Sir George goes home 7/8

The sailing season was over, holidays had finished and Jennifer Jane was back at school. Everything at home had settled into the normal routine.

Jennifer Jane's Mum was chatting to her next door neighbour over a cup of coffee. "My Dave always sharpens my kitchen knives for me, but no matter how careful he is they never seem to stay sharp for very long."

"A friend of mine in the next village had her knives sharpened by one of those travelling tinker fellows with a horse and cart and she says they've stayed like razors ever since."

"Well if he comes round here he can certainly have my trade."

The next day was a Saturday and at breakfast, Mary asked the family to keep an eye open for the tinker who was an expert knife sharpener. Jennifer Jane went outside to help her father polish the car and almost immediately ran back inside.

"Mum come quickly, I think the knife sharpening man is here."

A horse and cart was rumbling slowly along the road.
"Gitshawnives sharpenear," shouted the driver and people started running into the road with their knives and scissors, while some of the menfolk brought out garden shears and lawn mowers. Jennifer Jane went out with her Mother, there was something familiar about the horse and driver.

"Dead degrading this is," the horse was muttering, "me that's fought some of the most dangerous dragons around, looked up to by villagers everywhere and thanked personally by damsels in distress, and what thanks do I get? Pull this cart."

The horse snorted and shook his head. Then he suddenly spotted Jennifer Jane.

"Oh hello," he whinnied, "thank goodness it's you at last. Sir will be wanting a word with you."

George finished taking his orders. "They'll all be ready in about an hours time," he called.

"I'll stay and wait for ours to be finished," said Jennifer Jane.

"All right dear," said Mary "but be careful when you bring them back, they'll be very sharp and stay well away from that horse he's making rather a lot of noise and seems a bit restless."

When they were alone, George explained how he'd spent the last of Karg's treasure buying the cart and grindstone after he'd left the circus.

"It seems strange, but people in this world actually pay me to sharpen their knives. I've spent a fair part of my life sharpening knives and swords for nothing. Still that's all over now. Can you really get me back to my home?"

Jennifer Jane explained how to get to the wood and arranged to meet him in the clearing there after she'd had her dinner.

Mary was very pleased with her knives were returned.

"I don't know how he does it,” said Dave, "they're much sharper than I've ever managed. Perhaps it's because he's got a proper grindstone."

Early that afternoon Jennifer Jane met George in the clearing as she had promised. She had expected to see the horse but was rather surprised to see the cart as well.
"Bit tricky getting that in here," said George.

"Bit tricky!" snorted the horse, "If I'd listened to him we'd still be stuck between two trees halfway here. When it comes to real work he'd be lost without me."

Jennifer Jane explained that the first step back to George's home would be a trip to the Wish Warehouse and before the horse could make any comment about flying all three had arrived.

Lieutenant Moonshine came out of the front door to meet them.

"Sorry we had to leave the cart behind," she said, "I'm afraid we're not allowed to send artefacts from one world to the other."

"No matter," said George. "In sooth, I begin to wonder if a return to my own world is well advised. Mayhap I should stay in this world after all."

The horse started to neigh at once. "Stay here he says, no imagination at all, why with the stories he could tell we'd be set for life in every village we stay at. Oh I wish I could make him understand!"

Jennifer Jane looked at Lieutenant Moonshine.

"Can't be done," said the fairy.