The children in the village often went into the wood to play.
The wood in question was a large scattering of trees located at the edge of the village. The community itself was remote, with a small population. When the children weren’t playing in the wood, they attended school. Servicing so few inhabitants, the class size was limited and presided over by a very nice new lady teacher. The woman, by her very nature, was obviously fond of children. It was this attribute that promoted a sense of both patience and understanding when the children told her, and the rest of the class, about their amazing adventures in the wood. On some occasions there would be several children all witnessing the same events. Other times, just one child alone would return with an account of some strange happening. Because of all these events, the wood in question was known by the children that played there as the ‘magic wood’.
Over the early months of her new position, she had heard many accounts of bizarre incidents that her young pupils had brought into the classroom. One child had told of seeing an old woman, sitting on the steps of a large shoe that had a front door and windows, with her face in her hands. A group of three of them said they came across a girl in a pretty, pink dress and hat, holding what looked like a long stick with a hook at the top, who was looking for her sheep. Another said they saw a large egg that was perched on top of a wall. They said it was too far away to see properly, but thought it had a face. One child said they had been walking through the wood one day and came across a sign that read ‘MacDonald’s Farm’. They said they had gone to the fence to see and hear the animals.
There were so many stories like these being told in the classroom. Some were really odd, like the time one of them had spotted an owl on a branch, wearing glasses and holding a book under its wing, or the time two of them discovered a cat, curled up fast asleep with a fiddle lying next to it.
Although the teacher could well understand where all these adventures were coming from, she was still left with an uneasy feeling. As time went on, the clear descriptions from the children, and the absolute certainty that what they were seeing was real, became harder to explain. It seemed to be the case that something about the wood itself was bringing about the images that the children were experiencing so convincingly.
It was at this point that she decided to visit the place for herself. She chose a time when there would still be sufficient daylight, while all of her charges would at least be getting ready for bed.
Entering the wood, she immediately felt the charm of it. It was quite lovely with its stand of old trees and green undergrowth. She could see why the children had found it so attractive. She was only a little way in, when she saw movement ahead. Convinced that it was not a child, was validated as she got closer. What she was witnessing was a large rabbit, wearing a jacket and waistcoat, standing upright on its hind legs, staring at a pocket watch. The animal seemed to be unaware of her presence, regardless of this the woman stood perfectly still. Quite naturally, a picture in a book from her own childhood came immediately to mind.
Making her way back to the village in the failing light and dwelling on what she had seen, she settled on the strategy that, unlike her young charges, it would be prudent to say nothing.