Chapter One
Nicholas’s mother had never been outside her homeland before so it was not surprising that when she went to live abroad with his father for the first time she found everything strange.
Most things were unusual: The hot summer with its damp nights and sweltering days, and the chilling winter cold that seemed to slice through the wooden walls and seep relentlessly up through the floorboards of the houses she said looked like they were standing on legs.
There were other peculiarities too: The electric light poles which jutted out of the sidewalks like primitive totem poles, everyone rode in cars and seldom went for strolls even after the strong sun had settled behind the surrounding hills, and the language. Nicholas’s mother found them all difficult to accept at first, but after a time she began to get a little more accustomed to them, even though she still regarded them as odd.
On the other hand Nicholas who had been born shortly after his parents had arrived found everything in his short life fascinating. A day did not pass without his discovering something new and exciting. Hours would be consumed as he searched every corner of the house, or picked his way around the outside garden in search of new wonders.
One afternoon he was playing in the garden of his parent’s house when a shadow passed across the lawn. It was there only a minute or a few seconds really, and then it was gone. So quickly that Nicholas himself hardly noticed it as he busily explored the grass where there was a world unknown to him.
“What was that,” Nicholas’ mother asked his father “Was it a plane?”
“No,” he answered. “It is something you have to know about and be careful of when you are out in the garden with Nicholas. You see,” he went on, “here is this country there are special animals and birds and creatures that you don’t find in other places.”
He told her of animals that hopped instead of walking, and of others that slept during the day and emerged only after darkness fell, or which seemed to fly through the air as they leapt from the branches of one tree to another. There were even birds that could not fly even though they had wings, and reptiles that had all the appearances of miniature dragons and dinosaurs.
Nicholas’ father also told her about a rare bird that apparently lived high in the hills, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There were very few of them and it was most unusual for them to be seen. It fact, not many people were aware they even existed. They were called Speckled Sparrows and they were said to have a special liking for little children.
It was a huge bird that sometimes left the remote trees and, around dusk usually, flew off towards the crowded city. As it soared high over the houses it peered downward looking for boys and girls. When it saw one, said Nicholas’ father, it swooped down and in its long, strong claws picked up the child and carried it off.
“Oh, stop it,” said his mother. She knew her husband liked teasing her and there were many times he had told her stories she had believed only to learn later he had been joking.
One day,” she said, “you will tell a story too many.” And with that she picked up Nicholas and went in to the house to prepare dinner.
The next day Nicholas’ father went off to work as he always did and after having her own breakfast and doing some chores his mother went into the garden to water the plants. As it was summer the sun already beat down, sucking the night dew aloft.
Nicholas wailed loudly. He did not like having to stay inside his room playing with his toys when he knew his mother was outside. They were interesting enough but he preferred to be outside crawling around among the leaves and climbing on the handle of the metal clothes hoist. So he scrambled over the polished floor to the back door and carefully and very slowly worked his way down the single step. His mother kept a watchful eye on him and decided it was alright if he stayed out in the sun for a short time while she gave the flowers and ferns a good soaking.
Nicholas crawled around happily picking up twigs and leaves and holding them precariously in tiny fingers, sometimes putting them in his mouth, but quickly spitting them out again. Ants tickled his toes and he searched for them in the grass. The sun was hot but Nicholas’ mother was pleased he was getting some colour onto his skin and was no longer pale. A few minutes outside would not hurt.
Suddenly it was very still and Nicholas’ mother began to feel the oppressive heat as all breeze dropped and a single cloud above drifted past the sun allowing unhindered rays to stream down. It was so warm she purposely allowed the water to sprinkle on her feet. The cool spray soothed her. Just as she was beginning to feel better there was a flapping sound and Nicholas gave a cry.
His mother turned around to see a huge brown and yellow bird holding Nicholas in its claws and lifting him off the ground, its large wings beating the air and scattering dead leaves. She dropped the hose and cried out but the bird continued to flap its wings and rose into the air with Nicholas hanging helplessly below calling in his faint voice for his mother.
Within a short time the bird had climbed high into the sky, above the trees and was disappearing towards the south. Then it was gone from view. And Nicholas was gone too, leaving his mother calling after him far behind. The Speckled Sparrow, for that was what it was, a rare Speckled Sparrow just as Nicholas’ father had described, flew for miles, far away from the city and into the hills.
