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Trouble in Trickletown
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Trickletown Valleys' Crater
- Introduction -
A place where adventures begin.
A place where dreams come true.
TROUBLE
IN TRICKLETOWN
Introduction
Hidden somewhere here on Planet Earth there is a crater: Trickletown Valleys’ Crater. It is a place where adventures begin and dreams come true. But you would be very lucky if you found it, as it is hidden in a thick grey mist.
Knick-Knack Tree Adventures
Trouble in Trickletown
Many millions of years ago, and long before life on Planet Earth had even had the chance to exist, the Crater was not very important at all, just a dusty shallow crater. Nothing grew here, nothing lived here, and certainly nothing ever came here. Then something magical happened! A Knick-Knack Tree started to grow on the northern slopes of the crater.
The Knick-Knack Tree
To begin with it looked like any other tree, but this tree was different! Very different! This tree was not just living, it could breathe – it was alive! Soon a face appeared, and two eyes opened. As its large mouth yawned, its breath swept a carpet of life across the Crater’s floor. The Knick-Knack Tree had arrived and the Crater had changed for ever.
A large number of Fuddles arrived in the Crater. They emerged from beyond a Sizing Stone, set outside of a hole at the base of the Knick-Knack Trees trunk. One of a series of magical stones which protect the very small entrances to the Knick-Knack Tree’s passageways, treasures and secrets.
Fuddles
Fuddles were human like us, but they had evolved to be slightly different. In addition to some other curious things (which the Knick-Knack Tree Adventures will reveal), they appeared to have ears a little larger or smaller than what you might call normal and they were also super-intelligent and never forget a single thing they were told.
Introduction
The Fuddles emerged from beyond a Sizing Stone, one of a series of magical stones which protect the very small entrances to the Knick-Knack Tree's passageways, treasures and secrets. These stones would alter their size (small to go in and back to full size when coming out again).
Trouble in Trickletown
Introduction
The Fuddles built Trickletown.
Seven hamlets full of colourful houses set between seven river valleys; and seven cobbled streets, each one paved in a different colour of the rainbow, wound past forests and mountains. Inside a circular road named Inner Street, the Fuddles left an area of grass they called ‘The Gambit’.
Trouble in Trickletown
Introduction
The Gambit
It was a place where they could go to think, but The Gambit was so much more than just an area of grass. Mysterious and magical things could happen here and in the Knick-Knack Tree Adventures they often do!
At the centre of The Gambit, inside a ring of seven large oak trees, the Fuddles built a fish pond – ‘The Million Wiggle Fish Pond’ – and this was the brand new home for their precious fish.
The fountain of the pool was made from living granite and this brand new wonder of the universe could change its shape
to whatever it liked.
Surrounding the fish pond, there was something even more magical! A spiral passageway through time, called Rainbow Walk.
At the centre of The Gambit, inside a ring of seven large oak trees, the Fuddles built a fish pond – ‘The Million Wiggle Fish Pond’ – and this was the brand new home for their precious fish.
Trouble in Trickletown
The Million Wiggle Fish
The Million Wiggle Fish were colourful intelligent fish with powers of their own – powers so extraordinary that everyone in the Universe wanted them. The fish could help them travel through time; they could take them to places we could only dream about; and they could warn them and guide them away from danger … In fact one or another of these colourful fish could do almost anything you imagined. Each type was a different colour of the rainbow.
Life in Trickletown Valleys’ Crater became great fun. The Knick-Knack Tree and the inhabitants of Trickletown appeared to be safe in their brand new homes, and travellers began to arrive from every corner of the universe to purchase the Million Wiggle Fish.
These travellers began telling of their adventures, and as each new story was told, a brand new Knick-Knack was hung on the Knick-Knack Tree’s branches. It reminded everyone of the story. Soon the Tree was covered from root to twig in a glorious collection of Knick-Knacks.
A tiny elf-like character called Knicky-Knacky began telling the stories of these adventures. He lived in a cosy den among the Tree’s roots, and whenever a Knick-Knack was chosen, he would appear from his den and begin to tell everyone its story …
The first of these stories to be told was Trouble in Trickletown.
Introduction
Million Wiggle Fish were far to important to be chosen by a Fuddle – you would first need to purchase a Wiggly Fish Jar from one of the corner shops, place the jar on the riverbank and wait for the Million Wiggle Fish to choose you.
Trouble in Trickletown
- A Story Begins -
Excitement was beginning to build in the Emerald Forest. The Knick- Knack Tree was awake and an adventure was about to be chosen.
