The Skellies

Deep in the heart of England, there was a pretty village and in that village was a pretty churchyard where all the villagers went to sleep at night after their busy days, hustling and bustling working, shopping, and playing in the village. Where they lived was known as Skellie Village and the people known as the Skellies.

There was Stamp, the local postman, Mrs Yum-Yum, who had recently qualified as a chiropractor, Mr Baylis who ran the Skelliecatessen, Mr Hall who was headmaster at the village school, Miss Pantwhistle, the local doctor, Mr Filling, the dentist and Jim and Mary, who ran a local TV company called 'Skellievision, plus many others who had come to rest over the centuries.

Jim and Mary had two children, twins, Luke and Emily. They were nine years old and were remarkably close. Luke had short, black hair, was athletic and a natural leader. Emily was a very pretty girl with high cheekbones and long, blonde hair. She loved nature and would often be found sitting in the local park, surrounded by flowers and animals.

The family came to rest in the churchyard over a hundred years ago. Luke and Emily had a best friend in the churchyard named Frankie. Frankie was a big boned boy with a very quick mind and even sharper sense of humour. He had a pet cat they all adored called Nine Lives, who was tough as old boots and would follow the children on all their adventures.

One such adventure occurred one sunny summers day when a new resident came to rest at number twenty-two, a rather charming man with long, straggly ginger hair and beard. His name was Mr. Serious. On his first morning in his new home, he rose early to walk and take in his new surroundings and meet his new neighbours.

Walking under the churchyard clock he encountered Luke, Emily and Frankie.

"Good morning children" he said – "Beautiful morning don't you think" he added.

"Yes, it is" replied Luke, noticing that Nine Lives had taken a shine to the man, purring and rubbing the man's legs.

"I have just moved in at number twenty-two and I wonder if there is a dentist in the village as I have the most awful toothache" – My name is Mr. Serious, and you are?" he asked

"My name is Luke, this is my twin sister Emily and our best friend Frankie and his cat, Nine Lives, said Luke, with a big smile.

"Sorry to hear you have toothache Mr. Serious, you need to visit Mr Filling, the dentist. You will find his surgery if you do a first left and then a right" Luke said helpfully.

"Thank you, Luke, much obliged to you. Perhaps I could see you all after the dentist as I have something I want to share with you all from something I learned before I came to rest. I think you will find it really interesting" he said.

"Yes, that would be lovely" said Emily as Luke and Frankie nodded in agreement. Shall we meet under the clock at 2.30? she said.

"Tooth-hurty, very funny, very funny Perfect, see you then" and with that, he started to walk away from them.

The children watched him as he walked away.

"What a nice man" said Frankie – I wonder what he wants to share with us?"

"We better get permission from mum and dad" said Luke, frowning"

"No problem for me" said Frankie as he lived alone with Nine Lives.

Luke and Emily went off to ask their parents' permission to spend time with their new resident. Frankie and Nine Lives kept themselves busy by going to the Skelliecatessen for some milk. The milk they sold there was imported from Ireland and contained lots of calcium which was good for the health and strength of their bones.

Luke and Emily were told they could speak to the new resident, but must be home by 6pm as they were due to be taken to the cinema by their parents.

At 2.30pm Emily, Luke, Frankie, and Nine Lives stood under the church clock. Within a minute, Mr. Serious walked round the corner, whistling a pretty tune.

"Ah, hello children, good to see you keep good time" he said.

"As promised, in my time before I came to rest, I was a weatherman and I want to take you on a journey through the sky to see all the things that happen there. You will see, close up, thunder and lightning, rain, and clouds. Does that sound fun to you?" he said with an enthusiastic voice.

"Yes please!" said Emily, Frankie, and Luke in unison. "Will we be able to take Nine Lives with us as he comes everywhere with us?" pleaded Frankie.

"Of course," Mr. Serious replied. "Right children, hold hands, close your eyes and say the magic word 'Absquatulate'.

