Tales From The Glades Of Ballymore

by Bob Brooks

  The crowd cheered again. Branna and Burton accepted their awards and returned to their seats.

  “Now I would like to present my brother, Jonathan, who will talk about the new activity room. I believe we are in for another surprise. Please wait to exchange gifts until we go in there.”

  As Jonathan approached the stage, Stoddard Swan spoke up. “I don’t think we are done yet. May I come up?”

  Bartholomew was surprised but said, “Of course, Stoddard. Please come up.”

  Stoddard walked to the stage, stood beside Bartholomew and said, “Bart, Ballymore has had a great year, and we know you played a major part. We want to give you something special to say thank you.”

  Bartholomew smiled but didn’t know what to say. He certainly didn’t expect this.

  “Several times when we have flown together you commented on the beautiful scenery. You said it would be wonderful if it could be painted. Well, now it has.”

  Stoddard motioned. From the back of the room, Farley and Fionna Frog carried what was obviously a large painting and easel to the stage. A red velvet cloth was draped over both. The frogs carefully set the easel down between Stoddard and Bartholomew.

  “As an expression of our appreciation for all you have done for Ballymore, we would like to present you with this just completed artwork.”

  Bartholomew slowly pulled off the cloth.

  “Oh my! Oh, my!” he exclaimed. “It’s wonderful. How were you ever able to do it?”

  “In October, Sean and I flew Farley and Fionna around the pond until they where able to sketch the scene. They got enough details so that they could complete the painting in their studio,” answered Stoddard.

  “Well, it’s gorgeous! Thank you Farley and thank you Fionna. I will hang it over my fireplace. Thank you everybody.”

  Bartholomew was given a standing ovation. He was very moved by the unexpected gift.

  Stoddard said, “NOW, I think we are ready for Jonathan.”

  Everyone laughed.

  Jonathan walked onstage and said, “First, I want to wish everyone a very happy Winter Solstice. I also want to thank you for being so welcoming to me and Oliver.”

  “I have some surprises for you this evening which I hope you like.”

  Jonathan left the platform and walked over to a pair of doors that led to the secret, new room. They were of the French door style with lots of glass panes. The cream colored shades on the inside were pulled down. There was a cloth-covered sign above them. He reached up and removed the cloth. Gold lettering on the wooden plaque read ‘The Library’.

  Everyone rose from their seats and gathered around.

  “I’ll be right back. I need to turn up the oil lamps in the room,” said Jonathan.

  He opened one door and slipped inside. The door was quickly shut before anyone could stick a nose in. After a couple of minutes, the doors swung open.

  “Everybody, please come in. I would like to present to you your new Library.”

  The animals quickly squeezed through the doors, and their eyes opened wide in amazement. In the center of the large room, was a tall blue-spruce holiday tree. It had been decorated with numerous red ornaments, gingerbread figures, and garlands. Although there were no candles on the tree, light from the many wall lamps sparkled off of the adornments. It had been beautifully decorated by Jonathan and Oliver.

  On the left side of the room, there was a long table that immediately attracted the attention of the younger animals. The table held a fabulous wooden train set. It had been built and assembled by Morris Muskrat and Birk Beaver. It was their Winter Solstice gift to the residents. A shiny red engine pulled several gondola cars. Each car was painted a different bright color. At the rear was a small red caboose. The train set wasn’t sitting on a flat table. The train rolled down a hill, through a tunnel, and around a figure-eight curve before coming to a stop.

  A short ladder made it easy for the smaller animals to climb onto the table. From there it was an easy jump to board the train. Birk helped the animals get on the train and made sure everyone was safely seated. The gondola cars were full in a couple of minutes. Morris pulled the train up the hill, and it was ready for its first trip.

  “All aboard!” he yelled. “Here we go!”

  He gave the train a push. It rolled down the hill and gained speed. Around a turn it went and through the tunnel. After the tunnel it made two more turns and rolled to a stop. Everyone was thrilled and yelled with glee.

  “Do it again! Do it again!”

  It was the first of many trips for the little train that night.

  The New Library

  As the young ones played with the train, the other animals investigated the rest of the Library. Almost three walls were lined with wooden book shelves, which extended from floor to ceiling. They had a rich cherry finish. Behind the train table they were already stacked with books.

  Sharing the right wall with the bookshelves, was a large blackboard. Near the blackboard were four tables. Each had a white tablecloth, and lighted candles were decoratively placed. The tables were overflowing with mouth-watering goodies.

  A large punch bowl graced the center of the first table. It was filled with eggnog and floating orange slices. Surrounding the bowl, was a sumptuous selection of fruits and cheeses. There was also a giant tea pot on the table. The second table had cauldrons of steaming soups. There were chicken, pumpkin, vegetable, mushroom, and onion from which to choose. The other two tables were loaded with pumpkin and chocolate cream pies, raisin and apple scones, and several kinds of muffins and cookies.

