Chapter One
Bacon and Mushrooms
It was a glorious morning for picking mushrooms, I should think it will be an even better morning for eating mushrooms mused Eric, particularly with fresh baked bread and crispy fried bacon.
"Now if only I can find a mushroom that's small enough for me to pick" said Eric to no one in particular.
Eric really, really liked mushrooms, in fact Eric loved mushrooms, freshly picked and covered in glistening morning dew, his only problem was that being only a six inch high imp he couldn't eat as many as he'd like to. Eric lifted the cap of an especially nice looking little mushroom & sniffed, absolutely glorious he thought as his mouth watered in anticipation.
Eric was so hungry this morning that he couldn't be bothered to drag his little sack of mushrooms back to his new hole, I say his hole but it would only be Eric's hole as long as that mean faced whiskery old weasel stayed away, if the weasel decided to come back, Eric would have to find a new hole.
Eric sat and munched on his mushroom enjoying the sun as it warmed his chilly toes. He thought of home and his family, he hadn't been here very long really, it was only about a month since the storm had blown his little boat out of the brook and into the big river. He shuddered to think about what could have happened, especially when that enormous pike had tipped his boat over and nearly swallowed him whole. Still it could be worse thought Eric; at least the mushrooms taste nice here, just a pity I haven't got any bacon or bread to go with it.
As he sat and ate his mushrooms, it suddenly went very dark, funny thought Eric, I'm sure I haven't sat here all day dreaming, it can't be time for bed yet.
Eric looked up, and up, and then up some more, the sky had opened its big shiny blue eyes and was looking back down at him, Eric couldn't help thinking that it also had a very hairy nose. Hang on thought Eric, the sky doesn't have a hairy nose, for that matter he didn't think it had eyes either.
"Ummm, Hello" shouted Eric, "Who are you ?"
An enormous voice boomed back "I'm George, who are you ?"
"I'm Eric", squeaked Eric.
So it was that several hours later Eric found himself sat on top of a vast table inside George's kitchen eating, what for him, was an enormous rasher of sizzling sumptuous bacon.
"So" Said Eric having told George all about getting washed down the river and nearly eaten by a giant fish, "That's my story, what's yours ?"
"Hummm" went George, deep in thought, George felt sorry for this funny little imp, far from home, sleeping in a smelly weasels hole and worst of all, no bacon to go with his mushrooms. So without a further moment's hesitation George asked Eric,
"Eric"
"Mmmmm" went Eric,
"Eric, your not a very big chap and I don't suppose you could eat all of my bacon and mushrooms, so if you'd like to, you can live here with me, if you want to of course ?"
"Yes please" said Eric "And by the way, I think, if I tried really hard, I could eat all your bacon you know"