Frankie picked up Nine Lives and held hands with Emily who in turn held Luke's hand. They all uttered the word 'Absquatulate' together and suddenly a great wind swept them off their feet, twisting and turning them as they rose higher and higher, above the clouds. Beside them, with his arms outstretched, Mr Serious was flying in the turbulence of the wind with ease.

"Relax, children, relax. Stretch your arms out and you will fly towards the heavens" he shouted at them, barely making himself heard above the winds roar.

They did so, except Frankie who was holding onto Nine Lives. "Let go of your cat, he will learn to fly too" Mr Serious Shouted.

Frankie let go of Nine Lives and at first, Nine Lives tumbled and rolled in the wind. Like the others, he soon got used to flying and held out his paws to stabilise himself and the direction he was travelling.

Within a minute they were all flying at great speed, the earth becoming smaller and smaller as they rose higher and higher and the wind stopped.

"Isn't this fantastic" Luke said to the others. "I never knew we could fly"

Emily and Frankie laughed and said "Yippee" as they did a loop the loop.

"You could always fly; you just weren't given the magic word!" said Mr. Serious. "Now children, look around you, what colour do you see?"

"Blue" they shouted back to him at once.

"Yes, it does appear blue he said – the sky is blue because of the way sunlight interacts with our atmosphere. If you've ever played with a prism or seen a rainbow, then you know light is made up of different colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Light moves as waves of different lengths: some are short, making bluer light and some are long, making redder light. As sunlight reaches our atmosphere, molecules in the air scatter the bluer light but let the red light pass through. Scientists call this Raleigh scattering."

The children listened to every word he spoke in awe. They had never met anyone like Mr. Serious before who took the time to explain things so clearly to them.

"Ok, children, who would like to get close to thunder and lightning?" he said.

"We will be safe?" asked a worried Frankie.

"I promise you, we will all be safe. We have a special permit from nature to allow us to go close but be immune to the thunder and lightning" Mr Serious said.

"Let's goooooo" he said, and they all flew through the sky together, Mr. Serious leading the way. Soon they saw a number of dark clouds quickly rushing past in the sky.

Mr. Serious pointed his bony hand towards the clouds and said "Follow me for the experience of a lifetime children" and he swooped downwards towards the clouds.

Luke, Emily, Frankie, and Nine Lives dived down and followed him into the clouds.

They were amazed at how warm the air was in the clouds and how it rose quickly and higher. Then suddenly, the biggest flash of lightning shot between the clouds, over and over the lightning flashed, scaring them, and exhilarating them at the same time. They were not prepared for the loudest bang they had ever heard – BOOOOOOOOOOOM!!! – the noise sent shivers and shudders down their bones and knocked them off their feet and out of the storm cloud into the calmer sky.

"Wow, that was fantastic, and look at the rain falling from the cloud, it's like a huge balloon full of water suddenly bursting" said Luke, brimming with excitement.

"Where's Nine Lives?" asked Emily, looking worried.

"It's ok, here is here with me, you can't see him as he is holding onto my back for dear life" said Frankie and turned his body round so they could see his back with a very scared looking Nine Lives digging his claws into his owners back. He didn't like the lighting at all and the thunder, well – it made him jump!

"Oh, Nine Lives, I am sorry you were scared" said Mr Serious. "I didn't mean to make you so."

"Don't worry Mr. Serious, he will be fine when we get back to earth and I give him some of the milk I bought today." said Frankie.

"Then home it is children!" said Mr Serious and he dived deep through a clear patch of sky with the children, with Nine Lives clutching onto Frankie's back.

Within a few seconds, they were back in the churchyard, under the clock.

"Home at last" said Emily. "What a day, what an experience, thank you, Mr Serious, I will never forget today"

"Nor will I" said Luke, "Nor I" said Frankie.

Nine Lives jumped down from his back onto the ground, glad to be on safe ground once more.

Frankie produced a bowl and the milk from his inside coat, laid the bowl on the ground and poured some milk. Nine Lives started to purr as he gently lapped the milk up. He was a happy cat again.

"Now children, you must get back to your homes as it is late. I hope you are still in time to go to the cinema. What are you going to see" said Mr Serious.

"Wind in the Willows" said Luke and they all started to laugh.