The Golden Acorn - Catherine Cooper [73]
‘Hasn’t anyone told you my acorn is Druid’s gold?’
Pycroft shrugged his shoulders.
‘You should have taken better care of it. That bird didn’t want it and what use could a boy possibly have with Druid’s gold?’
Jack could see Nora was getting angry. She raised her wand and pointed it at Pycroft’s hand. His fingers sprang open. As he fought to close them again his palm began to shake. The golden acorn rolled off his trembling palm onto the ground. He was rooted to the spot and try as he might he couldn’t bend over to retrieve it. Motley picked it up in his paws and scampered over to Nora’s feet and offered it up to her.
‘Thank you,’ she said kindly, then turned her attention back to Pycroft.
‘An apology would be nice.’
Pycroft closed his lips tightly and scowled. Nora lowered her wand and Pycroft took a step back but Nora had seen him. She raised her wand again and froze him in mid-stride.
‘You had your chance to put things right and you chose to be rude. Now it’s my turn to choose what to do with you.’
Pycroft’s whole body was frozen, his face twisted in a scornful look. With a quick flick of her wand a flash of light exploded in front of Pycroft’s face. His eyes crossed as he tried to see what she’d done. Nora had replaced his long sharp nose with a pig’s wide snout.
‘This will be permanent unless you find some manners and change your ways. For every good deed you do your nose will begin to change shape but each time you’re bad or rude it will shrink again. Now go back to where you belong and don’t come bothering me again.’
Pycroft moaned. As soon as Nora released him his hand shot up to examine his new nose.
‘You’ll pay for this,’ he screamed and scurried towards the hole as fast as his little legs could carry him.
Jack thought he could still hear Pycroft complaining but not for long. A great cheer erupted from everyone in the garden as Nora held up the golden acorn. They’d got it back at last.
INTO THE PAST
When they were sure that Pycroft had gone everyone spoke at once and continued chatting until Elan shook her chestnut fur and shapeshifted back.
‘That’s better,’ she said as she stretched her arms and legs. It’s almost midnight. Shall we go over to the hole and wait for the Spriggans?’
They didn’t have to wait long for no sooner had they rounded the corner than the first head poked out of the hole, followed by another and another until twelve Spriggans almost filled the kitchen garden.
‘The Bogie returned your property?’ Chief Knuckle asked as he bowed low.
‘I have it back,’ confirmed Nora. ‘Would you like to shrink Grub down to size?’
The Spriggans shuffled over to Grub who was sleeping soundly. They made a circle around him and started joining hands. Once the last pair were clasped together a series of small explosions began from inside the ivy that surrounded Grub. He woke with a cry and struggled to free himself from the tangle of leaves. He began to shrink rapidly. Whiff threw him the end piece of their rope and he tied it securely around his waist.
‘Please accepts my sincere apologies,’ the Chief said as he bowed again. ‘I hopes this is an end to the matter.’
‘It will be when you’ve left my garden and backfilled the hole,’ Nora replied.
‘Before we goes, you haven’t seen a Dragonette anywhere have you? One of my bands seems to have lost one and they thoughts it might have been in your garden.’
‘We’ve only got ravens, bats and a goose at the moment. I expect your Dragonette went back to its roost. Have you any idea where that might be?
The Chief shook his head, ‘Sadly no,’ he replied before shouting to three Spriggans who stood near the hole. ‘Digging party, makes good.’
It was impressive how quickly they all disappeared through the hole. Earth from inside the tunnel appeared and when Elan pushed the turf back into place it was hard to tell anything had ever disturbed the ground.
‘We’d better all get off to bed now,’ said Nora. ‘You two have an important flight tomorrow.’
‘I wonder where Peabody is?’ Elan said as they made their way back to the kitchen.
‘Here,’ a small frightened