‘That one!’ shouted a mouse, pointing to a shiny gold Knick-Knack, hanging high in the Knick-Knack Tree’s branches. It was a gold medallion and on it had been etched the words:
‘A place where adventures begin.
A place where dreams come true'.
Introduction
Knicky-Knacky retrieved the Golden Knick-Knack form the Knick-Knack Trees branches and then, sitting on his favourite log, began to tell everyone its story ...
Key Stone Cottage, Lock Street, Trickletown –
a cottage all on its own at the centre of Trickletown Valleys’ Crater.
A Mysterious Orange Envelope
- Chapter 1 -
To follow our Knick-Knack Tree Adventure we must travel through time, to find the What’Nott family who had remained in Key Stone Cottage when the trouble began.
They are still inside Key Stone Cottage, at the centre of The Gambit, but everything around them has changed. It appeared to have all been hidden inside a circle of thick grey mist.
Inside Key Stone Cottage everything for the moment was quiet. Most of the What’Nott family had gone to bed, except that is for Willey; as he couldn’t sleep. It might just have been the fact that tomorrow was his birthday. He would be nine years old and – to add to the suspense – his special birthday surprise had not yet been revealed. But there were other things worrying him too: The Trickletown Valleys’ Games were due to begin in only two days time and he was desperate to win the Chaseboard Challenge Race for Orange Street. He missed his best friend Eddy, who lived in Trickletown, and he longed to see the Knick-Knack Tree again and listen to Knicky-Knacky tell of its stories and adventures. But nothing he could think of appeared possible – Key Stone Cottage and everyone inside it were lost in time and for the moment there was no way back again!
Knick-Knack Tree Adventures
TROUBLE
IN TRICKLETOWN
A Mysterious Orange Envelope
Trouble in Trickletown
A Mysterious Orange Envelope
The Moon was big and bright and shining in through the bedroom window – in fact there was far too much light for anyone who wanted to sleep.
‘A full Moon at last,’ thought Willey, looking closer at the lines and shapes he could see over its surface. His attention drifted towards the Moon’s edge; not to any particular shape but to a faint orange glow, which he had never noticed before.
This faint orange glow appeared to pulse very slowly – as if it were trying to hold Willey’s attention.
It was then that he noticed something else. Two very distinctive eyes were peering back at him, from behind the Moon!
Startled, Willey jumped back and closed the curtains.
It was several worrying moments before his courage returned and he could open them again, but when he did, the two mysterious eyes were nowhere to be seen.
Willey looked at the Moon again and again, but nothing changed. Whatever it was had disappeared. Willey could not stay awake a moment longer and reluctantly returning to his bed, was soon fast asleep.
Trouble in Trickletown
A Mysterious Orange Envelope
Staring back at Willey from the depths of seven jars swam seven colourful,
wiggly fish, each one a different colour of the rainbow.
Trouble in Trickletown
A Mysterious Orange Envelope
The words echoed around the room as if Willey’s head was stuck inside a biscuit tin, but it was just his sister Casey, his mum and dad and leading the charge, raced Badsey, a very excited Jack Russell Terrier. In no time at all, Badsey had pinned Willey to his pillow and was smothering him in many licks and kisses.
Willey had overslept, and Casey was excitedly trying to find out more about Willey’s special birthday surprise.
The answer, she thought, must be in one of the many envelopes now scattered over Willey’s bed. She was sure she knew exactly which one it would be in, and was soon offering Willey a bright orange envelope.
“Come on then, open it!” she instructed.
All this attention was becoming a little too much for Willey, who was still not fully awake.
“Calm down, Casey,” interrupted Mum, realising the situation was getting a little out of hand. “There will be plenty of time to open all the cards and all the presents, Willey’s special birthday surprise is not until later this afternoon – so there is no point searching for clues in all those envelopes!”
Despite this reassurance, Willey was now sitting up in bed and intent on opening the mysterious orange envelope.
“SIT and STAY!” grumbled Mr What’Nott, making sure that Badsey sat on the mat beside Willey’s bed, and did as he was told, or else!
Willey was in such a hurry that he didn’t even notice the envelope opened itself and placed its contents gently in the palm of his hand – in fact it was only Badsey who noticed anything at all, and gave a cautious growl as the envelope hid under Willey’s bed.
Suddenly, the room was filled with Willey’s joyful shrieks.
“THE CIRCUS!” he announced, at the top of his voice, “YIPPEE! WE ARE GOING TO THE CIRCUS!”
