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| Sunday, 13 April 2003 |
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Spring is here and the forest folk feel rejuvenated after the long winter. Even the forest animals are looking out of their holes and burrows,sniffing the fresh spring air before venturing out on their spring jaunts. Today is very special because the spring festival was opened mid-morning-which we enjoyed kicking off-and great doings will mark the rest of the day. It is a chilly but crisp day and the squirrels tails are up and their eyes shining. Mr. Badger and the rest from 'Wind in the Willows' which will be written over a thousand years from now, are all up and doing. In fact, we have invited Toadie and company for the grand Spring Festival Lunch which is even at this moment being got ready. In charge of operations is Quince, of course, ably assisted by his team of Snout, Starveling and the rest, with the Blithe Spirits of the Night also doing their little bit and Bottom and Puck appearing to be doing a lot. Even Pyramus and Thisbe have been roped in to help. They are the ones from the Play Within the Play, as readers will recall. Dominating the sounds of the forest-even the din being made by the lunch team and my other attendants-are the calls of the cuckoos whose festival this is because the arrival of spring is the highpoint of their existence. Bottom was rushing about whistling the Cuckoo Waltz with snatches of Beethoven's 'Pastoral'in between; he is a great music buff, is Botty. In fact Bottom has arranged an informal concert which will follow the lunch. He has even arrnaged to get members of the great London Philharmonic Orchestra to play excerpts from the Beethoven Symphony as well as excerpts from the great Choral Symphony-but that's a secret which only Titania and I know-and of course Bottom himself. The savoury smell of sweetly roasting venison seemed to fill the forest as our chefs worked away in a clearing behind our quarters which they usually use on such occasions. We had to get a special licence to get the venison because every deer that roams the forest is the property of His Majesty King Richard who is still away on the Crusades, and if his regent the wicked Prince John gets to know that anyone has so much as pursued a juicy stag, the pursuer will be clapped into the Tower if not beheaded, without trial. Robin O'the Hood's men of course know how to get their deer without being caught, and it was Much the Miller's son who was largely instrumental in helping us get the deer. But there is an Animal Rights faction in the forest, so the meat was bought from a fancy 'super' in town. This be and Pyramus had bestirred themselves and were actully making dainty cupcakes with the help of Peace Blossom, Cobweb and Mustard Seed who love making dainty confections for the forest folk on special occasions. Just then Bottom, with Puck on his heels, came rushing in to say that a dance troupe from Sri Lanka had arrived and had been directed by the airport authorities to the forest. Botto was breathless but Puck was suspiciously cool. 'Your maj, they are coming to the forest to give a special performance of traditional Sri Lankan dances which they do for their spring festival which also falls today,' Bottom said, adding that he was so worried about it that he had to get himself a glass of mead and vodka to steady himself. I summoned Quince. This troupe had not been officially invited and would in a way be invading our privacy if they arrived in the forest without prior notice. Quince was as cool as a cube of ice. "What is this troupe and who invited them to the forest?" we asked. 'Actually, King Oberon, they had been invited by the cultural ministry to give a performance at the Royal Festival Hall,' said Quince. 'Then why are they coming here?' "Actually, your majesty, the whole thing is meant to be a surprise," said Quince. 'Surprise or not, we have to be told'. 'Beg pardon, your majesty, it was well-intentioned,' Quince replied, looking rather rueful. We decided to overlook the gaffe on this occasion. In future, nobody, is to be permitted to enter the forest for whatever the reason or occasion, without prior permission from us. One of the chefs rushed up just then to say that the jelly was not setting as the weather was not cool enough. 'Off with the jelly! exclaimed Bottom, his glass of M & V in his hand.' We'll innovate a new dessert of liquid jelly with some kir in it.' 'What is kir, Bottom?' asked Snout who is, of course a peasant and didn't know these things.' 'Kir,Snout,'Bottom began in a very snooty voice,'is a delicious drink they make in France. It is red wine and black currant juice,'Bottom explained. 'Excellent idea, Botty,' we overheard Quince saying. So the chef went off gleefully, looking forward to making his new dessert. Just then we heard the strains of some music coming in from somewhere near Robin's domain. Everyone cocked their ears. Even the chefs stopped their basting to come forward and listen. Puck stood on his toes and the little spirits trembled with excitement. It was choral music, and soon we heard that it was a live choir singing as it made its way toward our forest clearing. 'That's the 'Ode to Joy' from Beethoven's great 'Choral,' said Bottom, on his toes with excitement. 'Let's drink to that, everyone. It will one day be the Anthem of the European Union.' Our stewards rushed around with trays of bubbly-no less-in glass flutes. Even the three Little Ones had their own tiny individual flutes which they raised as the voices of the choir swelled to do justice to one of the greatest pieces of music that will ever be written. 'Here's to Ode to Joy,'we proposed, and the whole company raised their glasses to these joyous rites of Spring. - Oberon |
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