The Adventures Of Little Sham - Chapter 5 (Part 1)
By mcscraic
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The Adventures Of Little Sham
A Novel
by Paul McCann
Chapter Five
The Land Of Tir Na Oge
Part 1
In the early hours of the morning the Greenacres were awakened by the sounds of people busy at work . People were carrying some furniture items and dragging cut down trees through the main street . Little tabletop trucks came through with stacks of wooden pallets , wooden ladders and old bits of timber on board .
Mr Greenacre went downstairs to see what was going he went into the kitchen and there was Mrs McDermott cooking breakfast, When he approached her she already had anticipated his question .
“ Good morning, Mr Greenacre . The locals just getting ready for bonfire night . Today is the seventh day of the seventh month and at the seventh hour they’re going to light a bonfire that will burn for seven hours .”
“What the fire festival all about ?”
He said and Mrs Mc Dermott smiled and then she turned off the pan , took off her apron and then she replied.
“The festival is to light the way for Pogue O’Loan the storyteller who disappeared from the village . He was the seventh son of a seventh son and was very gifted . So every year we light a bonfire to welcome better days ahead in the hope he would return again to us here at Chapters End .”
“ So, what can you tell me about this man? “
Just as she was about to answer his question Sham and his mother came down and sat down at the breakfast table . Mr Greenacre joined then and Mrs McDermott started to talk about the storyteller .
“‘Well as you know he lived in the cottage up the street there and as I said he was gifted with many things . Pity about him , as he always knew things , like what people were thinking, if you know what I mean . He could see things as well that were going to happen . People said he was more like a fairy like a human .
He had a unsettle arrival being born on a stormy night in the cottage . It was said that someone had tried to steal him from his mothers arms . Actually, in the fight that ensued the baby was almost strangled to death . If it hadn’t been for a bolt of lightened that struck the front door the baby surely would have died . The intruder fled and was never seen again. “
“Where there many people living here then ?“ Mrs Greenacre asked .
Mrs McDermott began to walk and talk at the same time . She set the table and brought over their breakfast, she continued her story about the storyteller .
“ There we not many people around here in the early days . Apart from the O’Loan’s cottage there were maybe six other houses then and most of those who lived there were considered as mischief makers . They were always talking about people and shame on them for Pogue’s family were decent folk who had been around for generations . Someone put together a rumour that Pogue wasn’t really the seventh son of a seventh son because he was fathered by someone else which led to ill feelings among the people which brought dispute and anger . As usual lots of gossip went with it with other stories began to unfold by boys and girls who became carriers of scandal around the country . As time passed those people moved away and things started to get better in the town . Good people started to arrive and they built their homes here and have remained ever since . After Mr and Mrs O’Loan passed away that’s when Pogue’s disappeared and no one has ever seen him again .”
Mr Greenacre nodded his head and said ,
“So, the people who remained here started this bonfire night as a tribute to him they light one each year. What a lovely thing to do for Pogue .”
“‘Sure, that’s just the way it is’”
She said .
‘Can we help to bring some things for the bonfire /
Little Sham asked.
Mrs Mc Dermott thought for a moment and then she said ,
‘Well, aren’t you the thoughtful one Sham . If it’s all right with your Mum and Dad, there are a few old wooden fold up chairs you could bring , if you want ‘.
‘We would love to be part of the bonfire night”.
Mr Greenacre said and she responded .
‘That is just great and it will give you all an opportunity to meet all the locals .I’ll go now and get those chairs for you .’
After breakfast Mrs Mc Dermott had already left the fold up chairs outside the front door . With instructions how to get to there the Greenacres put the chairs into the boot of the car and made their way to the bonfire site .
On the way they saw boys and girls around the village cutting down branches from trees and stacking them up in piles to be collected . There were people removing old gate posts and old wooden garden trellis from their yard . It was a community working together and the Greenacres kind of felt that they were part of it as well.
Eventually they arrived at the site where the bonfires makers stood .
They left the wooden chairs there for them to place on the bonfire . It stood about twenty feet tall as looking awesome many different items stacked up ready ytop be burnt . It reached up to the sky like a ancient monument from the past.
The bonfire builders had certainly a skill of placing everything safely in place with insight what had to be burnt in stages . A group of teenagers had the job of protecting the bonfire stack just in case anyone would try to steal some of the stuff from the bonfire . Rory was one of the leaders of the crew who had to be on guard all day making sure everything was safe . Rory wanted everyone to know that he was in control , issuing out his orders to the unranked bonfire guards of the stack .
It was all good banter and fun for everyone and the excitement was growing with the thought of the night ahead . Some stray dogs made their way to the bonfire and Rory took a stick to them and were easily driven off . The Greenacres returned to the village and asked Mrs Mc Dermott if there was anything else she wanted to be brought up for the bonfire and she smile and
“Well you could bring me , but not to be burnt , only for me to see it “
They all had a laugh and took her to the site in the car .
A little later on some of the musicians arrived just before they lit the fire .
Mrs Mc Dermott brought some sausages and potatoes to cook in the bonfire’s embers .
