Old Man Willow

Rupert Bear had a new story book; there were a lot of words and not many pictures, so Daddy read it to him at bed time. In the first chapter a little girl called Lucy walks through the back of a wardrobe and finds herself in a wood where she meets a Faun. Rupert knew what a Faun was, and he fell asleep thinking that Lucy had found a marvellous way to start an adventure.

Later in the night Rupert was awake, so he thought he would look in his own little wardrobe, just in case. He opened its door and looked inside. "I think there is a tiny light back there!" thought Rupert. So he climbed into the wardrobe and between the hanging clothes. There was light further back and Rupert climbed and squeezed until he came through a little gap, and found himself in a wood and next to a river.

"This isn't Lucy's wood," thought Rupert. "There is no snow here, and these aren't fir trees." Rupert was standing right under a great willow tree whose branches went right out over a river. He looked around to see where he had come through, but the crack in the big trunk of the willow had already closed up.

There was a path along the river bank and who should be standing there but Bill Badger! The two friends were very glad to meet each other.

"How did you get here?" asked Rupert.

"My Mummy reads to me in bed," said Bill, "from a book called 'Wind in the Willows' which has a river in it. Tonight I thought I heard the voice of that River calling to me, so I got out of bed and looked out of the window. There was a big tree with branches right up against the window. I climbed down the tree, this big willow tree, and here I am, and here is the River."

"What shall we do now?" asked Rupert. "This should be a splendid adventure."

"Let us wait us while and see if anybody else comes along," said Bill.

The two chums didn't have long to wait. There was a thud, and who should appear between the great roots of the tree but Algy Pug! His two friends ran to greet him and help pull him out.

"How did you get there?" asked Rupert.

"I have been sleeping in my tent in the garden," explained Algy. "Tonight I saw a white rabbit run past. So I followed it. It went down a hole and I followed it down – like Alice in Wonderland, you know. I fell and fell and ended up inside this tree." He looked around him. "Is this Wonderland?"

"No," laughed Bill. "But the tree got us all here: Rupert and you came from inside the tree and I climbed down it. It must be a magical tree."

"Do you think anyone else is coming?" asked Algy.

"Let us ask the tree," said Rupert. "Oh Willow Tree, is anyone else coming?"

Though there was no wind, a sort of quiver ran through the leaves and the branches moved. "The tree is shaking its head," said Rupert. "Oh Willow Tree, what shall we do, where shall we go?" he asked, looking up at the tree. Rupert knew that magic trees have faces, but he could not see one on this willow.

The branches stirred and the leaves rattled. "I think," said Bill Badger, "I think the tree wants us to follow the path that way." He pointed up river. The branches dipped.

"That's a nod of the head," said Rupert excitedly. "Thank you Willow Tree!"

The three pals followed the path alongside the river. The path was narrow and they had to walk Indian file, one behind the other. "I hope we meet somebody who can tell us where we are," said Bill.

It was warm and sunny. "It should be night time," said Rupert, "But the sun is high in the sky; we must be a long way from Nutwood."

"We would be stuck if it was dark," said Bill. "We wouldn't be able to see our way, and this wood must be scary at night."

"It is a strange wood," said Algy, "but I have a torch in my pocket, so we would have some light."

"Bravo, Algy!" said Rupert.

The three chums walked along the path, which kept close to the river, shaded over by willow trees. They heard no bird song, and they saw no animals, though they heard rustlings in the undergrowth from time to time.

"This is a lonely place," whispered Algy, when they stopped for a powwow, "but it feels like we are being watched."

"I think it is the trees," said Rupert, "they know we are here and they don't like visitors."

"Somebody uses this path, and I hope we meet somebody soon," said Bill. "We've gone a good way, but we don't seem to be getting anywhere."

Algy had his torch and a penknife in his pockets; Bill had an old rubber ball and some string. Rupert found a little bag of sweets in his pockets and shared them round.

They had not gone much further up the river path before they could hear the cheerful sound of running water. A little nearer and it seemed to them that there was a voice singing over the sound of falling water. A few steps more and they could see the river tumbling over a little fall, and sitting on the bank below the fall was a lady. Her hair was long and golden yellow, her dress was green, and her feet were in the water. She was singing in a beautiful, sweet voice.

The lady finished her song and stood up. She was tall and willowy; Rupert thought her very beautiful. Timidly they came closer. "Excuse me," said Rupert as politely as he could. "We are lost, could you tell us where we are."

She smiled on each in turn. "Welcome to the Withywindle Valley, where strangers are few and do not dally. Are you on your way to Bree? You are not hobbits, that is plain to see."

"The big willow tree told us to come this way," Algy blurted out.

"You spoke with the willow tree, and he sent you on to me? Who are you may I ask, for perhaps I can help you with your task."

"Please, I am Rupert Bear," said the little bear, "and these are my friends: Algy Pug and Bill Badger. We live in Nutwood."

She smiled and nodded. "Some call me the River's Daughter, but Goldberry is my name in autumn. If you live in Nutwood then you are far from home, and the 'Old Forest' here is not safe to roam."

Goldberry led the three pals further along the path. The trees came to an end and they could see a house high up on a grassy slope.

Soon they were sitting around a table in the house, munching apples and drinking lovely cold milk. Each told how they had come from their beds into the Old Forest.

"Here is a puzzle," she said. "You all came straight from sleep, yet you wear stout shoes upon your feet."

The three friends looked at each other and shook their heads in confusion. It was true: they were wearing out-door clothes and not pyjamas, yet had not thought it odd 'til now!

"This is a magic powerful and strange," said Goldberry, "quite outside the normal range. You were sent here for a reason, that is clear. Someone is up to no good I fear. Tom Bombadil will soon be back, he may have the knowledge that I lack."

They had hardly finished their apples when Tom arrived. He looked like an old man, very lively, dressed in bright clothes. Rupert had met people like him before on his adventures, but not one of them half as merry as Tom. They were in his house they were told, and Goldberry stayed with him. Goldberry explained "Tom is the Master here and does not stray, but sometimes I travel far away."

Tom greeted the three chums like long-lost friends. "There are but three, were we not asked to look out for four?" he asked Goldberry.

"Oh Tom!" she said, "These are not the hobbits for whom we wait. Listen, for they have strange tales to relate."

Rupert, Bill and Algy told Tom all about their adventure. He asked them many questions about the great willow tree, which he knew well. "Old Man Willow has woken, that alone is news indeed. He is not to be trusted: too often he has done bad things, a danger to all that pass this way."

"Could Old Man Willow have brought them here?" asked Goldberry. "His roots have reached Nutwood I greatly fear."

"Nay, like me he is rooted only in this world. Some much greater Power has brought these youngsters to the Old Forest."

Just then there was a gentle rapping on the door. "That could be another at the door," said Goldberry, gracefully leaping to her feet. "And one more wanderer makes four."

The three pals looked at each other. They did not like this talk of a 'great Power'. Could another of their friends have found their way to this strange place? Who could it be?

To be continued

A/N: Why does Goldberry talk in corny couplets? Because this is a Rupert Bear story, that's why!