  The back one-third of the room was divided from the front by a low wall and swinging door. On the right were two desks and more shelves. In the center of the back wall, was a large fireplace. It easily warmed the room. On the left was …… Well, it’s difficult to describe what was on the left. It was some kind of large wooden and metal machine. It was Jonathan’s “Pride and Joy”.

  After several minutes Jonathan asked for everyone’s attention.

  “Everybody, please let me introduce the main features of your Library. The beautiful train set was built by Morris Muskrat and Birk Beaver. This is just the beginning. I hope you will enjoy adding scenery. It can also be expanded.

  “As you can see, much of the wall space is taken up by bookshelves. Over here on the right, we have already begun adding books. This is the start of your Ballymore Library. In January I and my son will offer classes in reading, writing, and basic mathematics. Our hope is that at least one member of each family will learn to read.”

  He then walked through the little door to the back of the room and stood beside his “Pride and Joy”. There was a neat pile of printed papers next to the machine. It looked like some kind of newsletter. He picked them up and distributed them to everyone.

  “You are holding the first edition of the Ballymore Tale. It will be a weekly newsletter written and published by myself and Oliver. I’ll read part of it to you.”

  He then read an introduction, which explained the purpose of the paper. The animals stared at the groupings of letters on the paper.

  “With our teaching and this machine, it is my hope that it will not be long before the letters on that paper make sense to you.”

  Jonathan gently put his wing on the big machine. “This is my ‘Pride and Joy’. It’s a printing press, and it will create the newsletter. Let me demonstrate.”

  He took a roller and dipped it in a bucket of black ink. After wiping off the excess, he rolled it over a plate that had hundreds of tiny metal letters arranged on it. This resulted in a thin layer of ink on the top of each letter. He took a new sheet of paper and slid it into a wooden tray. The tray slid into the top of the machine above the letter plate. He pulled on a lever, and the tray moved down towards the letter plate. The paper made firm contact with the letters, and the ink transferred onto the paper. Then, he raised the lever, removed the paper from the machine, and held it up.

  “Here is another copy of the Ba
llymore Tale. It is identical to what you hold. As you can see, my printing press allows me to easily create many copies.”

  The animals were excited and confused at the same time. They certainly understood the train set, but they weren’t sure about the teaching and newsletter. The paper they held was full of the strange letters. Bartholomew stepped forward.

  “Jonathan has presented much to us tonight. I can tell you that it is all good and will benefit us greatly. For those of you who wish to learn to read, it will take effort, but it will be worth it. I encourage you to try. This is another important step for Ballymore.

  “I want to thank Jonathan, Oliver, and everybody who has made this wonderful room possible. Now, let’s enjoy the food, exchange our gifts, and have fun. Happy Winter Solstice, to everyone.”

  The animals believed in and trusted Bartholomew. Everyone clapped and then many headed for the food tables.

  Earlier, all the gifts had been left in the back of the meeting room. Several animals brought them into the Library and placed them under the holiday tree. The next few hours were spent exchanging, opening, trying on, staring at, playing with, and enjoying the presents. They were also spent eating too much.

  The train set was the big favorite. A line formed because everyone who could fit in a gondola car wanted a ride.

  The celebration went on until midnight when the church bell from Waterford bonged twelve times. It was now officially Winter Solstice Day, and it was time for the traditional fireworks display. Upon hearing the bongs, everyone quickly moved outside to the front of the pavilion. It was a cold night, but no one noticed. The fireworks were a fitting end to the celebration. They lasted about fifteen minutes after which the crowd broke up and drifted home. Family oriented festivities would continue in the morning at each home. The afternoon and evening were reserved for visiting friends.

  After the fireworks Bartholomew went back to the Library with his brother and nephew to shut off the oil lamps. The fire was dying down.

  They wished each other a happy Winter Solstice again and hugged. They looked around and marveled at what had been created.

  Bartholomew said, “This is going to mean so much to everyone. They don’t yet appreciate the possibilities. I can’t thank you both enough. It was only last month that you arrived, and you already mean so much to Ballymore and to me.”

  Jonathan said, “I only wish we had come sooner. Now that we’re here, we will do our best to be worthy of Ballymore. Thank you brother for taking us in and making us feel so welcome, so quickly.”

  Oliver said, “I’m very happy here too. Happy Winter Solstice, uncle Bart.”

  The three owls hugged again as the last flames from the fire died. The remaining hot coals bathed everything and everyone in a warm holiday glow. The future importance of this new Library was even greater than anyone could have imagined on that Winter Solstice night of 1891.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Wild Winter

  On New Year’s Eve, there was usually a big celebration. At least, that’s what people do now and did also in 1891. However, that wasn’t the tradition in Ballymore. The animal residents certainly acknowledged the new year, but they had just completed two weeks of parties and desired a welcomed rest. New Year’s Eve marked the end of the holiday season and was celebrated quietly with family and friends over a nice dinner. Those living alone usually went to a friend’s cottage for dinner. Sam Snapping Turtle and Morris Muskrat spent the evening with Dr. Brigit and Puff. Most Ballymore residents retired before midnight. When the Waterford church bell announced the new year, few were awake to hear it.

