In the Garden - Part 3 of Pip's Great Adventure - the story continues

They looked as if they wanted to be pulled on. Pip grabbed one and yanked on it. At which point a voice like that of an old man spoke loudly. “How can I help you?” It said. “I am the Question Tree and will answer any question you put to me but be warned that you only have one question even though you may see many question-marks hanging from my branches.”

The voice continued: “So make sure it is really something you want to know. You will not be allowed another chance.” Pip wasn’t expecting this and had he had been able to prepare in advance he might have responded differently but he just ended up asking the first thing that came into his head.

“Please, Mr Question Tree,” Pip started. “Where is this place?”

The garden he was in had many pathways. It was really like a massive park but no signposts or anything to tell you where you were exactly. The Great Mother had gone very quiet too. He hadn’t heard her voice for a long time it seemed. He was actually wishing he knew how to get back to the world he knew best. He wanted that more than anything even though this adventure was very exciting. Pip decided he might as well take the path to his left which had tall hedges on both sides of the grey gravel pathway. He walked on a while thinking how silent it was and how uninteresting it had now become with just a path, hedges and sky above. Then he came to a fork in the path. Which way was best, he wondered? Both looked much the same with more of the same sort of hedging and path below his feet which were getting tired. He decided this time that because going to the left hadn’t worked out very well that he might do better going to the right, and so he took the fork that went that way.

As he carried on his way, which was just as boring and tiring, he was finding he was getting lost in his thoughts. There wasn’t much else to do. He was dreaming within his dream. He was thinking about his home and his friends and his parents. He was wishing he was back there but was stuck in this crazy place. Then suddenly he heard a girl’s voice singing. He went around a bend and there she was.

The little girl looked about his age. She had the bluest of blue eyes and long blonde hair that fell over the shoulders of her floral dress. She was really a very pretty child.

“Hello!” said Pip. “Please can you help me?” he said with a pleading tone to his voice. “I feel so tired and lost and am wondering how to get out of this place which I have been walking and walking in for so very long.”