The Adventures of Miss Penelope Pea
Chapter One: Welcome to Acorn Hill
This story is dedicated to the believers of magical places and dreamers of faraway lands.
“Honeyed wildflower meadows with hidden mossy knolls. Gardens as far as the eye can see. There are tall oak trees and ancient woods full of ferns and great, great mystery.”
“Oh, please tell me more! Don’t stop. I want to know more about Acorn Hill!” the little girl exclaims.
The grandmother picks her granddaughter up and twirls her around in her arms. “Okay, but remember, these stories are not for us to keep. We must share them and pass them on to other believers of magical and faraway places. You must promise me this.”
“I promise,” the little girl beams.
Inside the fort of quilted blankets and dancing fairy lights, the stories of the ancient and enchanted place of Acorn Hill forever changed the little girl’s life.
****
Dear friend, that little girl was me, and it’s time that I pass these stories on to you. In these pages, you too will experience the magic of Acorn Hill, a faraway land home to my most cherished woodland friends. I invite you to listen to their stories and join them in thrilling adventures.
****
“Welcome to Acorn Hill,” the wooden, swaying sign says as you enter the village.
We first come across Miss Penelope Pea, a rather fun and whimsical little mouse, always twirling and dancing about. Penelope lives with her Grandma Rose. Their home is cozy and warm and always smells of fresh fruit scones and wild strawberry jam. Grandma Rose has the most wonderful herb garden outside her gravel path. This is where Penelope loves to sit and write about her daily adventures.
Next to Grandma Rose’s cottage lives Fern. Fern is one of Penelope’s oldest friends. She has a younger brother, Finn, and they share a home with their mom and dad, Mr. and Mrs. Appleberry. Fern and Penelope share a love of drawing. You can often find them in Ms. Maple’s tree house, which they have turned into an art studio, with permission, of course.
Down the lane, next to the hawthorn hedgerow, is the home of Mr. Blackthorn and his niece, Poppy. Poppy is another one of Penelope’s best friends. They have been friends since mouse school, inseparable ever since.
Last, we travel to the old stump, which is located just outside the ancient wood, where Penelope’s friend Dash and his family live. Dash lives with his two moms, Olive and Clem. They sell scrolls of parchment made from the branches of the great oak tree. You will often find Dash working at the shop after school.
****
It’s August at Acorn Hill, and Penelope and her three friends, Fern, Poppy, and Dash, are lying on the beach at Mr. Frog’s pond. Penelope and Fern are giggling, debating if the clouds look like yummy Victoria sponge cake or a jammy trifle.
“One of each, please!” laughs Penelope.
Next to Penelope and Fern is Poppy, who is neither thinking about Victoria sponge cake nor jammy trifle. Instead, she is napping under the shade of rush, a grasslike plant that lives at the edge of ponds. The perfect place to rest on a lazy afternoon.
Mumbling to himself is Dash, who is deciding whether he wants to go for a swim or sunbathe. “The water looks tempting, and Mr. Frog has just fixed the wooden dock,” Dash thinks to himself. “It would be the perfect place to practice my dive.” He wants to be in the Acorn Hill Olympics one day.
“No time like the present!” Dash decides.
But before he has the chance to steady himself on the dock, a gust of wind ripples across the pond, moving the hornwort back and forth in the water, tickling Poppy’s paw and waking her from her afternoon slumber.
“Oh, what a lovely dream that was,” Poppy says as she uncurls her paws and stretches them in all directions. “I had a dream we were on a sailboat racing down the Wye, trying to find hidden treasure.”
“I want to find hidden treasure!” Dash exclaims as he runs over to his friends.
“Me too!” says Fern.
“But it was only a dream! Do you really think someone has hidden treasure in Acorn Hill?” Poppy asks skeptically.
“There is always treasure to be found. You just need to believe, Poppy! We need a plan. Let’s gather supplies, and then we will be ready to begin our adventure to find this hidden treasure!” says Penelope.
“Yes! Let’s do it!” replied the group.
Penelope, Poppy, Fern, and Dash run back to Grandma Rose’s cottage and excitedly tell Grandma Rose of their plan to find the hidden treasure.
Grandma Rose packs four cucumber sandwiches and four of her famous fruit scones and jam in a basket for Penelope and her friends. She waves goodbye from the garden fence and wishes them well on their journey. “Look out for the fireflies. They will help guide you on your way!” Grandma Rose calls out.
“Thanks, Grandma! We will be back once we have found our treasure!” Penelope calls back.
“We have delicious snacks. What else do we need?” Fern asks as she holds up the basket full of food.
“A map! You always need a map when you are looking for hidden treasure. Right?” Poppy explains.
“Good thinking, Poppy,” Penelope replies. “Dash, do you think we could use some of the parchment from your shop to create a map?”
“Of course!” exclaims Dash. “Follow me!”
Side by side, they march to the old stump with a half-filled basket of cucumber sandwiches, one less fruit scone, and crumbs on their whiskers…
But what happened next? Well, dear friend, that is a story for another day…our adventures in Acorn Hill have only just begun.
Abby ❤️