Dear You

Thank you for visiting the garden...we are always so happy to see you...read all about,The Harvest Dinner,my new Houssie,The dragonfly Ball,The Jiffy trail,Nowhere,and many more adventures in this wonderful enchanted garden...The Dutchess is out for a while,but she will be back soon..Remember...stay warm and stay happy..

The Harvest Dinner..

Are you all ready to enter The Labyrinth..then please take with you a little lantern..its ever so dark in the underground passages.. I did wish Mr C would arrive...and Miss Moussie..it seems we will have to start without them..come on guys..here we go..follow the squirrel..

What could have happened to Miss Moussie...we know she had a strange encounter with a masked bandit..a little birdie told us..and this little birdie also told this..

Gustave,Mr C ,and Miss Moussie where running running running...away,away from this scary creature that was approaching..
-I hate running,twittered Miss Moussie out of breath..especially when one is scared,because then one can loose all sense of direction..o,dear...can you see the creature behind you dear C...
-Nno,can't see it,stammered Mr C...can't see anything...I seem to have lllost my glasses,..you have to go on without me...I will fffollow underground and catch up with you lllater..
-Can you find your way home C..asked Gustave..shall we meet back in the garden..at the gate..
-Oke oke..said C..see you....and away he was ..under ground..
-Goodness Gustave..twittered Miss Moussie..now its just you and me...Who has disappeared into the clouds..searching for the bandit...

And just where was this bandit...this strange masked creature...it was sitting at a campfire..eating pancakes...and enjoying himself...

-Gustave,I do believe we are running in circles..twittered Miss Moussie...I am sure we came past this hollow tree a few minutes ago...I remember it because it has such
peculiar shape..it reminds me of our dear friend Mozes his den..LOOK
-A strange tree indeed Miss,but maybe a good hiding place ...lets wait there until the bandit's gone..
And so they did...together Miss Moussie and Gustave stepped into the hollow tree...and stood there in the dark for minutes and minutes...not making a sound...well, that is until Miss Moussie felt something tickle...and then she gave a very loud squeak..."EEEEeeeeeeeUW...Gustave...there's someone breathing in my neck..
Dear readers..what happened next was indescribable...so I will not even begin to try...but a few moments and a lot of screaming later..Miss Moussie,Gustave,Mozes,the Tea Rat,and another sweet person named Gretta came tumbling out of the tree..there was chaos,confusion..and happiness
-Old chap..we meet again..shouted the Tea rat beside himself out of joy..and he slapped Gustave on his back ,and there you are..my sweet Miss,how marvelous to see you again..we have such wonderful stories to tell..
-Mozes my dear..how I missed you twittered Miss Moussie...let me hug you...and Tea ,my dear Tea...how could you do this to me...I was ever so worried..

Well,you can imagine how happy our dear garden friends were to see each other again...after a while of talking and a little dance of joy they all went on there way back to the garden..Mozes,as always leading the way...Gustave hopping and croaking next to Gretta...and Tea walking with Mis Moussie...they didn't speak at all...they just looked in each others eyes..On there way they found Raccoon...and Raccoon being Raccoon,always in for a party...he followed the troupe to the garden...to celebrate a home coming and a big Harvest dinner...at the garden gate they found Mr C....dear Mr C...who said with a big smile on his face...
- Hand in hand, with fairy grace, we will wine and dine, and bless this place...
So...lets all follow him now..and have ourselves a wonderful wonderful evening....

Just a minute...

Hello there dear Fiend...so nice of you come..please wait a little while at the garden gate...soon Mr C will be here to escort you to his Labyrinth..Mr C went on a search party with Gustave,Who,and our dear Miss Moussie...I am sure they all will arive on time..in the mean while ..let me, Elvira, serve you a little glas of fairy wine...Just a drop my dear..because this wine goes to your head and than back to your toes..you will be as small as a moussie in a minute..well,that's the only way you are going to fit in a mole's hole!

Pancakes..

Who hovered over the spot where Miss Moussie sat and where our friends where just about to eat Gustave's Fungi special..
-Away Away..he shouted..run away...there is a strange masked bandit approaching..
-Ya,Right..a bandit...one of your jokes dear Who..with a mask you said...could it be Robin Hood..croaked Gustave laughing..whilst he flipped over a mushroom pancake on the campfire..
-No time for jokes my friends,shouted Who..hurry..a strange creature is running your way..
-Goodness,twittered Miss Moussie, I believe Who is serious..and quickly she jumped of her toadstool..come on guys,pack your bags and run..
-But But..what about my pancakes..sputtered Gustave..we can't just leave them here..
-O yes wwe cccan stammered mr C....let the bandit rob them..maybe he is a pppancake robber..
Our garden friends grabed there things together..Gustave couldn't resist to take a quick bite from the pancake first..and then the three of them ran away..Who followed circling in the sky..where did this strange creature go...Who lost track of him...

