MISTER MUDDY PAWS AND THE PIRATES TREASURE

Mister Muddy Paws went out one morning to check the news from the night before. News Flash on Squirrel News: “Pirate ship breaks up on Sallas Rocks. Capitan and Crew all lost at sea. Treasure washes up on Jack Spring Beach.” Mister Muddy Paws goes in to tell Mr. Prickles. “We have to go and find the pirate treasure before it is all gone. Mr. Prickles doesn’t always under exactly what Mister Prickles is saying but he knows when it is important, and this was clearly very important. He finds Mrs. Prickles and tells her there is something very important that they need to do. “Oh, what is it that you need to do that is so important that you have to leave before even having breakfast? Mrs. Prickles asks. “Ummm. Actually, I have no idea. I just know that it is important.” Mrs. Prickles laughs. “Ok well off you go and do this unknown but important thing.” Mr. Prickles kisses her on the cheek and off they go.

Picture of Casey and I heading up the driveway

Mr. Prickles in case you didn’t know is a human. Lucky for him Mister Muddy Paws has been teaching him. Like most people Mr. Prickles thought that the forest was just full of trees, bushes, squirrels, deer and birds. Mister Muddy Paws has been teaching him that in fact the forest is full of other creatures. Witches, giants, fairies, goblins and all manner of other mystical creatures. Most people are too busy and too full of themselves to see what is all around them. Mister Muddy Paws has been teaching him to slow down, to stop, look and really listen. Mr. Prickles has learned a lot even but there is still a lot he needs to learn. Mister Muddy Paws leads the way down Witch Fire Trail. Picture going up Firehorn Hill trail

They pass some Earth Giants. Earth Giants live for a very, very long time. Hundreds and hundreds of years in fact. They live most of their lives below the ground. Slowly by slowly they try to reach above the ground. All that you can see are their knobby figures reaching up to the sky.

Most mystical creatures are like people. There are short ones and tall ones. Fat ones and skinny ones. Mostly there are good ones and bad ones. Some are easier to see if you know where to look and others are nearly invisible no matter how hard you look. Fairies are that way. There are so many fairies that they are like the stars in the sky. They are everywhere but no one sees them. People are mostly made up of water, really its true. Fairies on the other hand are mostly made up of light. Fairies don’t eat like people and animals, instead they get their food from the sun. When the sun goes down the fairies get tired and very sleepy. Luckily there are fairy beds everywhere. Fairies are very light, so light that if you held on in your hand it would feel like air. Because they are so light they need very soft beds. I will tell you a secret, the moss you see on the forest floor is actually beds for fairies.

Mister Muddy Paws continues on the trail past the goblin market place. Goblins are strange creatures. They are green, with little pointy ears. They never stop moving and even more they never stop talking. They talk so fast that it is very hard to understand them. Goblins are always busy, making this and gathering things. Once a week on Thursday afternoons all the goblins in the forest gather together to trade. They trade this’s and that’s, which what’s and who knows. The bring their thing a mijigs and their what sha ma call its. They even come to trade things that they don’t even know what they are. Goblins are forgetful, so a kind wizard years ago built them a totem, so they would know where the market was, otherwise they would forget by the next week.

On their way Mister Muddy Paws and Mister Prickles cross over Witch Fire Hill. Ever winter in the dead of night the witches gather and light great bonfires of witch fire. The queen sits on her throne and screeches to the other witches. It sounds awful to us, but they actually like it. Most of the time the witches hid in plain sight. Humans think that ravens are a kind of bird but in fact they are witches in disguise. You don’t really think that birds are that smart, do you?

Mister Muddy Paws and Mr. Prickles carry on their way. They smell it even before they can see it. Tangle Wood Swamp. The scarcest place on the island. People say that the swamp is evil, there are serpents and crocodiles and even the plants are dangerous. That is what people say. Although when you ask no one can actually remember anything bad happening. The more times you say something the more everyone believes it. Thing is maybe it is just an ordinary swamp. Mister Muddy Paws and Mr. Prickles aren’t sure. They hurry past as quick as possible; just in case. Picture of Tanglewood swamp

Soon after passing the swamp to climb up to Pirates Lookout. From here it is easy to see any ships approaching the beach. Pirates don’t have phones so to communicate with each other they would leave messages in a bottle with rocks piled on top of them. If you are brave enough you can still find the bottles with the messages in them. Not that would help much unless you can read pirate.

They make their way down the hill and finally reach Jack Spring beach. They are hot and out of breath. Still a bit scared from passing the swamp and partly because they were anxious to get there now they were close. The look up and down the beach but don’t see any sign of any pirate treasure just rocks, shells and bits of wood.

Disappointed they sit done on a log to rest. They catch their breath and discuss whether to keep looking or just go home. The stand up and now they see it, pirates treasure everywhere; all along the beach. They had been looking too hard and not hard enough both at the same time. They forgot to bring anything to carry the treasure in, so Mr. Prickles fills his pockets with as much treasure as he can. They don’t want to be greedy, so they don’t take too much. There is so much treasure that there would be lots for everyone. They take their time finding their favorite pieces before turning around and heading home. Mrs. Prickles would be so happy usually they just came home with rocks and sticks but now they had honest to goodness pirate treasure. They couldn’t wait to get home to show her what they had found.

Picture of me with rocks and stuff in my pockets

On the way back from the beach Mister Muddy Paws and Mr. Prickles were stopped by a thin man with long hair and beard. He said, “What have you got there?” They showed him the treasures they had gathered from the beach. “A pirate ship crashed. Their boat sank but the treasure got scattered all over the beach. There is, lots and lots we just took a little.” The man laughed and said. “That isn’t pirate treasure that is just a bunch of rocks, shells and bits of driftwood. It isn’t worth anything. You still have a long way to go to get home, why don’t you give it to me. I will bring it to you later.” Mister Muddy Paws growled and said “NO”. “Ahh, thank you but we are ok.” Mr. Prickles told the man. Picture or a grey haired man

When they got home Mr. Prickles told Mrs. Prickles what happened with the man. She had a serious look on her face. “That wasn’t a man that was a Hoblin. Hoblin’s are related to goblins but they are not nice. Hoblin’s try disguise themselves to look like people. They are always men, they have long hair and grow grey beards to hide themselves. The Hoblin told you that because it wanted your treasure for its self. Don’t ever let anyone tell you your treasure is just a bunch of junk.” Mrs. Prickles takes the treasure they brought for her and puts it in a special place. Picture of a pile of rocks, shells ect

Mister Muddy Paws and Mr. Prickles smile and think to themselves, that was a fine day. A very fine day indeed.