The Adventures Of Little Sham - Chapter 3 (Part 2)

The Adventures Of  Little Sham  

A Novel

by Paul McCann

 

Chapter Three

The Emperor’s Garden

(Part 2)

Sham presented the ticket that was given to him and the lion walked over to a cage and got inside  . As the lion roared an huge eagle soared down from the sky and lifted the lion inside the cage to the other side of the gate where the lion left the cage and  climbed up the steps to the foot soldier who was asleep at his lookout post .

The lion roared again and the guard awoke with a wiggle and a poke and he spoke with a giggle a joke and uttered  out ,

“ Knock knock “

“Who’s there ?. “ Said the lion .

“Boo. ”  said the guard .

“Boo who .“ said the lion

“So it’s you , Boo who,  the crying lion again . What do you want ? The guard asked .

“ I want you to open the gates to the palace ?  said the lion

”For who ?  the guard asked .

“For me to go out and the visitor to come in “   said the lion

 “What’s the password .“ the guard asked .

“There is no password .“ the Lion said .

“ OK then just checking .“ said the guard ,

“What’s the visitor doing here ?” The guard asked

“He has a ticket for a walk through the Emperors garden “ said the lion .

“ Its is a guided tour ? The guard asked .

“No its an unaccompanied ticket .“ Said the lion ,

After all the information was shared the guard spoke into a loudspeaker with a frizzly grizzly  voice for the gatekeeper .

“‘Open the gate , open the gate , for all of those here who have to stand and wait .“

The gatekeeper was a funny little fella who came running out from the cellar screaming with a squeaky cheeky voice  ,

“All right , all right I’m coming , I’m coming .“

Then he took out a golden key and he slowly opened up the gate for the lion to get out and the visitor to come in . Once inside Sham walked to the door of the palace and the lion returned into the cage and the huge eagle lifted the cage back outside the gate where the lion got out and lay down on the ground .

Sham skipped over the cracks on the path to the palace door and he started to sing a little tune in his head  .

The crying lion and funny little guard haven’t got it hard at all , living in the palace of the emperor waiting someone to call , with a ticket to get in where nobody has been in catch whatever could fall .

As he sung his song the birds sang along to the chorus of life everywhere with the bees humming and the cats meowing and purring with the laughter of donkeys somewhere . Beside the front door of the palace there was a balloon tied to a string that hung from a bell that swung on a breeze and on the ground he found a pin that burst the balloons skin and out pooped a key to the door .

Sham opened up the door and walked across the floor to a room where there were  many items on display .

A soft voice called his name ,
“Take as long as you need Sham  .“
The voice was from an old man sitting there in chair in the corner .

“Oh hello .“
Said Sham  .

“Welcome to my palace , stay as long as you like but I’d really like you take a wlk through my garden while you’re here  .“
Said the old man with the long grey beard .

“I like walking and I like talking too. Are you the Emperor ?”

“Well actually , yes  .“
The old man said .

Sham was pulling through some items on a table
“ What is this thing called Emperor ? .“

“What have you found there Sham ,can I see .”
He got out of his chair and walked over to Sham who held up some paint brushes and a set of paints 

“My now as you see , they are magic colours and you can have them all for free .“
He said .

“All for me , Emperor , are you sure ?”
He asked .

“I’ve always liked to think I could encourage artists . Please use the paints and brushes . The are very special and you will soon see what I mean . “

Sham continued to pull things out of some baskets and boxes and he held up a coloured stone in the shape of a heart and asked .

“Could you please tell me Emperor , sir what this stone might be for ?”

”Well now that is a hopscotch stone  and you must take it  please and there are some  instructions for you later when you’re out in the garden , on how to play the hopscotch game . Its easy you see when you know what to do  . ”

Sham continued to look through all of the things that were in the room on display”.

The Emperor smiled and he said .

”Let me put those things into a bag little Sham .“

The  old man went over and took a backpack from a cupboard and placed all the items inside . He looked over at Sham as this old tin box fell out of the backpack on to the floor and out of the tin box a gold key fell out onto the floor .’

Sham went over to pick the key up and he handed it back to the old man .

“Congratulations my child . You have been selected now and so you must go out that door into the emperors garden . “
The old man said as he pointed his finger to a door on the other side of the room and continued ,

“You have been chosen my child  . Don’t question just follow your feelings to what awaits . you in the garden there . Inside the backpack you have everything that you will need for the journey . Trust your innocence my child and experience a magical land that’s awaits you beyond the doorway .”

The Emperor put the  key into Shams hand  and he  danced his way to the door where he placed the golden key into the lock and the door opened up . Sham looked back to say goodbye but the old man was gone .

The door closed behind him and on the other side he discovered a beautiful garden with hedged pathways and water fountains . Right around the edge of the garden was a high wall . Some statues of winged creatures lined a pathway to a gate in the wall . A large bird flew down from a tree . It  landed on his shoulder and walked along his  arm . Sham lifted his arm and looked at the bird . It looked like a peacock but it shook with shock like a bird with fear , It had no colour anywhere on its tail .’