Darkness surrounded him...the creature sat very still..to afraid to move..he listened..He just could not understand what happened to him...one minute he was traveling with his friends on the road to Nowhere and now he was nowhere at all...where could he be..
He remembered he ate a cookie..it did taste funny..and then the lights went out..
Did he hear voices in the distance..was it the Tea rat..Mozes maybe..no..this sounded more like a twitter..and there...flapping of birds wings..And then this smell...the smell was familiar...O ,this brought back a wonderful memory...from when he was just a little raccoon..playing in the fields and his mommy calling...'Pancakes...
Pancakes...Raccoon jumped up,and without thinking he began to run..run ..run..Mommy I am Home..

Nowhere to be found..

The road was long..our friends were tired..and they were about to lose all hope to find the Jiffy trail..
-Time to stop and rest for a while...twittered Miss Moussie..look there I see the perfect spot for a lunch break...
-How interesting,said Mr C..'Coriolus versicolorus'...I bet you don't know what that is...but you can eat it..
-Wonderful,croaked Gustave,then lets stay here and I will make us a funghi special..because that's what it is dear Mr C..a muschroom..
-They make lovely forest benches....I believe fairies do sit on them....and Miss Moussie, whilst saying this, made herself comfortable...well,she twittered,don't I look just like a fairy sitting here..

While our friends where resting, Who was hovering over the Hilltop trees...he saw Gustave make a campfire..saw Miss Moussie sitting there very fairy like..and..he saw something else...a creature he didn't see before in his entire life..and it was coming closer...it was running trough the forest..
I don't believe my eyes, WHO said to himself...a bandit...a masked bandit in the Hilltop forest...and in great haste he swooped down to warn our dear garden friends who where just about to eat Gustave's Funghi special...

To go or not to go..

Gustave couldn't sleep...he was up all night worrying...Yesterday, Miss Moussie and Mr C came to visit him and they had this crazy idea to go on a surch for Mozes and the Tea Rat..
-I bet we can ffffind the Jiffy trail again..stammered Mr C exited.
-No time to waste..twittered Miss Moussie...find your map of the Hill top forest and we are on our way...
And so Gustave did...but he wasn't sure of this map was correct..it was very old..it did belong to his great great grandfather!
Miss Moussie is packing a knapsack..marmelade sandwiches...a thermoscan with chicken soup..and a little blanket to keep her warm in the cold night air...they wil leave at dusk...because for little creatures its safer to travel in the dark...
There will be four of them...'Who' is going with them...who is Who...Who is a very funny guy..an Owl, and stand up comedian..you never know when he is serious but he is also a very good guide in the darkness..
So,keep your fingers crossed and wish them luck..

drawing Charles van Sandwyck.

Labyrinth..

Mr C's Labyrinth is dark and mysterious...if you want to see Mr C there,you need a map and a compass to guide the way...even Mr C doesn't know every exit or every passage.Today Miss Moussie went for a very important visit...Mr C waited for Miss behind the tool shed....at the entrance of his labyrinth.
-O goodness Mr C,twittered Miss Moussie, following Mr C into his hole...its ever so dark in here..I can not believe you can see anything at all...do you know where you are going...shall I light my little lantern?
-This will not be necessary my dear...just hold on to me and we will be at my living quarters in a minute...almost as quickly as you would travel a Jiffy trail..
-Speaking of the Jiffy trail..do you think we could ever find it back...and follow it again..this time I would put a complete different destination mail into the singing Pumpkins...I would write...bring me to my friend Mozes...what about you dear C..?
-I miss my friend Mozes,said Mr C,and my jolly fellow the Tea rat,maybe you and I should go on a Jiffy search,I bet you and I could find it...O dearest,watch your step ,a big tree root is crossing this passage..we have to climb over it...
-I am sure we could find the Jiffy trail together..and I do hope we can find Mozes and the tea rat before the big Harvest dinner in your Labyrinth ,it wouldn't be the same without them...are we almost there yet Mr C..I believe i smell something yummy...Chocolate.
-Chocolate it is my dear..hot chocolate with cream...and here we are..let me welcome you in my kitchen..
-Thank you my dear Mr C...lets sit at your table and make a plan together...We have much to talk about...like,when shall we leave for our search..and also very important we have to make a guest list for our dinner...and set a date..how about next Thursday...this gives us a week to find our friends....

