The Folk of The Forest

Nobody knew exactly how old Nellie Woodsman was, Seventeen felt about right. This was due to the fact that the tale of the Folk of the forest had been around for centuries upon centuries, and so only the most necessary details were kept. Rumours had it that the girl had been born into a most respectable family, rather high up in the aristocrats’ way of social being, if I recall correctly. Well, as the story goes, she somehow ended up on the doorstep of a random little house in the forest, and to this day, nobody knows how. The folk that lived at this little cottage were indeed a peculiar little family, yet, it wasn’t really little, at all. There were about three dozen all up, most, being children belonging to Mrs and Mr Derry Washington. Indeed, the strange couple were surprised to find a child like little Nellie Woodsman on their front doorstep, but were nonetheless happy to take her in. So that is where Nellie’s story began.”

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Kathleen put down her pen and stretched out her fingers. She really wanted to finish her story, though she doubted she would. She had so much to do; her homework, study for exams, buy her friend a birthday gift, and visit a dying relative she didn’t even know! Apparently her dying relative had a virus that the Prime Minister detested so much, they’d made her stay home for who knows how long to lower the chances of her catching it. It was called something like Covid 19, whatever that meant. Kathleen grimaced. There was no meaning in a name like Covid 19! Couldn't it be called; 'The Deadly Peril?' or something more imaginative like that? Well, she was being forced to visit her relative to ‘cheer’ them off all the unpleasantness they were feeling, or so said her parents. Kathleen sighed wearily, as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Then she nimbly picked up her pen and began to write.

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“Nellie didn’t have a name when she was delivered to that doorstep that day, so Mrs and Mr Derry Washington named her. They named all their children alphabetically, and Nellie was henceforth christened with the ‘N.’ There was only one other of Mrs and Mr Derry Washington’s somewhat three dozen children who’s name started with a ‘N’, and this was a dark haired boy who went by the name of Noris. When in later years, Nellie and Norris finally did meet, Nellie decided she didn’t care much for Norris anyway, and was lost between the group of other little girls her age, so that she never did pay him another thought. You may have wondered why Nellie did not go by the name Washington, and this is why. When Mrs and Mr Derry Washington took one look at the scrawny little baby at their doorstep that day, they knew little Nellie could never be a Washington. But neither did they know of her proper name her parents had given her. So, after some discussion they came to the conclusion that the child should be named Woodsman, because, as the Washingtons continuously stated; Nellie was a child born of nature.

Nellie, at the age of about 17, aforesaid, was indeed different from the rest of the family. This was partially because Nellie wasn’t ‘of the blood,’ but mainly because of her fickle personality. The Washingtons had a hobby of collecting pine cones, which Nellie became fascinated with for the period of about two days. But then Nellie Woodsman discovered butterflies were much more entertaining to find and collect than pine cones, so that became her new hobby, though much disproved upon by both Mrs and Mr Derry Washington and their many, many children. Butterflies were something that both delighted and confused Nellie, how did they fly? Nellie loved to imagine that a fairy had sprinkled fairy Dust on them to make them fly, but a day of school science made the concept not as enjoyable. This soon led on to the discovery of sport. The day Nellie laid a finger on a soccer ball, she knew this would be her everlasting hobby. Which of course, could never happen knowing Nellie Woodsman. Well, as the seasons changed, the years went on, and Nellie began to change. Mrs and Mr Derry Washington broke the news one night when it first became apparent of Nellie’s transformation. ‘Nellie, you've caught the 'Deadly Peril-'"

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Kathleen pulled her pen to a halt. What! Nellie wasn’t supposed to catch the 'Deadly Peril!' She could grow wings, or anything! Just not this. She drew her pen through the last few lines and began again.

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“… And Nellie began to change. Some Folk say it was because a fairy dropped a bag of fairy dust on young Nellie, but I’d rather believe it happened on her own accord. Nellie Woodsman, the girl who was so fickle, suddenly decided she didn’t have to stick to one hobby at a time. What if she could do them all at once? Nellie was forever busy from that moment on. Every day she would try at least one hundred thousand different hobbies within the short amount of time the sun would provide light. And so it continued. Nellie’s hobbies included eating, swimming, climbing, hiking, finding things, hiding things, sports, crafts, and the list could go on. Every day provided new opportunities, and every day Nellie graciously received them. However, the time in one’s life must come, when all the hobbies the world has to offer have spent themselves. And so came the point for young Nellie Woodsman. One day, just as suddenly as it had begun, Nellie stopped. She tried in vain to think of at least one more hobby to try, but alas, there were none. So poor Nellie had to return to collecting pine cones with the rest of her family. Nellie collected pine cones for about a week before another thought came to her, as if in a dream. The rest of her family would never use up all their hobbies, would they? They were still collecting pine cones! What if Nellie could steal their hobbies? Nellie patted herself on the back for a job well done and began pondering how she was going to steal her family’s spare hobbies.

That night she began her dirty work. She went into the forest and gathered all the pine cones she could carry and placed them in an empty mining sack. She then half carried-half dragged the bag of pine cones to the lake. With one great shove from the soul of her foot, she kicked the bag into the current. She chuckled to herself. That would do it. She straightened herself up and went back to bed

The Washington family continued collecting pine cones for the next week, although pine cones were becoming much more scarce now, with every thanks to Nellie. Every night, Nellie would sneak outside and collect a bag full of pine cones to drop into the lake. Eventually the time came that there were no more pine cones.

“There are no more pine cones!” Declared Mrs Derry Washington, with a cough at the end of her sentence. (Mrs Derry Washington always coughed at the end of her sentence-)

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Kathleen gasped silently to herself. Maybe Mrs Derry Washington had caught the 'Deadly Peril!' Nonsense! Kathleen reminded herself. 'One must never let their imagination run away with them,' Kathleen quoted her mother. Mrs Derry Washington just had a little cold.

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“Indeed,” replied Mr Derry Washington, “We can no longer collect pine cones.” Nellie grinned mischievously- that is until Mrs Derry Washington spoke again. “Well, since we can no longer collect pine cones,” she began, with a cough, which was discovered was due to a cold, “we must start a new hobby. Maybe we could catch butterflies instead?” Nellie’s smile faded. Her family weren’t supposed to use up the hobbies! She was supposed to steal them for herself! Nellie shifted nervously in her seat. Norris was watching her closely. “I think Nellie has something to do with this crisis!” He announced to the group. All eyes turned towards her. Nellie gulped. “Me? No! It couldn’t be! It must’ve just been the-” At that moment, Bobby, one of the youngest of the family, burst in through the door. “Mama! Papa!” He cried. “The pine cones are in the lake!” Nellie glanced out the window with the others and realised that Bobby was right. The pine cones had floated up stream with the tide. She averted her gaze from her family. But Bobby wasn’t quite done yet. “I saw Nellie sneaking out last night carrying something, and I daresay they were our precious pine cones. She kicked them into the lake!” Declared Bobby triumphantly. All eyes again turned in Nellie direction. “Nellie!”

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Kathleen smiled and put down her pen. Her story was nearly complete. Nellie would be forced to collect pine cones for the rest of time, and her family would continue to use up all the hobbies that Nellie had taken for granted. Kathleen heard her Mum calling her from the kitchen. She had so much to do today. As she trudged slowly downstairs, a thought occurred to her. Nellie only got into trouble because she was too busy and had too much to do. Maybe Kathleen could settle down a bit too. Nah! Life’s too short to rest! She thought stubbornly; “Mum!” she called. “I’m ready to go!”