you think I have forgotten, Dear Readers, 

Your favorite Band... "The Deadly Nightshades" have spent their Time

At one of the Lads' posh flat... 

Rehearsing for the Halloween Castle Ball.....

Working the Kinks out of some New and Gruesome Oldies....!

So I do hope you will stick around to see

What happens...

If the Little Dreamers find the Tiny Dolls....

If Tommy Loses the Sword "Harbinger".......

If the Wizard discovers where his Dreams have Taken him....

If there is a Castle Party on All Hallows Eve......