Little Red and the Inventor

1

Once upon a time there was a little girl with fabulous boots. No, wait, that’s not right…

“Though I do have fabulous boots, Elvegren!”

“Yes you do, Red, but that’s not what you’re famous for.”

Once upon a time there was a little girl with an amazing red cape (and fabulous boots).

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

She lived in her grandma’s old caravan, amongst the ancient apple trees with only wild peacocks and two friendly hens for company. Her life, although idyllic at times, was one of solitude.  That was until just recently, when Little Red began to wonder if she was as alone as she thought.

One morning, as Red was tidying up inside, she thought she heard a noise, 

“Hello?” 

she called, as she cautiously opened the door and peered out. Nothing. Well, nothing she could see. She shook her head and went back inside. Just above her, the Wily Wolf grinned a menacing grin, swung down from his position and slunk out of the orchard but only as far as the farmyard fence.

The sun carried on rising, up, up through the cloudless sky. It warmed the peahens and their chicks, who hid in the tall, cool grass of the orchard. Red watched them from the step. They looked like nobility, Queens of an alien realm parading the little princes and princesses for her approval. In a while the peacock, the King, will show up and the whole family will move from the orchard in an unruly procession. But Red will miss that, as she needed to fetch water from the pump. This was a chore that always took her longer than anticipated; either the pump needed oiling or the water took an age to make its way up to the spout. Still, she thought, it is a beautiful day and nothing bad can happen when the sun shines so brightly.

Water collected, Red sat on the edge of the well. 

“There’s that feeling again,” 

she said to herself. She looked around her for a sign of unwanted eyes upon her person. She remained completely still to better feel the presence of anyone who didn’t fit in. She pricked up her ears, so to speak, to attune herself to any peculiar noises. 

That’s when she heard it. A low rumble at first, a few clicks and then a loud, ear-splitting whistle! Red’s senses went into overdrive as she jumped from the well and turned to where the sound was coming from.

Not far above her a Wily Wolf was grimacing and covering his ears.

2

Behind the water pump was an old, stone outhouse. Red had never never ventured in there. The heavy, oak door was always firmly shut, with a huge, rusty lock and chain keeping it so and besides, there was nothing in there. But now it was emitting some very strange sounds indeed, making her wonder if it wasn’t as empty as she thought. 

The first thing she noticed was that the door was no longer closed tight. It had ever so slightly been opened, just enough to allow someone (or something) to squeeze through without having to break the lock and chain. Red tiptoed closer to get a better look. The whistling had quietened down some bit but there was still a rumble. As her eyes grew accustomed to the dimly lit room, Red could make out a large contraption in the far corner. Stood in front of this, looking at a pocket watch from within his tweed jacket and with a worried frown upon his face was an extremely portly, white, rabbit. 

“What to do, what to do… This is not the place to be at all!” 

he exclaimed. Then, catching sight of the small girl in the doorway, he calmly added, 

“Though I am most positively sure it is a simply superb place. Yes, I can see it is. Hmm, yes. Quite.”

Little Red rushed forward, pushing her hand into his paw and shaking it firmly.

“How do you do sir? I’m Little Red and, er, I live here.” 

She took his appearance in quickly – tweed jacket, royal red waistcoat and a bow tie to match his ears. Oh, and a very complicated pocket watch. She liked him immediately and felt that they could be friends. This was not the thing that had been watching her from afar, she was sure about that.

No, for the Wily Wolf was quietly watching events unfold from a hole in the roof. He licked his lips and said to himself, 

“Where once I had just breakfast, I now appear to have lunch too…” 

Eyes twinkling, he settled himself down and continued to watch the new pals.

3

The White Rabbit pocketed his watch and smoothed down his waistcoat. Bowing graciously, he replied, 

“A pleasure to meet you, Little Red. I am White Rabbit, Inventor.” 

Little Red smiled and asked, 

“So how long have you been here?” 

He didn’t answer straight away; he seemed a little distracted by something going on above them. A rustle and a flicker of a movement caught his eye. 

“Sorry. What?” 

White Rabbit brought his gaze back down to Red, who repeated her question. 

“Well, I know I was not here yesterday, what is more I’m pretty sure that tomorrow I will find myself in an altogether more desirable location. No offence, young lady.”

“None taken. I think.” 

Red looked around her, it was pretty undesirable, she thought, but then, that would surely depend on where you’d come from. 

“Yes, it is all relative, you are right. As for where I have come from…” 

White Rabbit sighed. Little Red was incredulous, 

“How did you…”

“Shhh! Come on, it isn’t safe here anymore…” 

The White Rabbit took Red’s hand and led her out of the door and into the great outdoors. For such a stout fellow, he could certainly move. Little Red struggled to keep up and if he hadn’t been holding her hand she felt sure she’d have lost him by now. As they reached a small woodland copse, Rabbit slowed down, then stopped. He was barely out of breath. 

“So,” 

he said, looking straight into her cool blue eyes, 

“Exactly how long has that Wily old Wolf been following you?” 

With a small gasp, the penny dropped as Red realised whose eyes had been on her every move recently. 

“Oh my!” 

she exclaimed. The Wily Wolf had only just caught them up but instinctively knew when he'd been rumbled.

4

“I knew it! That pesky blooming Wolf.”

“Indeed. Though without him our tale would really be no tale at all…”

Little Red knew exactly where to take her new friend. Beyond the trees, where the bluebells grew, there was a clearing.

“We’ll be safe there. There’s no hiding place for a Wily Wolf!”

Red smiled as she led Rabbit through the nodding bluebell heads to the babbling brook. This time, she thought, we’ll go at my pace! The White Rabbit stayed quiet as he took in his surroundings. As he glanced from side to side his ears pricked in every direction. Once or twice he stopped to look at his strange pocket watch, which made a continuous whirling noise and then, suddenly it went

CLICK!

 CLICK! 

CLICK!

Guessing what might follow, Red put her fingers in her ears… Nothing. No ear-splitting whistle this time. White Rabbit put his head on one side and grinned,

“This is perfect. We’ll be safe here. For a while at least.”

“Where’s the whistle, like last time?”

asked Red, dropping her arms back down to her side.

“Whistle? Oh, that didn’t come from the Chronometer.”

Satisfied, he flipped the lid closed and dropped the timepiece back into his waistcoat pocket. Red watched, intrigued and with a thousand questions bubbling around in her head. Chrono-what? Safe? And just what was that contraption in the outhouse? Noticing Red’s frown, the Rabbit added,

“The whistle came from my ship… You know, the 'contraption' in the outhouse.”

©Lisa Lee, 2015