Suddenly, the room was filled with Willey’s joyful shrieks. “THE CIRCUS!”
he announced, at the top of his voice,
“YIPPEE! WE ARE GOING TO THE CIRCUS!”
Trouble in Trickletown
A Mysterious Orange Envelope
With one excited leap, Willey shot out of bed and with his sister, marched across the bedroom and down the wooden staircase into the kitchen.
“We’re going to the circus, we’re going to the circus!”
They sang the same repetitive tune until they reached the breakfast table, leaving all the other envelopes strewn over Willey’s bed and across the bedroom floor. One even found its way into Badsey’s mouth, which did not impress Mr What’Nott one bit.
Mr and Mrs What’Nott looked at one another in astonishment. Who on earth had sent Willey a ticket to a circus?
Catching up with the children, Mrs What’Nott held up the mysterious ticket.
It said:
Willey What’Nott’s Ticket to the Trickletown Valleys’ Circus,
delivered by the mysterious Orange Envelope.
Trickletown Valleys’ Circus is proud to invite
Willey What’Nott and his family
to a Special Circus Performance.
The Circus will begin this afternoon
and take place on Trickletown Gambit.
Finally, beneath a glittering picture of a magnificent circus tent were the words:
Please be ready at 2 o’clock.
For the rest of Willey’s birthday, until 2 o’clock at least, it was just like any other birthday, with lots of fun and laughter, chocolate cake, presents and sweets.
Trouble in Trickletown
Trickletown Valleys' Circus
Chapter 2
Trickletown Valleys' Circus
As the clock struck two, there was a rhythmic ‘Rat-a-Tat-Tat’ on the ,front door.
The What’Notts, all over-excited, dashed towards it, but had only got half-way down the hall when the door flew open.
In stepped a very smart gentleman, dressed in a fine black moleskin suit, trimmed with gold.
He removed his splendid matching hat and, without speaking a single word, he beckoned them through the door and down the garden path to the front gate of the cottage.
There the What’Notts stood in utter astonishment, as standing right in front of them, within the circle of oak trees, stood a magnificent circus tent, the very circus tent that had been pictured on the mysterious ticket!
No one even bothered to question how it had managed to appear outside their front gate. They were far too excited to think about anything quite so trivial. The gate swung open too, and before you could say the words ‘Knick-Knack Tree Adventures’, the smartly dressed gentleman ushered his guests the final few metres towards the entrance to the mysterious Trickletown Valleys’ Circus.
As the clock struck two, there was a rhythmic ‘Rat-a-Tat-Tat’ on the front door. In stepped a very smart gentleman dressed in a fine black moleskin suit,
trimmed with gold.
Trouble in Trickletown
“Welcome,” said the Ticket Collector, in a deep, distinctive voice. “Welcome to the greatest show on Earth.”
‘Wow!’ thought Willey, taking a deep breath and believing every word the large, round Ticket Collector was telling him. ‘The greatest show on Earth!’
Casey grabbed hold of Willey’s hand as they slowly inched their way around the Ticket Collector’s large, round body. Willey wasn’t entirely certain that he couldn’t see straight through him – and they both noticed he was wearing a false moustache.
Despite the false moustache and his faint appearance, Willey knew exactly who this was. It was his mum and dad’s friend, Mr Got-a-Lott. The owner of the Got-a-Lott Museum and now it appeared, quite strangely, that he was a part of the Trickletown Valleys’ Circus!
PSSSST! The large, round Ticket Collector sprayed the air around them, with what looked like a can of air freshener. “Helps to keep the insects away,” he said, winking his eye at Willey. “Plenty of those around the circus.”
These actions appeared rather suspicious!
Mr What’Nott paused to think about things, “Umm … What you need to remember about the circus,” he said, “is that not everything is as it might seem.” It appeared that Mr What’Nott had also spotted the false moustache! “And don’t go running off, you might get lost.”
With the large, round Ticket Collector behind them, the What’Notts continued on their journey to the circus tent. Their progress was only briefly interrupted by a hairy orangutan, handing out the circus programmes.
“Well I never,” said Mr What’Nott, as he politely took a programme for himself.
Willey and Casey could only smile as a tiny marmoset, perched on his shoulders, grinned right back at them.
“Welcome,” said the Ticket Collector, in a deep, distinctive voice.
“Welcome to the greatest show on Earth.”
Trickletown Valleys' Circus
Trouble in Trickletown
Trickletown Valleys' Circus
“WOW!” said each of the What’Notts as they entered the circus tent. It was truly a magnificent sight.
