A SUMMER STORY

24Jun
by Janine @ Rainbow Hare

If you have been thinking that Granny Square’s hair looks a bit like a bird’s nest, there’s a reason for that:

One morning, Granny Square was out of sorts. 
“As soon as you have finished your breakfast, I’d like you to go all round the caravan oiling the hinges, Knit,” she said. “Something has been squeaking all night long and I didn’t get a wink of sleep!”
Knit listened carefully. Something was squeaking. Then he began to laugh. “You are squeaking, Granny Square!” said Knit, “and your hair looks like a bird’s nest!”
Granny Square was shocked “How very rude!” she said.“Where are your manners, Knit? I’m sure your sister, Purl, would never say such a thing!”
Purl climbed up and examined Granny Square’s hair. Then she began to laugh too. “Knit is right,” she said. “I think you’d better look in the mirror”.
Granny Square went to look in the mirror and guess what she saw.
“Ophelia!” she said, “what are you doing here? I thought you’d flown away to the North Pole with your friends – now do stop squeaking like that!”

A large tear rolled down Ophelia’s beak. “My wing is torn and I can’t fly,” she sobbed.
“That’s easily mended,” said Granny Square. She lifted Ophelia down and placed her gently on the table and then she asked Purl to make the little bird a slice of toast and marmalade, whilst she knitted her a new wing.
After she had had finished her toast, Knit played boats with Ophelia in the wash tub…
 …and in almost no time at all, Granny Square had finished.
Granny Square thought Ophelia would be too late to reach Santa Claus by Christmas and she didn’t like to think of her flying all that way by herself so Ophelia stayed with Granny Square and, all Winter long, Granny Square slept like a log and woke up to the sweet sound of at Ophelia singing. “This is a delightful way to wake up,” said Granny Square and she threw away her horrible, jangly alarm clock.

Christmas came and went. Spring woke up the flowers. Everything started to grow beautifully and the days grew longer and warmer and everyone in Woolton was happy.
Everyone, except Granny Square. 
For some reason, as Midsummer approached, Granny Square was getting more and more cross and irritable. She started to doze off whilst she was knitting in the afternoons and she began losing count of her stitches. She grumbled about Knit trailing mud through the caravan and snapped at Purl for letting her dinner go cold. Knit and Purl began to feel fed up of visiting such a grumpy old woman and one evening, when Granny Square had been extra grumbly about everything all day, she heard Knit and Purl grumbling about her.
“I think she must have got of the wrong side of her bed this morning,” said Purl.
And Granny Square began to ponder…there was only one side of the bed she could get out of but it was such a long, long time ago. 
And then she realised what was the matter!
As Midsummer grew nearer and nearer the days were growing longer and longer. Everyday the sun was rising earlier than the day before and as the days past, Ophelia, who was always up in time to bid the sun a good morning, was waking her up earlier. “No wonder I’ve become such an old grump!” said Granny Square, “I’m hardly getting any sleep at all!”
Although she could barely keep her eyes open, Granny Square picked up her needles and started to knit. Clicketty, click, clicketty click went the needles and soon she had finished.
Now, Ophelia sleeps in her new nest in a tree in the garden and when the sun is rising, you can see her singing her heart out on Granny Square’s roof.

But Granny Square is still happily tucked up in bed snoring.
And at eight o’clock every morning Ophelia flies into Granny Square’s bedroom with a cup of tea and wakes her up with a beautiful song.

Granny Square’s hair has never quite recovered but she never grumbles anymore.
THE END

Happy Midsummer’s Day! 
And thank you very much for visiting Rainbow Hare for A Summer Story. 
I am planning a monthly series around these characters on 21st of each month. This will include occasional stories and some tutorials and patterns for toys, games and household objects – some free and some in my etsy shop. 
This month I am making a pattern for a cushion/softie/pyjama case version of Ophelia. When it is ready, I will get Mr Random to select three people from any comments on this post and send them a free copy.
Soon I will make a ‘Granny Square’ page and, hopefully bring better organisation to bear!
Happy Sewing!
Janine @ Rainbow Hare
I’m linking this post with:
WIP Wednesday (because the Ophelia pattern is still in progress).
TGIFF which is over at QUOKKA QUILTS this week (because there are a LOT of sewing finishes in this).

29 thoughts on “A SUMMER STORY”

  5. Sandra :)

    When I read “After she had had finished her toast, Knit played boats with Ophelia in the wash tub…” … I actually – literally – laughed out loud, LOL!!!

    Somehow, in my mind, the solution to Granny Square being such an old grump in her bed, was that she was going to wake up and find a Grampy Square beside her – maybe one day, LOL!

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  9. Anita

    This is an adorable story. I loved it. I agree, you should publish a children's book. I read this while scrolling through Bloglovin waiting for my daughter's Kindergarten class' year end recital. Now I'm going to read it to her for bedtime. :) Thank you.

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  10. Vera

    That was a nice story. I was a bit worried that granny will pass away. I'm glad you included happy end :-) I like tiny details like knitting basket and others!

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  13. pennydog

    I have Granny Square's problem, except this bird sounds like a car alarm and sits on our guttering every morning from about 3.30am >:( With Hank waking up with the sunrise too I am actually looking forward to the darker mornings (never thought I would say that)!

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  15. junacreationsuk.blogspot.co.uk

    Wow Janine! You have so many gifts, sewing, knitting, crocheting and story telling, I was really engrossed by your story and will look forward to reading more, it was great. I love the character names as well, they did make me smile. Really, really great.

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  23. mumasu

    That story smashing Janine. Thank you so much. When I was four or five my dad made my sister and I a caravan dolls house and our mum made all the little bits and pieces to go inside. We loved it I'm looking forward to following this series :)

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