The Golden Acorn - Catherine Cooper [43]
Jack made his way to the window and looked down. His spindly legs started to wobble.
‘It’s a long way down to the garden.’
‘Not that way. Follow me. Elan’s got a surprise!’
Jack followed Camelin as best he could down the ladder. They made their way to an open window on the other side of the room. There was a large basket hanging outside with a very thick rope attached to it.
‘Come on, climb in,’ said Camelin excitedly.
Jack shuffled up a plank that had been leant against the window ledge.
‘Going down!’ shouted Camelin when they were both inside.
Elan was below operating a pulley. She lowered the basket steadily onto the grass below.
‘I didn’t expect both of you to be inside. You should have flown down Camelin.’
‘I had to make sure Jack was all right,’ he told Elan before winking at Jack.
‘You’re just a very lazy raven,’ she replied trying to look cross.
Camelin hopped out. Jack managed to hop onto the rim then down onto the grass.
‘OK. Let’s start with the basics,’ Camelin said and demonstrated to Jack what he wanted him to do by hopping around on one foot first, then the other, then both together. ‘Now you.’
Elan laughed and gave Jack a clap when he managed to follow Camelin around the garden.
‘See you later,’ she shouted before disappearing into the house.
Jack listened carefully to Camelin and followed his instructions. The basic groundwork seemed to go well and in no time at all he was hopping, skipping and scurrying around the lawn.
‘What do you want to do now?’ asked Camelin.
Jack didn’t want to think about flying just yet. He was happy keeping his feet on the ground for as long as possible.
‘We could play football.’
‘Don’t know how to play football.’
‘I’ll teach you, but we’ll need a ball.’
‘Let’s go and ask Nora. She might have something we could use.’
Nora rummaged in one of the kitchen drawers and eventually found an old table tennis ball.
‘Will this do?’
‘Great,’ Camelin replied.
‘What on earth are you going to do with it?’
‘Football,’ Jack and Camelin said together before hopping back into the garden.
‘OK,’ said Jack. ‘Let’s get started.’
He explained the rules and between them they made two goals at either end of the lawn with some empty plant pots. An interested pigeon settled onto the repaired bird table to watch them. It was harder than Jack imagined trying to kick a ball with claws. He managed to get the ball through the goalposts twice. Camelin had yet to score. When it was Camelin’s turn to start with the ball Jack hopped towards him to tackle. Camelin bent over, picked the ball up in his beak and skipped off towards the goalmouth.
‘Handball,’ yelled Jack. ‘You can’t do that! It’s against the rules.’
‘Haven’t got any hands,’ Camelin tried to shout back with the ball in his beak.
‘Beak ball then,’ said Jack indignantly. ‘That’s not allowed either.’
Camelin grudgingly brought the ball back to the centre.
‘You didn’t say anything about beak ball when we started,’ he grumbled.
The play continued for a while until Elan came out and shouted to them to see if they wanted a drink.
Jack had begun to walk towards the patio when Camelin yelled. He turned around; the ball was between the plant pots.
‘You cheated!’
‘Didn’t,’ replied Camelin.
‘It doesn’t count if you picked it up.’
When Camelin didn’t answer Jack went over to the pigeon.
‘Did you see what he did?’
The pigeon didn’t answer and Camelin burst out laughing,
‘You won’t get an answer out of him. He won’t understand you.’
‘I thought I’d be able to speak to all the birds once I was a raven.’
‘Only intelligent birds, like ravens. Pigeons don’t talk.’
It was then that Jack saw the dent in the side of the ball.
‘You did use your beak. You’ve squashed it!’
‘Ooooh look!’ exclaimed Camelin, quickly changing the subject. ‘Elan’s got some cake.’
He left Jack and flew over to the picnic table where Elan had put the tray.
‘Come on Jack, it’s chocolate cake,’ he shouted excitedly.
Jack left the ball and hopped over to the bench but couldn’t get up. Elan leant the broom against the table and