More round the tree

Samantha suggests a musical instrument for Sepia, various baking things for Crackle, and foreign healing herbs for Cedar. I will ask Daughter about a suitable flute or piccolo for a squirrel.

Perhaps Crackle would like the cutters to make a gingerbread house. I'm afraid she was a bit sniffy about the idea of almond paste, as she always makes her own from almonds gathered on the south side of the island. I don't know how we're going to get the foreign herbs to Cedar but I'm sure we could get her a bay tree, and I'll see about some cuttings of rosemary and fennel from my garden.

Filbert would like slippers. He enjoys a quiet evening by the fire with Apple. Juniper says he doesn't want anything, but Needle and Myrtle are making him some warm tunics for the winter. Needle knows that he's never been completely well since his journey to Whitewings.

And Princess Almondflower thought very hard and finally looked out of the window and said she would like a sledge. And snow, please. And suddenly every animal on the island, from the king and queen to the smallest of Corr's many relations, want to go sledging. Crackle has locked the tea trays in a cupboard and sleeps with the key under her pillow.

I would like a new back, one which doesn't start hurting just when I have exciting plans for the next few days. Or perhaps Cedar could make me up some kind of potion, or I could find out what sort of liniment they use on elephants. That should sort it.

Now, about The Archers. They should re-name it The Aliens, as it bears less and less resemblance to itself and I suspect Ambridge is being colonised by Planet Furglesplott. David and Ruth are talking about selling the farm to Mr Moneybags, who will almost certainly knock it down and build a theme park, a prison, or a centre for testing industrial explosives. Tony Archer is still in hospital following an argument with a bull. Alice is on bad terms with Linda, Tom is on bad terms with Rob (but isn't everyone?) and Jennifer suspects Mrs Tregorran of doing in Mr Tregorran. Wee George now has a pet turkey. See what I mean? Furglesplott.