Extracts

Class Lesson

“Right, children, listen carefully. I want you to find something in the garden that you like…”
“We like it all, miss,” interrupted Magnolia.
“Yes, well you can’t draw it all. So, something you like, maybe a part of it you haven’t seen before.”
“We’ve seen it all, miss,” said Stacy.
“Perhaps, but not in the way I mean. What I want you to do is look very carefully…”
“We always look carefully,” said Nat.
“Class, please,” Ms. Rogers said, getting impatient with the interruptions. “You never know, I might actually have something to teach you…”

Wilba’s Wise Words

“True, wise little Dmetrius. But we aren’t wrong. You have fallen into the adult world here, children, and at the moment you are on the side of right.”
“But miss…Wilba,” said Magnolia, “if the garden belongs to Mr. Brightwell, we aren’t right. He can do what he likes with it, can’t he?”
Wilba stood, then paced up and down.
“Indeed, indeed, indeed. Now that side of it, I want you to leave to me. I need to do some digging of my own, and I will. But meanwhile, what you all have to do is create some kind of distraction that gets lots of people interested.”
“Like what, Wilba?” Nat asked. “We only got a hundred names on a petition, and nobody answered our letters. Nobody’s interested, and even if they were, they’ll think Mr. Brightwell’s right and we’re wrong.”
“Not necessarily, my pessimistic Nathaniel…”

Teacher and Investigator

Alathea thought there was something artistic about the room and decided that when all this was over, if she was still alive, she would make a painting of it and try to capture the eerie atmosphere. Opposite her there was a door which she opened slowly then peered out. To her left was a large work area where, she assumed, the various shoe polishes were made. Ahead was the reception and main entrance. To her right a glass fronted office with ‘H. BRIGHTWELL’ painted on one of the panels. There were also a few closed doors, probably to other store rooms and offices. It was all extremely quiet and spooky. Alathea half expected ghosts to float through the walls and bewail their fate, an eternity in Shoe Polish Land. But no ghosts appeared and Alathea tiptoed towards H. Brightwell’s office.
The door was unlocked.

Wilba is puzzled

She looked again at the Deeds and willed the garden to move its boundary, but there it was, clearly attached to Brightwell’s Factory. Blow the man! Wilba couldn’t believe he had told her the truth. She couldn’t believe the truth was staring at her, indisputably, saying that the beautiful garden would have to be sold and the beautiful children would have to learn the hard, cruel ways of the world.

Wilba had always believed that the world, even the universe, was, at root, a good place. She knew that men and women did both wonderful and harmful things. She even believed that if you looked hard enough and wanted something hard enough, you could make it happen, but only if it was a good thing.

Cyril and the Mungos

What made it even harder, though Cyril never let on to anyone, was the fact that the birds weren’t real. He’d known that straight away, but with a bit of computer wizardry from friends, the broadcast pictures had been spot on, very convincing. The surprisingly large television audience saw the Mungos feeding their young, flying off, sitting, watching, singing and generally making themselves at home. The chicks were cheep cheep cheeping away for all their worth and most people wouldn’t have guessed in a million years that they were fake.

But then, thought Cyril sadly, most people watched nature programs then went out and concreted or gravelled over their gardens. Just like the way they watched cookery programs then went out and stuffed themselves with burgers and chips. People were strange, but more than that, they were lazy.

Reviews

Dear Magnolia,
Thank you so much for letting Ellis tell your story for you. I got my copy yesterday and have read it through and really enjoyed it. I do hope that lots more people read your story and learn a good social lesson from it too. I shall do my utmost to pass the word on.
from Lynda Gilbey

Dear Magnolia
We have laughed wept and wondered at your story . It is exciting , inspiring and wise . Also extremely well written , we have been reading it out loud to each other and think it would work extremely well as a n audio book or as a Tv for kids . Tell Ellis we have nearly got to the end reading it aloud though © wants him to know that she has already finished it on her own and wept buckets and thinks it is one of the best kids books she has ever read . Honestly !!!!
xxxxxxx all of us …[Devon, U.K]

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