“Can you paint my tail ?” Said the bird .

“I amazed at how sweet you talk but how can I paint your tail ?
Sham  replied and the bord said as he bowed down his head .

“Well thank and if its ok with you , I’ll tell you what to do so you know , See now would you please just paint some colours on my tail with the magic colours in your bag .”

Then Sham remembered about the paint set and the brushes he had been given by the old man in the room . So he opened up the bag and got busy working . He swished the  brushes back and forth from the paint set along the birds tail touching every feather with different colours and when he had finished , the bird was so proud of its tail . Each and every feather had a different colour and the bird lifted up its tail and started to sing .

The song was the sweetest sound that any bird had every sung and it echoed all around the garden . Over the high wall a pony jumped over landing there at Shams feet .

The bird flew away into the air thanking Sham as he went  .

Wow ,  what strokes  , and  hey I must say what colour’s you chose . Tell me would you be able to paint my tail too .?”

The pony asked and Sham replied .

“Why sure thing little pony .“

Sham began to paint the ponies tail with colours from the magic paint set that sparkled like a rainbow when he was finished . The pony knelt down on his two front legs in front of little Sham and asked him to climb up on to its back . Sham gave a scream of delight and did the same and the pony galloped off then he jumped over the high wall to the  other side of the garden where fruit trees stood with their branches all weighed down with every kind of fruit imaginable .

“Help yourself .“
Said the pony as it took Sham all around the orchard .
Sham plucked a pear here and there and shared it with the bear who lived up in the tree , and then he ate some plums and nuts as well as a mandarin . Content and happy the pony let Sham climb down to the ground where a large white swan came gliding down to where he stood .

“There is someone here who would like to see you now .“
Said the swan .

“Who . Me ?”
Sham asked .

“Yes right away now so we must go now . Get on my back and grab tightly around my neck .“

Sham did as she was told and the white swan flew over a lake that stretched across the garden to a small island where a cottage stood cradled within the boundaries of the garden and the hills in between .

“Who lives in there ?
Sham asked .

“ That is where the storyteller lives .“
The Swan replied .

He open the door of the cottage and waved .

“Little Sham , please come inside. “ The storyteller said

“I remember you now , Pogue O’Loan . Isn’t it ?”
he asked .

“This is where I have to leave you now  ?”
Said the Swan who left Saham outside the cottage door ,.

Sham remembered the storyteller and went inside the cottage as the swan flapped its huge wings and flew off into the sky .

“Tell me little Sham where you able to catch the wise old salmon ?”

The storyteller asked  .

:”No he was too happy in the lake so we left him be there ?

“Well done then.”

The storyteller said .

‘Its best to be where you’re happy . Isn’t that true Pogue ?“

The storyteller smiled and he said ,

“ That’s the truth now little Sham have you time for a story while you’re here?”

‘Yes of course . I’ve always lots of time to spare. “ Sham replied .

Then I’ll tell you the tale of the hopscotch path that leads to a train on a track . Listen now to the sound of my voice and I’ll tell you of the walk you must do .

The storytellers voice was deep and hypnotic and put little Sham in a trace . Every word was heard and the story he shared was of a walk through the door of time.  

Onwards he went from to the door of time on a path with a game to play and every step of the way he had to throw the heart stone on a number that would have a total of 67 at the end . The magic number of 67 will open the door . With every number where the heart stone lands it must add up to 67 and no more and no less for the   door to open and along the path every red stepping stone has a number on top and every green stepping stone is where you must hop . So hopscotch your way back to the train that will take you back to where you come from ‘

The storyteller took little Sham from the cottage to the hopscotch path and said ,

“Go now little Sham for time is not your own , Go home to the place where you’re from , but come any back anytime you want .“  

Sham already had the instructions in his head and knew exactly what to do .At the start of the path he took out the heart stone from the back pack and threw it on a red stone with the number 7 and now he hopped on the green stone where he threw the heart stone on another red stepping stone counting the numbers in his head as he went , From the beginning to the end of the path he had calculated the right number to be thrown at the end . Then with his final throw the stone landed on the number and the door of time opened up , Little Sham walked through the door and on the other side was a train that sat on a track and the train driver said .

‘Welcome back Sham now its time to get on board . We going back to the place where you came from “

Sham got on into the carriage and with a whistle and a toot the little train rolled away down the track , through the tunnel and around the bend right of the end of the journey .

He got off the train and waved goodbye to the train driver who said ,

“Goodbye Sham “   

As Sham made his way from the train station down the long corridor, he remembered he left his backpack on the train , nut it was too late now as the train was gone . so he just carried on to the door that he opened up and climbed up the ladder that was there right to the top he went and back through the trapdoor into the Storytellers cottage at  Chapters End . Then he moved the  treasure chest back on top of the trapdoor and left the cottage . Walking down the street he returned to the guest house where not a minute of time had passed since he left .

He quietly walked the stairs and into his bedroom where he lay down in the bed and drifted off to sleep .

 

End of Chapter 3

 

 

Chapter 4

https://www.abctales.com/story/mcscraic/adventures-little-sham-chapter-4...

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