A few little pieces of memories in a marmelade of feelings, that's all what's left from my little childhood, before the age of 4-5 years, and before you.
Then, quite instantaneously, things found a logical place in the world and in my head. It was not just a flash here at home, and there at the fisher's shop, it was now the full way between. History and geography have bloomed simultaneously in my past.
One thing i clearly remember, is when the old Martha gave us our first book. She was the one who was teaching to read to the children of Combe.
It was a book she had taken from Bree's library, she said, especially for us. There were eight children's tales in it, but, as we had a limited time to finish it, and we were still so slow to decipher the words, we could only read seven stories before to give her back. As there were no pictures, we've never known was what the eighth tale about. But i still remember clearly the seven others :
1. A thief in the night.
The sun had barely pierced the horizon when a scream exploded in the farm.
"My egg ! Thieves ! Help !"
They all came around Mrs Hen : the pig, approaching slowly, the duck family, the cow chewing the morning grass, the strong horse, who was ploughing the fields, everyone was watching Mrs Hen screaming and crying.
What has happened ? asked the freshly shaved sheep, shivering in the morning cool air.
"My egg ! My egg has disappeard during the night ! Someone has stolen it !
- Maybe it has rolled in a corner ? Asked the mother duck, it has once happened to me.
- Impossible ! I already have sought in the whole henhouse ! It's gone i tell you ! Thieves !
- Hmmm... okay, said quietly the pig, let me sniff around, i will maybe find a clue... Everyone please give me some space".
The pig started slowly to sniff around the henhouse. Suddenly, he stopped and pointed with his snout at somewhere on the grass, behind the fence.
"Here's a track, he announced... a smell which doesn't belong to one of us... someone has visited us this night...
- Could you follow the track then ? asked the cow, still chewing.
- I will do my best, but it will certainly lead us out of the farm...
- We all come with you, pig ! We must save the poor egg !"
Following the pig, it didn't take long to reach the origin of the track : as soon as they arrived at the edge of the wood, they met a fox drinking from a puddle, surprised and afraid to see so many people around him, watching him angrily. The horse was the strongest, he put his foot on the poor animals' tail and asked : "so... here's our thief ? i can't say that i am very surprised...
- Assassin ! yelled Mrs Hen
- Where's the egg you've stolen ? asked the cow
- The egg ? but... i don't understand... i don't know any egg ! It must be someone else !
- Listen, you would not want us to become violent, would you ? I may be vegetarian, but i doubt that you would enjoy if i bite you...
- Don't ! yapped the shivering fox. I... yes, it's me ! I... i took it by mistake ! Follow me to my place and you will see, i have not harmed it ! I even have slept on it to protect it... against the cold...
- Lead on, bandit, said the horse, but we're circling you, don't try to escape, clear ?"
They soon all arrived at the fox's place, between some bushes, but a bad surprise was waiting for them : there was just an empty broken shell on the floor.
"Murderer ! Gluton ! You've eaten it ! You've swallowed my poor little baby ! screamed Mrs Hen.
- But no ! barked the fox, I swear i have not ! When i left it here this morning it was intact ! Someone must have sneaked here while i was away ! I have not eaten it !
- You or another one, said the pig, it doesn't change much the nature of your crime : you would have devoured it for your breakfast. All this has happened by your fault...
The horse caught him by the skin of his neck :
- Let's bring you back to the farm, you deserve to be punished."
With their prisoner crying and struggling, they all went back to the farm.
But there, in the middle of the yard, next to the farmer who was scratching his head and looking around him, was a little yellow chick, busy to peck at the morning weath !
The animals stopped, too surprised to react. The horse's jaw fell open in awe, and the fox escaped, terrified.
Mrs Hen ran toward her baby and took him in her wings, crying of joy this time.
There has never been another theft at the farm.