“Over there!” shouted Mr What’Nott, breaking the moment of silence and pointing towards a row of spare seats beside the musicians’ stand. There was certainly no time to waste, as the circus was filling up fast.
With only a little bit of barging and the occasional polite apology, the What’Notts manoeuvred their way towards the musicians’ stand and breathed a sigh of relief as they settled into their seats.
Willey looked up in awe at the magnificent circus tent. It was big and bright and round, and it reminded him of the Moon he had been watching from his bedroom window. It was then that something familiar caught his eye!
Above the circus ring, in bright gold letters were the words: ‘A place where adventures begin. A place where dreams come true’.
Willey began to think. Where had he heard these words before?
It was then he remembered his dream!
He remembered the Queen of Fuddles and her jars of Million Wiggle Fish. He remembered the Knick-Knack Tree’s face surrounded by thorns and the mist rolling in from the mountains ...
The voice from Willey’s dream began to speak to him again: “You must look in a secret place for a Shaft of Sunlight, which will lead you back to Trickletown, but when you find it you must not be followed.”
Willey was now certain that the circus was his way back to Trickletown. Now all he had to do was wait until whoever it was who brought him here showed him the way to the rest of his adventure.
With only a little bit of barging and the occasional polite apology, the What’Notts manoeuvred their way towards the musicians’ stand and breathed a sigh of relief as they settled into their seats.
Trouble in Trickletown
A Billion Specks of Gold Dust
Chapter 3
A Billion Specks of Gold Dust
The circus tent was full and bristling with excitement.
‘There must be some clues around here somewhere,’ thought Willey; especially if the circus tent was hiding his way back to Trickletown. To Willey’s left, on a raised wooden platform, rested a number of musical instruments, each one brightly decorated with a colourful selection of flowers and Million Wiggle Fish. ‘More of those wiggly fish,’ thought Willey; they appeared to be popping up everywhere.
The circus ring in front of him was covered in a thick layer of sawdust and surrounded by a curved box wall. Several people were sitting on it, content to just gaze about at the audience as they took up the last remaining seats.
Willey noticed not everyone was sitting down: many just wandered about not chatting to anyone in particular and then they wandered out again. It was almost as if the circus was a meeting place – but there must be more to it than this?
In time, the circus ring emptied and the noise began to fade to an expectant hush. A drum roll set the scene from behind the curtains. Then suddenly, bursting in from the shadows and accompanied by an enormous fire cracker, appeared the awe-inspiring figure of the Ring Master, superbly dressed in a shimmering black moleskin suit, trimmed with gold.
“Welcome!” said the Ring Master. “Welcome to the Trickletown Valleys’ Circus!”
This spectacular entrance was greeted by a deafening cheer.
Then suddenly, bursting in from the shadows and accompanied by an enormous fire cracker, appeared the awe-inspiring figure of the Ring Master.
Trouble in Trickletown
A Billion Specks of Gold Dust
“Today, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, you will witness unbelievable feats of trickery and balance.
“You will be amazed by astounding acts of mystery and magic.
“But first, opening our show this afternoon, please welcome from Indigo Street, here in Trickletown, the only act ever to attempt the terrifying hoops of fire, the high wire act that is: “The Balancing Cubonyento Brothers!”
W O O O S S H!
A flash of fire lit up the circus ring and through a giant hoop of flames dived the three Cubonyento Brothers, tumbling into the centre of the circus ring.
Before Willey could gather his thoughts, the Cubonyentos had climbed up to a long thin wire and began to amaze the audience with mesmerising tricks and tumbles and death defying leaps and twists. The audience gasped and gripped their seats and the What’Notts watched in utter astonishment.
The circus continued with Willey and his family enjoying every minute of it. But the circus was not the only reason everyone was there. There was something else.
Something very mysterious was happening, and Willey was soon to find out what it was!
A flash of fire lit up the circus ring and through a giant hoop of flames dived the
three Cubonyento Brothers, tumbling into the centre of the circus ring.
Trouble in Trickletown
Willey’s mind was wandering. His thoughts were moving away from the sounds of the circus – he was hearing different sounds. Soft and fairly distant ones at first but gradually becoming clearer. So clear in fact that when Willey closed his eyes, he began to believe he was actually somewhere else. But he couldn’t be, could he? Willey checked and double-checked by opening and closing his eyes. Everything around him stayed the same – it was just the sounds that were different.