And there we leave our two garden creatures....in Mr C's Labyrinth...wonder what will happen next..will they be able to find there friends in time for dinner...or maybe Mozes and the tea rat will be able to find THEM...

On the move..

Hello there...so nice of you to visit. Please walk with us through the Hilltop forest on this clear autumn morning..the sun is shining..and the birds are chattering in the tree tops....Listen... they are trying to tell us something...What are you all chattering about sweet feathered friends...what did you say...you like cherries..no.....O,a mouse with a a basket full of berries...o dear, this must be Miss Moussie, coming home from her field trip...come...we have to hurry...we must go and hide under the Lilac bush and wait there...so we can see what happens when Miss Moussie sees her new Houssie..come on..run as fast as you can.....................
Pfew...that was just in time ..please dear,sit ever so still...and hold you breath...there she comes...our dear Miss Moussie...

Miss Moussie was feeling very tired...she had been picking berries and visiting an old vriend...Now, she was longing to get home and crash on the sofa..
How she loved this quiet mornings in the forest...a lovely breese...autumn in the air..very very loud chattering birds...?...That was strange...why did the birds from the Chatter Creek make this much noise on a quiet Sunday morning...what were they saying...something with cherries or berries..funny..'No No No,my darlings',said Miss Moussie,'you can't have my berries...go pick for yourself..
'Ah,almost there',sighed Miss Moussie with relief...'I can see the garden gate..I will be so happy to be home where I can put my baskets down on the kitchen table...they are ever so heavy'!
There Miss Moussie entered the garden...she walked past the lilac bush..turned left at the Dahlia's..and then...frose...

Our dear garden friends (and you yourselves ofcourse)....all gathered hiding under the Lilac's,saw Miss Moussie stop and stare...she stood there like a stateu..staring at an Ivy grown with pink roses decorated cottage.......Then, she suddenly gave a loud scream and with a big swung threw her baskets in the air...It was raining berries..
A new housie,a new houssie..I knew it, I knew It, she twittered....How marvelous, how lovely,..and big tears rolled down her pink powderpuffed cheeks.
Then,Gustave came to the rescue..from out of his pocket a big red handkerchief appeard..
"There you go Miss,please take this to dry your tears..its oke..I only used it one's...when I was out fishing..'!
'Thank you',said Miss Moussie blubbering,'very sweet of you ,much appreciated'...and blew her nose..
'Well then...dear friends....lets all help...There is work to be done..lets MOVE.. and before you know it we will all be sitting drinking tea in Miss Moussie's new houssie'...This was Elvira speaking and taking charge..so....listen to the squirrel...could you help with the curtains..or would you like to do some painting..

Open it..open it..

Open it,open it,our sweet garden friends were jumping op and down on the bed..
-Oke,oke,said the Dutchess,and she openend the envelope with great care..
Blue,the letter was blue..and it smelled like Lavender...the scent filled the room
The Dutchess gave the letter to Mr C because he can read letters like no other..
Ahum...Mr C cleared his throat..ahumm...
-Go on,go on,twittered Miss Moussie,what does is say..
-It says...said Mr C...

A letter from Nowhere....

O dear....Gustave dropped the teapot....Miss Moussie was squeaking her little head of...Mr C was jumping up and down ...and our dear Dutches was trying to make sense out of this big chaos in her bed at this very urly wednesday morning...
-Please, calm down ,calm down ,she said...Miss Moussie,dearest, stop squeaking...Mr C..please stop jumping..and Gustave darling..its oke..never mind the teapot...its not broken, it fell in the cushions..and you were ever so sweet to bring me tea...
-Its not the tea pot..its not the teapot...croaked Gustave...its Mozes.. its Mozes..
-Darling..you can not mistaken Mozes for a teapot...smiled our Dutchess...I believe Mozes is a somewhat bigger...
-No,We looked everywhere...and we can not find him....no,we do not mean we can not find the teapot...twittered Miss Moussie,when she saw the dutches lifting up the blanket..we can not find Mozes..
-Now they had the fullest attention of the dutchess...Really,she said...then, where could our dear fiend be.....
Suddenly they all heard a little voice coming from the hallway..."I found something.I found something...
It was Elvira....with in her hand a letter.
-I found a letter ,she said..a bit out of breath from running up the stairs..I found a letter in the garden....a letter from Nowhere..but where is Nowhere,and on the back of the envelope is written..open me and you will see.....

Mozes where are you..

