Chapter 9

It was a bit of a dull day in the forest and the meadow and Pixie Pod was having a daydreaming meander along what is commonly referred to as Madaboo lane. As he turned another acorn filled corner on this lane when he suddenly came across a splitzploo making a funny noise. Now the splitzploo wasn't actually making the noise himself or herself, (you can never be too sure with splitzploos), moreover the animal was blowing into a bag and putting its fingers on different parts of a holey stick coming out the other side. Each time the splitzploo's fingers moved, a different noise would come out of the instrument.

“What do you be doing?”, inquired the pixie of the splitzploo.

“I'm practicing!”, growled the splitzploo, angry that he had been interrupted.

“Oh, I see! And what are you practicing for?”, asked Pixie Pod thinking that the splitzploo obviously needed a lot of practice if he were intent on turning that racket into music.

“For the free festival of Madaboo and pan”, grunted the splitzploo.

“If it's a free festival, does that mean my friend the squirrel Tree Topper Clive and myself Pixie Pod could attend?”, asked Pixie Pod, anxious to be part of anything that could mean fun.

“No, it's only for splitzploos”, the splitzploo said in very cross tones altogether.

“And when is this festival?” the pixie asked.

Tomorrow night!”, said the splitzploo still cross for no reason at all.

With that Pixie Pod left the splitzploo alone and headed for Tree Topper Cllive's tree top home, with the purpose of discussing trying to attend a festival to which they were clearly not invited and more to the point would clearly not be welcome. When Pod reached the Grimpalong he threw a few acorns up at the doorway to try and attract Tree Topper Clive's attentions.