Willey closed his eyes again – and kept them shut. He was sure he could hear the calls of animals on the other side of the tent: moos and bleats, grunts and the distant sounds of chatting and shouting. This all sounded more like a busy market place than a circus!
Then Willey noticed something else!
A narrow gap had mysteriously appeared beneath the musicians’ stand. Through it Willey could see a thin shaft of sunlight – there was an opening at the bottom of the circus tent!
‘This is the secret place,’ thought Willey. ‘The one the voice in my dream spoke about.’
Without a second’s thought to the dangers which might lie ahead, Willey took one final glance at his mum and dad and Casey and slipped silently beneath the musicians’ stand.
Instantly a flash of lightning lit up the tent and a roll of thunder shook the skies. A dangerous storm was gathering: the Mists of Time were here and trying to stop Willey moving under the tent! His journey to the other side would not be easy.
The circus acts continued to perform, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
The large round Ticket Collector fidgeted. He’d had plenty to do with what was happening, but even he could do no more about it.
A narrow gap had mysteriously appeared beneath the musicians’ stand. Through it Willey could see a thin shaft of sunlight – there was an opening
at the bottom of the circus tent!
A Billion Specks of Gold Dust
Trouble in Trickletown
It was time for someone else to take control and she was here – the Queen of Fuddles, the lady in the blue silken gown that Willey had seen in his dream, with the jars of Million Wiggle Fish! She had been waiting for just this moment. Stepping out of the shadows with her arms stretched out before her, she held her Crown of Gold.
“Travel safely,” she whispered “but follow only my will.” With this her Crown of Gold spun from her fingertips and hovered high in the roof of the tent.
The crown began to pulse to the rhythm of her heartbeat as it guarded Willey’s safe return to Trickletown.
Willey was almost there. All he needed to do was raise his hand to guide himself to the other side. The crowds in the circus tent fell still as time moved around them. Then suddenly the skies erupted and seven shafts of lightning tore through the tent. The crown began to melt. As drips of molten gold dropped down into the circus ring, flames raced across to the crimson curtains. But it was not the curtains the flames were after – they wanted to put an end to Willey’s adventure before it began, by destroying the words in his dream, written high above the circus ring:
A place where adventures begin.
A place where dreams come true.
There was no time to lose! At the lady’s final command, the Crown of Gold burst out into a billion specks of gold dust. The flames could move no further and as the gold dust fluttered to the ground, the magnificent circus tent disappeared.
A Billion Specks of Gold Dust
Then suddenly the skies erupted and seven shafts of lightning
tore through the tent.
Trouble in Trickletown
A Billion Specks of Gold Dust
The scene was changing fast. Gone were the thrills of the circus and instead Willey stood in a busy market place, full of the sounds he had been hearing from inside the circus tent.
To begin with it was difficult to move, as Willey pushed his way through the crowd. He knew he was searching for someone and suddenly he found who it was – another Willey What’Nott appeared in front of him!
The two of them looked at each other. They both looked exactly the same. They had the same glorious crest of ginger hair and they were dressed in exactly the same clothes: a T-shirt and jeans and a bright red jacket – casual but smart and ready for an adventure.
Following a considerable pause, the two boys raised their hands to touch each other and as soon as their fingertips touched, the two Willey What’Notts became one. It was as if they had both disappeared one inside the other; their two separate worlds became one again.
Willey’s journey beneath the circus tent had taken him back through time, and now he was back at the time when the Trouble in Trickletown began.
His enemies knew he was here. But now Willey’s two separate minds were back together, he remembered more about the Trouble in Trickletown than anyone else. All the Fuddles were losing their memories, due to a mysterious ‘memory-loss’ spray Willey’s other mum and dad (the now villainous Mr and Mrs What’Nott, the ones who had remained back in Trickletown) had been selling in their corner shop. This was the very same spray Mr Got-a-Lott, the large round Ticket Collector, had attempted to spray over the What’Nott’s as they entered the Trickletown Valleys’ Circus – remember he cunningly told them that it helped to keep the insects away!
All of this extra memory will give Willey an advantage, but only if he is able to avoid any contact with these dangerous sprays. The only problem is, that at this moment, he knows nothing about them. It will be up to the Queen of Fuddles – the lady who brought him here – to warn him about them and quickly.
All the dangers lurking around him had for now disappeared; today was still his birthday, and there were plenty of birthday things still waiting to be done.
Willey pushed his way through the crowd. He knew he was searching for someone and suddenly he found who it was – another Willey What’Nott
appeared in front of him!