-Am I there yet..twittered Miss Moussie...she didn't dare to open her eyes...
-Its oke Miss..you can look now...Gustave croaked...we are home..we are sitting in your houssie..
-O how marvelous...there is no place like home,and that's exactly what I wrote on the destination mail....there is no place like home for a moussie like me..
At that moment they heard a loud knock on the door...who could this be...
-Just a minute...Miss Moussie shuffled to the door...she was still wearing her magnificent pink and very tight dress..
In the doorway stood Mr C...with a big smile on his face...
-Hello,hello, there you are.....wasn't this a wonderful experience...to travel on a Jiffy trail..I will never forget this,not even when I live to be a hundred years old..I even think I will write a book about it..bet you don't know the title of the book...
-Well, Mr C,croaked Gustave,let me guess..maybe the title of the book will be..."Back in a Jiffy..
-My dear green friend...that's correct...said Mr C surprised,you can read my mind..
-Mr C..did you happen to see Mozes in the garden on your way to my houssie..asked Miss Moussie...I am beginning to feel a bit worried...
The three little garden friends then ran out the door..into the dark garden..
They called...they called again...and they searched the whole night through until dawn...under the lilac bush ,up the tree,in the tool shed..in the pond..but Mozes was nowhere to be found.....
-Lets wake up our dear Dutchess...maybe she knows where Mozes can be..squeaked Miss Moussie with tears in her eyes..
-I will make some tea...Gustave croaked with a very sad croak..we will go upstairs in our Dutchess bedroom and wake her up....
-Speaking of tea...we didn't hear any news from our friend the Tea rat in the last few ours..he always calls after visiting the theatre..how strange..
Our little garden friends being very worried and confused entered the bedroom of the dutchess in the urly morning light...climbed on her pillow...woke her up by whispering in her ear, and then... Gustave, being ever so shaky and nervous dropped the teapot...

drawing Charles van Sandwyk

Put it in the pumpkin

Slowly, step by step..Mozes followed the Jiffy trail..Mr C close behind him..then Gustave with Miss Moussie clinging on to his arm....
-I thought this was supposed to be a quick way to travel...twittered Miss Moussie...Mozes can you see where we are going...are we there yet...I can't see a thing,its ever so dark..
-Well..I believe I can see something ,..'bet you can't see what I see', said Mr C.
-No we can't ,said Mozes a little impatient,Mr C... please tell us what you see and don't keep us in suspense...
-I see.. I see...one ..no, two..no.. three..I believe I see a couple of lights in the distance
-Thank Goodness..that means we are almost home..squeaked Miss Moussie relieved.
-I wouldn't be to sure of that, said mozes,I can see the lights too and they don't look like our fairy lights in the garden....they look like ...pumpkins..
- Pumpkins,croaked Gustave...You mean this big round orange things...
-That's what I mean dear friend..Glowing pumpkins...
-Oke, that's it...squeaked Miss Moussie..glowing pumpkins are very suspicious..its not even Halloween yet...'I am going back...come on Gustave..'and Miss Moussie began to pull Gustave's arm...'lets turn around..'
-SSSsstt...quiet...everybody ssstand ssstill now...the pumpkin lights are getting closer..stuttered Mr C jumping up and down.
-Now they all were standing very still and very close together..they saw five glowing pumpkin lights.. bouncing and dancing through the forest...coming closer and closer...they stopped in front of our little scary troupe..then the pumpkins began to sing..

We welcome you in the middle of the night
and hope we gave you a real big fright
put in each pumpkin your destination mail
then you'll be gone in a Jiffy on the Jiffy trail..

-Singing Pumpkins,whispered Miss Moussie,can it get any crazier..
-I think I know what they are trying to tell us..said Mr C...we have to write a letter telling where we want to go,then put it in the pumpkin..and of we go..
Miss moussie grabbed her purse..she twittered, where are my glasses...can't write without my glasses....and paper...does anyone have pen and paper.?
-Here,take my pen ,said Mr C,I always carry it with me to write down important
things..and we can write on a leaf..I will gather five from the beeche tree.
And so they did...they all wrote down where they wanted to go..and they all thought they were going to be home in a jiffy..
Each of them walked up to a pumpkin ....together on the count of three they dropt there destination mail.....and poof..where gone in a jiffy...
I wonder where to..
Oh,look there is one pumpkin left....its your's...where do you want to go..do you know your destination...just anywhere,somewhere or nowhere at all...lets hope we will meet again..stay tuned..

No they are not out of the woods just yet.....

