The Sandy Castle
It was a beautiful, sunny Thursday afternoon. Matilda and her elder brother Jack were playing in the sand pit. They had built a castle using the buckets and spades that they had been given when they went on holiday to the seaside. The castle had walls and towers made from sand and bits and pieces collected from around the garden.
Now, before I begin the story I had better introduce the children. Matilda was a pretty, neat looking child with lovely smile, when she chose to use it. She was always tidy. It did not matter that she had spent the day playing in the soil in the garden, a quick shake of her head and her hair looked as if she had just spent hours brushing and combing it. With a few smoothing strokes she could make her clothes look as if she had just stepped out to go to a party. Now Jack, whose real name was John, Albert, Colin, Keith, but always known by everyone as Jack, was not like that at all. He could get dirty and scruffy standing in the bath! He was about a year or so older than his sister and like good elder brothers everywhere he looked after Matilda. She did not really need looking after, but she did not tell him that, as she did not want to upset him and that way they were both happy.
Now let us return to the story. The castle almost filled the sand pit, except for a dry moat running all the way round. Matilda had carefully placed a piece of wood across as a bridge for the knights to ride their horses across. Inside the Castle they had placed all their toy knights and their trusty steeds. The knights were led by Sir Yellow. He was the bravest and strongest of all the knights. Around the outside of the Castle and getting ready to attack was a gang of fearsome looking pirates led by Captain Slottie.
The children surveyed the scene making sure that everything was in place before the battle began.
"I wish we could be down there with them," said Matilda.
"That would be fun" agreed Jack.
One should always be careful what one wishes for, it might just come true. Now whether it was a passing fairy or a witch or just a stray left over wish from someone’s three, I do not know, but in a breathless instant Jack found himself standing inside the castle walls. Of Matilda there was no sign.
"Ah, there you are, Jack," said a knight in very dusty armour. "Sir Yellow will be pleased to see you."
The dusty knight led Jack across the courtyard of the castle to where Sir Yellow was standing, staring at a tall tower. The tower appeared to have no door or windows, which Jack thought was a bit odd.
"Glad you could make it," said Sir Yellow, whose armour looked as if it needed a real good clean. "We have a major problem on our hands."
Jack looked puzzled. The knight went on. "We are surrounded by pirates who are about to attack." Jack frowned, "But I thought pirates only attacked ships, not Castles."
The rest of the knights joined them. All of them looked very scruffy indeed.
"They do normally," said Sir Red, "But they say we have their treasure and they want it back and unless we hand it over they will attack and destroy the castle."
"Well, if it is not yours, then give it back." It seemed straight forward enough to Jack.
Sir Blue joined in, "We would, if we knew where it was. We have searched the castle and found nothing, except for in there." He pointed to the Doorless Tower. "If you put your ear to the wall you can hear a dragon snoring."
Jack put his ear to the wall and sure enough from inside there came the sound of heavy breathing. It was loud enough to be coming from something big.
Sir Yellow said. "There are slots in the roof but we cannot quite get up there. If we stand on each others shoulders we can see the top, but we need another person. Would you be so kind as to have a look for us?"
Jack did not mind climbing so he agreed. The knights in their rather less than shiny armour stood on each others shoulders and Jack climbed up them and on to the top of the Doorless Tower, There were indeed lots of slots in the roof, big enough for him to squeeze through. He asked for and was handed up a rope. He tied it round one of the slots and dropped the other end into the tower. Then, very bravely, he climbed down the rope. Inside, when his eyes got used to the gloom, was a terrible looking monster with a huge gaping mouth full of thousands of teeth. It had eyes on long stalks. The eyes stared at Jack.
"Hello," said the monster, which was not what Jack had expected.
"Er, hello yourself," replied the boy. Jack had been brought up to be polite and to speak when spoken to. "You are not going to eat me are you?" Jack thought it best to find out before going any further with the conversation
"I’ m a strict vegetarian," sniffed the monster. "You wouldn’t happen to have a bit of lettuce or a slice of tomato with you would you? Only I haven’t eaten anything for ages and I am terribly hungry. Just listen to my tummy grumbling."
Sure enough the monster's insides gave a truly awful rumble.
"Sorry!" apologised Jack. "I haven't. Why don’t you go and get some, there’s plenty in Mother’s vegetable patch."
The monster sighed. "I would, if I could, but I cannot get out of this Tower. There are no doors you see and I am not strong enough to push it over. And the floor is very uncomfortable."
Jack looked closely at what the monster was lying on. The floor was covered in brushes and combs and hand mirrors. "Mmm, that must be really unpleasant. I will go and see what I can do."
Quickly he climbed up the rope and back down the human ladder.
I shall leave him there explaining the monster to the knights, while we find out what had happened to Matilda. Like Jack she too had an instant of breathlessness, but unlike him she found herself surrounded by fierce looking, bushy bearded pirates. Naturally, she was a little alarmed, but being a brave child she only gave a little squeak.
"Ah, Matilda," said the Pirate Captain. "Good to have you aboard. We really do need your help."
Matilda looked puzzled.
"The knights of the Sandy castle have got our treasure and we want it back, but they say they won’t give it back until we give them back their treasure."
"That’s easy then," said Matilda. "Do a swap."
Captain Slottie said, "We would love to, but we can’t get at their treasure. It is in a chest that we cannot open and worse still the chest is underneath a huge monster. Come and see."
The pirates led Matilda to a clump of trees and sure enough there was a huge hard shelled monster. Matilda could just make out the corner of a chest sticking out from underneath the shell.
"It is asleep and we cannot wake it up to move it off the chest," said one of the pirates.
Matilda put her ear to the shell and listened. Sure enough the sound of deep breathing could be heard from within.
