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Throgmorton Thrush and the Throbbing Throne
Throgmorton Thrush had a bad throat. Now this was a big problem since, as we all know (or perhaps we didn't but never mind), thrushes need the thrill of trilling throughout the day.
Throgmorton, perching upon a branch of a weeping willow, felt very much like weeping himself.
Sparky the Sparrow sprinted past (with, yes you have guessed it, Cuspard and Huspert the squirrels chasing behind throwing acorns as hard as they could - what was that? Where is Horace? Well, if you remember, Horace is no more than a spouting spurt of steam in Mrs Spring's garden...)
Sparky looked up as he passed.
"Wassup Throgmorton?" he panted as he circled the weeping willow.
"You look sad!" he huffed as he went round again.
Cuspard and Huspert threw a stray acorn at Throgmorton and cried:
"Sad eh? You'll be a lot more sad in a minute!"
Throgmorton tried very hard to call down to Sparky to explain but his throat was so sore, he just couldn't.
"Can't stop, things to see, things to do!" cried Sparky as he shot off into the woods with Cuspard and Huspert by now very close behind.
Throgmorton was thrusting his chest out and trying to feel more positive, when he heard another voice:
"Thrice, thrice I have asked the throne to stop throbbing...it is driving me mad...I can't sit on it any more...I am threatening to go mad!"
Throgmorton looked down.
There, at the foot of the weeping willow was a small figure, dressed in red velvet and wearing a bright golden crown.
"Who are you?" whispered Throgmorton throatily.
The figure looked up, tears dribbling down its face.
"I...I...I am the King of Conkerdom and I should be sitting on my throne deep in the woods watching over all the conkers which are nearly ready to be picked." He sighed deeply.
"I can't stand it though, my throne has started to throb and I just can't cope!" Whereupon he threw himself to the ground and sobbed noisily.
Throgmorton thought to himself for a short while, then thrust his beak into the air, coughed three times and flew down to the King of Conkerdom.
"Come with me," he spluttered. "I have a cunning plan."
The pair set off into the woods, and sure enough, as they approached the Conker Trees a deep throbbing could be heard. As they made their way through the undergrowth the noise became unbearable.
They reached a clearing and there, in the middle, was the King of Conkerdom's throne. Well, what it was was the stump of an old conker tree but it just about "did" as a throne and was actually quite comfortable. Not now though.
Throgmorton approached the throne. He listened carefully whilst bobbling about (by now the whole ground was throbbing along with the throne) and held up a wing in excitement.
He pulled out his trusty trowel (no thrush ever goes out without one you know) and started digging. He dug and he dug, by this time the King of Conkerdom was beside himself with rage and was threatening his throne with being thrown out of the Kingdom in an extremely thorough manner.
Throgmorton finally stopped digging.
"Come here" he spat (in a nice way you understand - it was just his sore throat).
The King pulled himself away from the now throbbingly, thoroughly, thoughtlessly thrashing throne and looked.
There, at the bottom of the hole was a root. Not any old root you understand but a swollen, red and obviously very painful root.
"Aha!" cried the King. "Now I see!"
He grabbed the trusty trowel from Throgmorton and with one big thrust he lopped off the red and swollen root.
The throne sighed deeply and was quiet.
All was peace again in the Kingdom of Conkerdom.
I wish I could say that the King (or the throne for that matter) had some miracle cure for Throgmorton's throat, but, unfortunately, I can't.
However, Throgmorton did feel a little happier at having helped someone, and the King did give him some threads of gold to weave into his next nest in the spring, but he just had to wait for his throat to get better (took quite some time I believe but think he is just about there by now!)
Sparky? Well, as far as I know, he is still being chased around the woods by Cuspard and Huspert - nothing new there then!
1. Why was Throgmorton feeling sad?
2. What were Cuspard and Huspert throwing at Sparky?
3. Who was the little figure in red velvet and the golden crown?
4. Why was he crying?
5. What do thrushes always carry with them?
6. Do you know how to play conkers? Write out instructions for playing the game! (ask for help if you are not sure).
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