Thursday, February 08, 2007

Trip to Netherworld

Umbriel has found another dimension door...


Haitula: Cool, now we can go exploring again!

Umbriel: This door opens with the key to Netherworld. I'm not sure if it is a good idea to go there...

Haitula: Nonsense! We can rush back if it looks dangerous. I want to see what it is like.


Umbriel: It is awfully dark here... And there seems to be some kind of river.

Haitula: It must be the River of Tuonela... Look there's something floating on the water!


Haitula: They look like little pixies!

Umbriel: I think they look dead...

Haitula: They can't be dead because they are floating. We must resque them!

Umbriel: They are too far from the shore, I can't reach them.

Haitula: Can I come back here if I go and fetch something?

Umbriel: Yes, if I hold the door open. But be quick.

Haitula: Yes, I will.

And soon Haitula returns with a rake.

Haitula: Can you reach the pixies with this?

Umbriel: I'll try.


Umbriel: I got them!

Haitula: Let's take them to the other side, quick!

And Umbriel carries the little pixies through the door, and Haitula quickly locks the door.


Aniara arrives while Haitula is examining the pixies.

Haitula: I don't think they are quite dead. I think I can save them with the right potion...

Aniara: Poor little things, they look cold. I'll fetch the laundry basket and some blankets. They must be kept warm.

And warmth and tenderness seem to have effect. The little pixies don't look so dead anymore, almost if they were just sleeping...


Haitula has got his magic book...

Umbriel: Ummm... that looks like German poetry book...

Haitula: For humans it looks like German poetry, but it is really a magic potion book. Elves and fairies can read between the lines. Now I must find the correct recipe for reviving creatures raked out from the River of Tuonela...

Niks and Naks arrive dragging a kettle and a netful of something...

Naks: Did we hear someone talking about recipes? We have just what you need!

Naks starts emtpying frogs and lizards and snakes from the net into the kettle.

Naks: Now this is a real magic troll brew.

Haitula: That is horrible! That kind of potion won't cure anybody, it'll only make them worse! Take that stuff out of here immediately!

Naks: We know when we are not wanted. Niks, let's go and cook these frogs for supper. They'll taste delicious.

Niks: Well, I suppose I'll have to remove the poisonous snakes from the kettle. Should I remove the poison dart frogs, too?

Naks: No, no, those are the best tasting ones, they make the brew nice and spicy. Just remove the poisonous snakes...

Niks and Naks leave with their troll broth ingredients, and Haitula seems to have found the recipe he was looking for.

Umbriel: Did you find what you were looking for?

Haitula: Yes, now I just need a bee to fetch nectar, honey and mead...

Umbriel: Finding bees at this time of year may be difficult.

Haitula: Not necessarily if I summon a magic one...

And Haitula summons a magic bee. But as it is so small, it has to make three trips before it has brought back all the ingredients Haitula needs.

Umbriel: I just can't believe this!

Haitula: You must learn to believe three impossible thing before breakfast.


Haitula: Now I must smear them with the ointment using this woodpecker feather... I hope this works. I have not tried this before...



Will Haitula's potion work?
Will the little pixies come back to life?
What kind on story do they have to tell?

To be continued....

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Cross Ice Skiing

Even the big lakes are now frozen and we got more snow last week, so the weather is perfect for skiing on the ice.

- We've come an awful long way from the shore...


- But we can't go any further because there is a rift in the ice and there is water on the ice. We can't ski over it.


We must turn back...


- We did not go straight home. It is such a nice day that we went to see the Hedgehog Rock Lighthouse. One can only get here in the winter when the lake is frozen. This is a very popular place to visit. There were a couple of other people here, too, but they are currently behind the lighthouse.


- It's still such an awfully long way home through unbroken snow...


- We got heaps of wet snow yesterday, and children have been making snowmen and snowforts. Here's a snow couple. They are standing on the ice in the harbor.


- The snowman has a long nose and smiling mouth. He has some hair on his head, too.


- The snowwoman is also smiling, and she has long hair. As you can see from the houses in the background, we did make it to the shore.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Tea Party

Aniara is setting up a tea party. She has invited a dolly and her Moomin Troll. But it appears that there is room for more guests...



Aniara: Caliban, do you have stuffies who would like to come to the party. I'm serving tea and donuts.

Caliban: Yes! I go get Apina Kapina.

It appears that Caliban found some Apina Kapina's relatives, too.

Caliban: Monkeys want donuts!

And Caliban dumps all the monkeys onto the table. That is not quite what Aniara had in mind.

Aniara: Caliban! You are ruining my party and breaking the dishes. Take those monkeys off the table immediately!

Caliban: Monkeys want donuts!

The noise attracts Umbriel to the scene.

Umbriel: What is going on here?

Aniara: Caliban is ruining my tea party! His monkeys have no manners! They are breaking the china and spreading the donuts all over the table!

Caliban: Monkeys want donuts!


Umbriel: We'll make a comporomise. I'll put a bowl of donuts on the floor. The monkeys that have no manners can eat on the floor, and they get their donuts.

Aniara: I guess that's okay, but now I don't have guests for my tea party.


Umbriel: Sir Isaac Newton would like to come to your party,

Aniara: Ummm... Do you think your newt can behave any better than Caliban's monkeys?

Umbriel: Sir Isaac Newton is an eminent scientist with impeccable manners and he loves tea and cucumber sandwiches - but in a pinch donuts will do.

So those who have table manners can have tea and donuts at the table... Hey, where did Niks and Naks come from? I guess they always appear if there is food around. I hope they have better table manners than the monkeys or the tea party may turn into another riot.


And those who have no table manners can eat from a large bowl on the floor - it seems that the Zumikloxians have joined the "no table manners" group. It seems that they, too, always appear when any food is around.