  Bartholomew spent Christmas Day by himself as was his custom. For much of the day, he read his Bible. Later, he enjoyed a big dinner. Christmas Day was not so much a time of celebration as it was a time for reaffirmation of his Christianity. He felt his faith was a very personal matter between himself and God. That is why he rarely spoke of it with others. If someone sought spiritual guidance, he was willing to relate his beliefs.

  For New Year’s Eve he invited Jonathan and Oliver to his home. They had a late dinner of vegetable lasagna, hot bread, pumpkin pie, and tea. After dinner the adults listened as Oliver read from one of Bartholomew’s books, Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. He read for well over an hour, and everyone enjoyed the stories.

  “Did you know that Lewis Carroll is the pen name for an English author named Charles Dodgson?” asked Bartholomew.

  “No, I didn’t,” responded Jonathan. “But I love the book. It is so inventive.”

  The owls continued to discuss the book for a while and then talked about the plans for the new reading classes, which would begin soon. Everyone hoped they would be well attended. There had already been a number of enquiries.

  It was 11 bongs when the lamps were extinguished, and the cottage went dark. The new year arrived as the Owl family slept quietly.

  January 1st, 1892 was frigid. When the animals awoke, many saw frost on the insides of their windows. The bucket that Bartholomew used to raise water from the pond would not budge. December had been a cold month, and it looked like January would be even colder. Over the past two weeks, ice had been forming on the pond. For the first time in many years, there would probably be “ice sliding”. Ice sliding was exactly what it sounded like. The animals slid across the ice. They usually got a good start on the hill near Morris Muskrat’s cottage. Sometimes they used a board and sometimes just themselves.

  It was Bartholomew’s responsibility to determine when the ice was safe. That would be his first official task of the new year. He had a special saw that he used to cut a small hole in the ice. He went to the pond near the hill and checked the ice depth in several places. The safety standard was three inches and had been set many years ago by someone. The ice was greater than three inches thick everywhere he measured.

  Word spread quickly that the ice sliding could begin. Before long, many of the younger animals and a few adults were enjoying the rare opportunity. Bartholomew didn’t join them, but he liked seeing everyone having fun.

  It didn’t warm up much that first day of the year. In the afternoon hot chocolate was brought to the pond by Petunia Porcupine. Ice sliding was a good way to begin 1892.

  The following morning, Bartholomew awoke and walked out onto his branch to stretch. It was cloudy and cold with a breeze from the east. He was not a weather forecaster but, over the years, his guessing had improved with experience. He sniffed the air and sniffed it again. It smelled like snow, he thought. Perhaps a lot! Soon!

  After a quick breakfast he toured the island to alert everyone. The older animals had come to the same conclusion — snow! Snow could be a problem in Ballymore as there was no good way to clear it away. Large storms were rare but had happened. Sometimes, animals were trapped in their cottages by drifting snow. Everyone needed to be prepared.

  Later in the morning, Bartholomew was at Morris Muskrat’s cottage when the first few flakes drifted down. They looked up at the grey sky.

  Morris said, “Well I guess we’re right. It’s begun.”

  The owl responded, “Yes. Everybody is as ready as they can be. I will go home, make some soup and hope for the best. Stay warm my friend.”

  “Oh, I will. Goodbye, Bart.”

  Bartholomew flew the short distance to his cottage. Before long, he was sitting in his rocker with a nice, hot bowl of onion soup and crackers. He kept a cautious eye on the storm through his side window that overlooked the pond.

  The storm developed gradually. The first few flakes became many flakes. The far shore of the pond disappeared from view and then the island, also. By dark the snow was falling at a moderate to heavy rate, and about two inches had already fallen. The wind was still from the east, but stronger, and it was swirling the fresh snow. There would be no bedtime flight tonight.

  When Bartholomew retired at 11 bongs, there were about six inches on the ground, but some areas had none while others had nine inches or more. Ballymore had turned w
hite, and it was beautiful in a new way. The storm continued with no sign of ending. It was becoming a wild winter.

  Despite the bad weather, everyone slept peacefully in their cozy homes. They had prepared for winter and weren’t worried. They also knew that no matter how much snow fell, they could count on each other for help.

  Bartholomew awoke early. He was eager to see what had happened overnight. When he looked over at his bedroom window, he saw nothing but white. The east wind had plastered the window with snow.

  He quickly dressed and went out to his branch. Snow was still falling, but the wind had decreased. It was a quiet, white world. Smoke rose from the chimney of each cottage and drifted to the south as the wind had shifted to the north. Grenby once told him that meant the storm was moving away to the east.