The day was getting away and twilight fell . The bonfire was well lit now and everyone burst out singing and there was dancing and cheering as the flames leapt and the sparks flickered up above the bonfire. Smoke and flames filled the night sky with the people of the village all gathered around standing in clusters around the bonfire . Some of the older men sat around the ground telling tall stories and jokes that made everyone listen and laugh . The young men of the village showed off their strength and fitness doing high jumps over a rope tied between two poles . Young ladies showed their acrobatic skills doing skipping and somersaults as they turned the night alive with excitement . Sure, there was magic in the air and everyone was having a great time . The flames of the bonfire was kept licking away at the night sky and with a message sent to the moon in signals .
What a wonderful sight it was to see all the people of Chapters End gathered there together . Mrs McDermott brought her potatoes in silver foil and left then there at the bottom of the bonfire . Then she placed some sausages in their silver foil jackets around the embers at the bottom of the fire . There were others already eating and drinking away singing songs and reciting poetry that you would have to say was unique as a real live folk festival . The best bonfire night the Greenacres had ever been to . Most of the village stayed until it was time to leave and then they returned to their homes .
The Greenacres brought Mts McDermott back to guest house and they all retired to their rooms for a good night’s rest .
As Sham turned off his bedroom light he could still see the glow of the bonfire aglow on the hilltop there . The was track of smoke from the bonfire that weaved its way around the town as if it were leaving a message of thanks to the tiny village . Then the smoke rings , drifted up to the moon , with a wish for the people to have better days ahead . The crowd had all gone and the town was quiet and Sham heard a voice on the wind ,
“Come in , won’t you come let the story begin in another place and another time where the fairy folk play hide and seek until its time to go. Come now far away as you go
In a trance he put on his soft shoes and walked quietly down the stairs and up to the street to the storytellers cottage . Moving away the treasure chest he opened up the trapdoor that took him inside a room where a ladder went upwards to a door . Ion the other side of the door was an lift . He got into the lift and the door closed the when th door opened he was standing on a cloud . It felt spongy under his feet and when he walked it made him bounce . So he bounced along the cloud until he came to a little toyshop . When he went inside the toyshop there was a shopkeeper who said ,
“Welcome to the once in a lifetime toyshop where everything you buy is not what it seems . You’re very welcome to look around . Take all the time you need as time doesn’t exist here you see .”
Sham looked around at all they toys in boxes and shelves and all over the floor . Then something captured his eye . On the top shelf there was a bottle and in the bottle was a sailing ship .
“Can I have please have a look at the sailing ship in the bottle ?”
The shopkeeper went for a ladder to reach the bottle where he carefully grasped it and holding it tightly he climbed back down the ladder and placed it in front of Sham .
“Sham looked at the ship inside the bottle and then as he looked closer he saw some boys on the ship wand then heard them calling out to him .
“ Hurry up , get on board we’ll be leaving soon ‘
In that moment Sham found himself standing on the deck of a ship at sea .
Three were was eight boys on board and they all came to welcome Sham .
“:Glad you could make it. We’re going on a voyage . I’m Sailor Sam , pirate and friend of everyone here . Its nice to meet you . “
He reached out his hand and Sham took it as they exchanged a friendly handshake Sam called the rest of the crew to say hello ‘
Sham waved his hand to all the crew who came to say hello .
“Hello everyone , my name is Sham “
One by one they all shook hands telling him their names .
The first sailor approached and said ,
“Welcome on board sailor Sham , Brendan is my name Captain of the Voyager and the crew and I have been here on this ship for a lifetime and more but as you see we never aged because here we are forever young , here time there is no such thing as time , we travel from shore to shore many things still to explore . “
Hello Sailor Sham , I’m Sailor Tucker , chief mucker inner and rope fixer “
“I’m sailor Jay Jay , Sham and I’m the mapper operator.. “
Hello sailor Sham pleased to meet you , I’m sailor Harry, hero of the lost at sea. “
‘Welcome Sham I’m Sailor Singalong , I bring songs and stories along for the voyage
‘I’m Sailor Nate ,the navigator and looker outer for land and other dangers .“
“ I’m Sailor Jack the whisperer and I can talk to creatures of the sea .
I’m Sailor Bucko , star watcher and owner of the ring of the talking fingers and keeper of the relics of the realm ‘
After everyone had introduced themselves to Sham , Captain Brendan called out .
“ Singalong , come on , give us a song to get us on our way . Everyone else set free the sails . “
Singalong started to sing a happy little song ,
‘Forever young just children are,
sailing in ships inside a jar,
so much time to sing our cares away ,
no one gets older day by day .
In a land beyond the sea
where flying horses speak to me
In the land of Tir Na Oge where
magic music rises from the sea
Everyone has gone away from me,
like the two white swans beyond the sea
We’re waiting here for their return some day
to the land of Tir Na Oge today ,
In the land of Tir Na Oge where
magic music rises from the sea “.
As he sung the winds started to gush and in rush it took to the sails of the ship raced over the waves and across the ocean .
Captain Brendan shouted
“To the land of Tir Na Og we go”
and all the crew screamed in response .
“‘We are the boys from sailors town , forever young we are ,
We’re looking for adventures anywhere near or far “.
End Of Part 1
Part 2
https://www.abctales.com/story/mcscraic/adventures-little-sham-chapter-5...
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Comments
strange ships and worlds and
strange ships and worlds and words. works a treat.
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