Nicholas was held firmly in its talons, but it was a grip that was not painful. The bird changed course and turned east, soon crossing the sandy coastline and headed out over the sea. It flew on, far over the water, until in the distance an island appeared and the Speckled Sparrow began to slow and gradually fly lower. Undoubtedly it was going to land on the island, which as it got nearer, looked very lush and green with hardly any surrounding beach.
As the bird descended into the thick growth, with Nicholas dangling beneath with his eyes wide, the tallest of the tall trees seemed to shimmer and shake with excitement. The closer he came Nicholas could see the trees were a lot bigger than he had thought. They were, he was soon to find out, the most unusual trees in the world.
The trunks were enormous and measured in a few cases many meters around. Generally they were no smaller than ten meters in circumference and had windows, not holed but actual windows, which had been apparently cut into the sides. And for a moment Nicholas imagined he saw inquisitive faces peering out of a few of them.
The leaves were remarkable. There was no doubting they were unlike any leaves he had ever seen before, either lying on the grass in his backyard or rustling on the trees around the fence. They glistened in the sunlight and shook gently even though there was not the slightest wind. The sound they made was as if orchestras of forest elves were playing sweet lilting tunes with the sole purpose of creating peaceful and tranquil thoughts. And with every note the leaves almost imperceptibly changed their hue to a more delicate and softer shade of pastel green.
Nicholas’ eyes grew wider and wider, all the more so as he realised there were indeed faces behind some of the tree windows, and there were more partly hidden by branches at varying levels between the ground and the tree tops.
The Speckled Sparrow flew noiselessly into the forest until quite suddenly it lifted its head slightly and dropped onto a thick branch of a huge tree, gently nudging Nicholas forward on his bottom with two skipping bumps.
He looked around startled.
The bird perched motionless, the leaves continued their colourful ballet, the elfin orchestras played their delightful compositions, and mysterious faces appeared momentarily and shrank quickly from his glances.
What seemed like ages passed before anything happened. Nicholas had been too stunned to move. But move he did when he heard from below: “Who are you then?”
He jerked his head down and there standing in the cleft of two branches was a young boy about his own age, his feet planted arrogantly astride and his thumbs stuck in his breeches at the sides.
“I said, what’s your name?” the boy repeated. This time he was somewhat more demanding in his question.
“Oh, I’m Nikko,” said Nicholas shyly.
“What sort of name is that?” demanded the boy, adding a jutting chin to his manner. “I’ve never heard it before. Sounds funny to me.”
Naturally Nicholas was very confused. “Nikko is what my mother and father call me. I think my real name is Nicholas though. But I like Nikko better.”
He wanted to ask the other boy what his name was, but he was too shaken and shocked to say anything more. He was sill thinking this when the boy spoke again.
“Come with me,” he said. “Come on. Hurry up.” With that he turned and opened a window in the tree trunk and disappeared inside, still with his thumbs in his breeches in a very cocky manner.
Nikko did not want to stay sitting on the branch with the giant bird staring at him and with the feeling that many strange pairs of eyes were peeking at him. So he stood up and followed the boy, hitching his own breeches which had slipped around his knees during the long flight and bumpy landing. Warily he climbed in through the window and found himself in a large room.
The first thing Nikko noticed was that he was not alone. A group of boys and girls stood motionless around the sides staring at him. They looked just like him with the breeches securely fastened at the front and wearing pale green shirts. The one thing that instantly stood out with all the children was that they were scrubbed clean with big round brown eyes. And each carried a tiny bow and arrows on his back, even the girls. Having been playing in his own back garden before he was carried off Nikko was rather grubby with dirt on his hands and feet, and he felt a little embarrassed.
Above them where the ceiling would have been if the room had one, which it didn’t because there seemed to be no roof and there was only a hint of light at the top, there were miniature chandeliers,. They were not fixed to anything, and from time to time they rotated slowly clockwise, casting rays of green light on the walls which were covered with shelves stocked to overflowing with toys Nikko had never seen the likes of before.
His attention was interrupted by the arrogant boy who had spoken to him outside.
“Who are you,” the boy asked with the emphasis on the are this time.
“I told you before. My name is Nicholas or Nikko. I prefer Nikko.”
“Don’t be rude,” said the boy. “Just answer the question. If I want to ask it again I will. And I do so I will. Who are you?”
