The adopton of Cyril 1/4

Tornak the Terrible sat in his cave, trying to make his son finish his breakfast. "If you don't eat it all up, you'll never grow up big and strong like me. The local people won't ever be frightened of you and you'll never be able to earn yourself a name to terrify the peasantry."

'I don't want to terrify anyone,' thought Cyril as he munched his way through a bowl full of food, 'I'm quite happy as I am. I like talking to people, not frightening them.'

"That's a good chap," said Tornak as Cyril cleared his bowl at last. Why don't you go up the hill and have a chat with the nice giant in the castle. Mind you be polite and call him 'Sir' and thank him for the peasants he sent us yesterday. We're going to have them tonight, roasted with apple sauce."

Cyril walked off through the trees towards the giant's castle. He knocked as loudly as he could on the huge door and waited till the giant came. "Good morning," he said as politely as he could, whilst shouting at the top of his voice.

"And good morning to you, young Cyril. Come in and have a drink of something and a chat. Did your mother get those two peasants I sent over yesterday?"

"We're having them for dinner today," replied Cyril, wishing that the giant hadn't reminded him. He enjoyed talking to any of the local peasants who didn't run away when they saw him and was always worried in case he recognised one of them on the dinner table.

"Have a bit of chocolate Swiss roll," said the giant, "I've got some left over from a simply huge one I was given the other day."

While Cyril was enjoying his drink and eating his piece of cake, the giant told him about the young apprentice witch whom he'd mistaken for a 'yuman bean'.

"Then they all flew back to the Gate on a broomstick and pulled up the drawbridge," he finished.

"That was delicious thank you," said Cyril, finishing the crumbs of Swiss roll. "Can you tell me what a Gate is, please?"

"Why, it's a gate that leads to another world, full of yuman beans but the witches won't let us through. It's said that it's always warm and sunny over there and the rivers flow with milk and honey."

"It sounds lovely," said Cyril.

Then he suddenly had an idea. He could run away from home and go to the other world. He could live on milk and honey and talk all day to the beans and never have to grow up or become terrifying.

"Where exactly is the Gate?" he asked.

"Straight down the path past your cave and keep going through the woods, until you come to a large piece of open ground. The Gate looks a bit like my castle, you can't miss it. Don't go too near though, or the witches will come and chase you away."

----O----

Jennifer Jane and Abigail were with Barnacle Bill on his paddle steamer. Barnacle Bill was telling them stories about his adventures at sea, while he occasionally turned the steering wheel a spoke or two to keep on course for his home.

"Shush a minute," said Abigail suddenly, "something very unusual has happened."

She was standing up very straight with her head tilted to one side as if she was listening to something.

"What is it?" asked Jennifer Jane.

"The Witches' Home is sending out an alarm signal. Someone from the other world has come through the Gate without permission. I've never heard the bell before except for practices. I'm so sorry but I really must leave at once."

She ran down the companionway to the saloon where she'd left her broom and quickly flew off back the way the steamer had come.

"I can't hear anything unusual," said Barnacle Bill.

"I think I can hear bells ringing," said Jennifer Jane "but it's very faint."