"Interesting," said Matilda thoughtfully. "But what is that strange smell?" She sniffed at the hard shell. The aroma was very familiar. Then she recognised it. It was her mother’s favourite bath salts. Now she knew who and what this monster was.
She clapped her hands in glee, making the pirates jump. "This is Simon Snail," she said. "I recognise the scent. Mother gave him a bath last night because he was all dirty. He must have really grown to be this big. He will stay asleep now until night."
"We cannot wait that long," said Captain Slottie. "Terrible things come out here in the dark and we would like to be back on our ship by then."
"Right," said Matilda, "In that case we need to lift him up a bit then."
For once in her life she felt the need of her elder brother, he would know what to do.
So, let us go back to the castle. Jack had explained to the knights and suggested that they use the rope to try to pull the tower over. Even with all the knights and all the horses they could not quite do it.
"We need Matilda," said Jack.
"She is with the Pirates!" called Sir Orange who had been looking over the castle wall at the Pirate camp.
Jack found a stick and tied his once white handkerchief to it. Then, bravely he and Sir Yellow walked out across the bridge over the dry moat. Captain Slottie and Matilda came to meet them.
As polite as ever, Jack introduced Sir Yellow to Matilda. This was not easy as Sir Yellow insisted on hiding behind Jack. Then, Matilda introduced Captain Slottie to Jack. That was not easy as Captain Slottie hid behind Matilda. Then, Jack introduced Sir Yellow to Captain Slottie. Jack and Matilda did not need introducing, as they knew each other already.
Matilda explained to Jack about the huge Simon the Snail sleeping on the Knights’ treasure chest. Jack explained about the monster in the Tower lying on what he thought was the pirates’ treasure.
"Hairbrushes and things," he said.
Captain Slottie nodded.
"Right!" said Jack, "We need to lever the snail up so you can pull the chest out from under. See if you can find a long strong piece of wood."
"We have looked everywhere for one before you came," said Captain Slottie. "But there are none to be found anywhere."
"Hmmmmmm, problem then!" said Jack. "No, hang on, there is a good stout piece of wood in the castle, the flagpole."
Jack and Sir Yellow went back into the castle and returned a few moments later with the flagpole. The pirates took it and went back to Simon the Snail. Jack and Sir Yellow followed.
The pirates were obviously used to moving things with levers and it did not take them long to push one end of the flagpole under Simon. They found a rock and rested the pole on that. Then they all pushed down on the other end of the pole, a bit like you would on a seesaw where one person is heavier than the other. Try as they might they could not quite move Simon.
"We need more weight!" said Jack. You had better get the rest of the knights out here," he told Sir Yellow.
The knight looked very worried. "But what is to stop the pirates attacking us if we all come out here?" he asked.
Captain Slottie looked fierce and angry. "I give you my promise and the promise of a Pirate Captain is never, ever broken. But what is to stop your knights attacking us when you are out here?"
Sir Yellow stood up straight in his now even less shiny armour. "I give you my word and a knight’s word should be good enough for anyone!" He glared at Captain Slottie.
"Well, that’s all right then," said Matilda. "A promise is a promise and a word is a word. Do let’s hurry up, it is getting late."
The knights in their dull armour came marching out and added their weight to that of the pirates. Simon the Snail gently lifted up enough for a brave Matilda to nip under and pull the chest out.
Gently the snail was lowered to the ground, after all, no one wanted to wake him up.
"Our treasure!" shouted the knights and moved towards the chest. The pirates quickly surrounded it and pulled out their swords.
"Not till we get our treasure do you get yours," announced Captain Slottie.
"Well." said Jack. "If you want you your treasure you will have to come into the castle and help the knights."
"How do we know the Knights will not attack us once we are in the castle?" began Captain Slottie, but Matilda interrupted.
"Oh, don’t let’s go through all that again. Everyone promise to be good and let’s get on with it!"
They all promised to be good and went into the castle carrying the Knights’ treasure chest with them.
It took all the pirates and all the knights and all the horses and Jack and finally Matilda hanging on to the end of the rope to pull over the Doorless Tower. It fell with a crash and every one landed in a tangled heap on the floor.
Captain Slottie’s hat and beard fell off. Her bright yellow hair tumbled down around her shoulders. It looked as if it had not been combed for a month, full of tangles and knots. The other pirates too had lost their beards in the tumble. They also had long, uncombed hair. The secret was out, the pirates were all WOMEN. It was not Captain Slottie, but Captain Lottie.
The knights did not know what to do but the ladies did. As quick as a flash they picked themselves up and ran to the Tower. The monster had slithered away without anyone noticing.
Before long there was a chorus of happy sighs as the pirate ladies picked up combs and brushes and mirrors and began to groom their hair. For, as everyone knows, a lady is never seen with uncombed hair.
Now you might think that the knights would have watched this preening, but you would be wrong. As quickly as the ladies went for their hairdressing things the knights opened their treasure chest and took out its contents.
Before long there was a chorus of happy sighs as they settled down with polishing rags and metal polish to put a gleam on their armour. For as everyone knows a true knight should always have shiny armour.
Jack and Matilda left them to it and walked across the bridge hand in hand. Jack was the kind of older brother who did not mind holding his sister’s hand occasionally and Matilda was the kind of younger sister who would let him.
Simon the snail was still asleep where they had left him and in the distance they could hear the sound of someone munching on a nice crisp lettuce.
"All’s well that ends well!" announced Jack
"I can hear Mother calling," said Matilda, "It must be time for tea."
As everyone knows those are the magic words and a breath taking instant later they were walking up the garden path to the house.
"Race you," said Matilda and skipped off up the path. Jack ran after her, taking great care to not quite catch up so that she won the race. He was the kind of older brother who always let his younger sister win. Matilda knew that he let her win, but did not say anything and that way they were both happy.
