Pipperwhill's Palace

Pipperwhill loved her home and the animals that lived throughout the forest. But she loved Unicorn most of all. The only problem was, Unicorn was too large to come into her home and visit. Only the smallest of the forest animals could fit inside.

Pipperwhill had a very pretty home and garden and enjoyed planting flowers and mushrooms. She always felt that a flower bouquet was never complete without  mushrooms, and flowers made wonderful gifts for her friends.

She sat down on the wooden steps leading to her door and watched a small rabbit hop on the step beside her.

"I would give you a flower bouquet, rabbit, but  you would just eat it." Pipperwhill said to the small bunny. "But that's ok. Some of my flowers are good for the tummy. Especially the Dandelions!"

She stood up and looked out across the huge meadow that lay before her. Behind her home was the sea and near the sea is where Unicorn lives. But the meadow that lay before her seemed as vast as the sea.

She remembered how Butterfly said she laid her eggs on the leaves and grasses in the Ancient Garden and she knew that the birds built their nests from from twigs and dried grasses found on the ground. She even found the Faerie Dragon's eggs under some mushrooms once, but that too, was in the Ancient Garden.

She wondered if she could  transform her meadow into another Ancient Garden, but to transform this vast meadow would be quite an undertaking. Her little mind began to think of the possibilities. She could go into the villages and nearby lands and pick the apples, dig out the seeds and plant them in the meadow. It would be a surprise for Unicorn. "All Unicorns love fruit!" she thought to herself excitedly. "But fruit trees take so long to grow and produce anything edible. I guess, until then, the birds can nest in the trees and I can grow flowers and other tall grasses for  Butterflies to lay their eggs and the bees to gather pollen for their honey."

Pipperwhill saw nothing wrong with turning her meadow into something more useful. She began to gather seeds and small shoots from other plants and trees and even seeds from some of the grasses found in other areas. Pipperwhill planted everyday and cleared some patches of land where she wanted trees and plants and flowers to grow. It would take time, she knew that, but there would be plenty of sunshine and rainfall to do the rest.

The Ancient Garden was small, hidden away and protected by an ancient ruin, unlike the expanse and openness of the vast meadow. It didn't offer much protection from harsh wind and rains that sometimes came through. She needed a building or some other kind of structure to surround her meadow just like it does in the Ancient Garden but how could such a little elf possibly build anything so heavy and so large? Especially one that  would enclose  just enough of the meadow to offer some protection for the birthing and the babies? It was impossible and the thought of something so grand was soon cast aside. .  . .for now.

© Copyright Cheryl Taul
March 2010