Nikko once more told him his name, and as he did so he looked at the other children who had said nothing and had not moved. They stood there staring at him with their big brown eyes.
“What are you doing here?” continued the boy. “Why did you let Torpah take you away from where you were?”
Nikko told the boy he did not let anyone take him away from his home. He had been happily exploring in his garden when the big bird carried him off.
“That big bird, as you call it,” chastised the boy, “is Torpah. And he doesn’t just carry off anyone.”
Nikko was about to ask why he had been singled out by Torpah when a pretty little girl stepped from behind some of the children and put her hand on the elbow of the boy, quietening him. She was the only one who did not carry any weapons, but she did wear a thin gold chain around her neck from which hung a shiny red marble.
The lights suspended in the sir danced around, the sound of the sweet music from all the leaves seemed to grow louder and all the children, even the inquisitive boy, appeared to move slightly back.
“Jason sometimes thinks everyone should be as smart as he is, and know everything he does,” she whispered. “Welcome to the trees. And please, don’t be afraid.”
Nikko was not really frightened. He didn’t exactly know how he felt. If he thought about it he guessed he would probably have said he was mostly mystified. Apart from the boy Jason who had been his inquisitor, and the only one to speak to him before the girl, nothing else had caused him alarm. Even the flight in the claws of the Speckled Sparrow had been more of an adventure.
The girl continued: “My name is Gabrysia and we are the Leaf Children. You might have felt outside that you were being spied on by someone you couldn’t see. There are a lot of us here. But most of our family are very shy and hide when a stranger comes. Don’t mind them. They will come out and meet you after a while.”
Nikko continued to look around him at the other children. There was something else about them he had not realised before which surprised him now because it was so obvious. They all acted so grown up. They were apparently only the same age as he was but their manner they were so much older. They seemed confident and obviously perfectly capable of looking after themselves very well.
Jason over exemplified the confidence of the group with his arrogance, but there was quiet strength in the other children. He wanted to ask Gabrysia how they all got there and where in they were. Many other questions too.
Such as why he had been brought to the island and most importantly how long he was going to have to say before he would be allowed to go home. After all, he was certain his mother would be worrying about him. But another of the children came forward, the smallest boy in the room who was less tidy than the rest. His breeches hung lower and he had a tiny bow, but there were no arrows in his quiver.
He came up to Gabrysia’s side and stated rather sternly: “You eyes are green.”
Before Nikko could say anything himself the little boy spoke again. “We all have brown eyes. Even Gabrysia doesn’t have green eyes.”
The girl, who clearly was the leader of the children, put her arm around the small boy’s shoulder and spoke very gently. “Jordon, don’t be so impolite. And where are your arrows? What have you done with them this time?”
The boy dropped his eyes to the floor. “I don’t know. I lost them again.”
Jason snickered but was hushed with a quick glance from Gabrysia who spoke to the small boy once more. “Go outside and try to find them Jordon. Get someone to help you look, but remember not to go far. Stay close by.”
However, before he could take a step the leaf music took on a very agitated note, and everyone in the chamber started. They looked at one another and then to Gabrysia who spoke sharply. “Call the others in quickly. Jason, get your group into position.”
Immediately there was action as the children ran off in different directions and the leaf music became a continuous urgent rustle.
Nikko did not know what to do and stood watching the hectic activity without the slightest idea of what was going on. The girl Gabrysia had disappeared through the window and Jason had followed out the same way. Other children scampered up rope ladders that had dropped from above and still others had opened unseen trapdoors in the floor and slipped through them.
Nikko thought he was going to be left alone to fend for himself until little Jordon appeared at his side and took his elbow. “Come on,” he said. “Come and watch the fun.” And with that he led Nikko to one of the trapdoors where a rope ladder took them down to the ground.
There he opened a door and motioning Nikko to follow ran very fast on his bandy little legs across the grass to a smaller tree about twenty meters away. He opened a hidden door where another rope ladder hung.
Following the smaller boy Nikko climbed higher and higher carefully going up hand over hand and mindful to make sure his feet gripped the rungs tightly so he didn’t slip,. Eventually they reached the top of the rope, raised themselves through another trapdoor and once again stood in a chamber similar to the one they had just left.
Jordon repeated his earlier instruction “Come on. Come and watch the fun.”