Mozes,being very brave went first..'come on you guys..follow me..lets follow the trail...'
-'Well',Miss Moussie squeaked..'if you don't mind I will wait here..and see what happens..you can always come back ...or call me when you are on the other end of the trail..',and she sat herself down in the clover...not thinking about her marvelously pink dress..or beetle droppings..She diceded not to move an inch!
-'But bbut',stottered Mr C...he always begins to stotter when he's very exited about something..'bbut...you can't stay here alone in the dark..we simply MUST follow the jiffy trail..it came to us for a reason..we have to find out where its going..'
-Yes,my dearest Miss,croaked Gustave...Listen to Mr C..please,just stay close to me...
-'I must be crazy listening to you all'..twittered Miss Moussie,'crazy to follow a trail that might go nowhere...going nowhere doesn't make sence at all!
-Oke then..if you feel that way then stay where you are...wait until daylight and find your way home to the garden on you own'...this was the calm and very wise Mozes speaking..he turned his back to Miss Moussie and started walking...followed by Mr C....who was talking to himself again...saying something like ..'this reminds me of book I read ..what was it again..ah, something with a yellow brick road...o my, I believe there were lions and tigers and bears..o my..
-Lions and tigers and bears...and you want me to go in there...Miss Moussie now squeaked very loud..o my goodness.
-Come on Miss...I'll protect you...croaked Gustave..and he grabt Miss Moussie by the hand..
So there they all went...through the forest ..in the dark.. following a trail..going Nowhere....

The secret trail ...

There they all went...through the forest ..in the dark...Miss Moussie was glad it didn't rain...in here marvelously pink dress she shuffled carefully over the dark forest paths...they just came back from the theatre..had a magical evening, but now were very tired..longing to be home in there soft comfy beds...Mozes did lead the way...he alway's does in the forest..you can't possibly get lost when Mozes is there to guide you..So..Mozes first...then behind him..Gustave..hopping very happily...then Miss Moussie tiptoeing,and the last one in this parade was Mr.C...talking in himself...he does that quite a lot these days..
Miss Moussie, waving with her purse twittered nervously..'Yoehoe,dear Mozes,are we there yet...my feet are killing me'.
-In a minute Miss..answered Mozes...we have to take a turn to the right at the big hollow oak tree, and then we will be home in a jiffy..
-Isn't it a wonderful evening,Gustave croaked...Don't you just love the forest when its dark and mysterious...
-Do you all know what a jiffy is..Mr. C asked...bet you all don't know what a jiffy is...
-We don't..croaked Gustave,but we do know you are going to tell us...so Dear Mr C ..what's a jiffy.
-The time taken for light to travel..And light travels so very fast...faster then we can...unless....
-Unless what dear C..twittered Miss Moussie...almost tripping in some beetle droppings..
-Unless we find the secret Jiffy trail in this forest..I know it's there...my great great grandfather found it one's up on a time..
-I now all the paths in the forest, said mozes..never heard of a Jiffy trail...never did see one..
-Well, if you look for it you can't see it,said Mr C...it has to come to you...
-A path that has to come to you...giggled Gustave...like ,when you wistle and call..here... Jiffy Jiffy....He thought this to be so very funny tears were running down his chubby cheeks from laughing.
-yes, you are correct..absolutely correct dear Gustave..this is the way to do it...only you have to believe in it..magic only works when you believe in it, that's a scientific fact...and there Mr C stopt with his explanation of magic and jiffy's.
-I wished we could find one now..Miss Moussie sighed..
-And I wished you all stopped babbeling...mumbled Mozes...come on..put you best foot forward.
-I have no best foot left ..they are both protesting..and not willing at all..twittered Miss Moussie.
Mozes was loosing his patience..how to bring this little troup home as fast as possible..they were getting on his nerves..chattering..croaking and twittering..
He lifted his head to the sky..there he saw the big bear ..his favorite star..Hello friend...mozes said softly with a smile on his face..can you help me find a jiffy...I would like to get home with this gang as fast as I could.
As soon as Mozes had spoken these words...in front of him the trees and bushes began to move....the trees bowed and the bushes stept aside...and there suddenly a trail appeared..
Mozes abrubtly stood still as a statue...Gustave bumping into him..followed by Miss Moussie...and then Mr C....Silence....only the wind whispered through the tree tops..
'follow the trail...follow the trail..'
-O my goodness,Miss Moussie squeaked..we found it we found it...
Slowly Mr C walked towards the beginning of the path..."Come on he said exited..where are we waiting for,lets go...
-But, but where wil it lead us...Miss Moussie whispered very very softley..I don't think we should do this...one never know's where one will end...
Mozes took a deep breath.."We are going,he said with a firm tone of voice...stay close together....
Are you curious where this secret trail will lead them..then lets follow and click here...on the Link to Knowhere..