Cry Wolf
‘We’re going on a Wolf Hunt!’ Tammy exclaimed to Albie her friend next door, ‘hurry up slow-coach my oldies are here and they want to get going…’
This was the first Albie had heard anything about a wolf hunt and he certainly didn’t want to hunt anything, besides are there still wolves in East Anglia to hunt…
‘Tammy, you’re crazy, what are we really doing?’
‘I told you, we’re going on a Wolf Hunt!’ Exasperated Tammy shoved a leaflet at Albie. ‘come on….’
Looking at the leaflet Albie remembered that there were wolf sculptures around town and that he had indeed arranged with Tammy that he would go with her the next time her Grandparents came over for a visit – what he didn’t remember was that was today…
After their little misadventure in the woodland, Tammy and Albie were under curfew, they were still allowed out, but for a big adventure, an adult had to be on tow. A trip into town to look at the wolves entailed Tammy’s grandparents, (her oldies as she referred to them – although not within their hearing), tagging along and keeping an eye on the two friends.
They all piled into Granddad’s car and made their way into Bury St Edmunds. Along the route, Tammy and Albie competed with each other to tell the legend of the wolf and how it had taken St Edmunds head away when he was executed and guarded it and after a WHOLE year his friends came and heard a cry of ‘Here, Here, Here’ and the wolf gave up the head to them and it was magically reunited with the body… of course adding one or two gory details of their own to the tale. . .
Parked up, Granddad thought it simply MUST be time for a cuppa… but he was outvoted and the Wolf Hunt commenced.
Armed with their map, Tammy and Albie, competed to spot the wolves first and were never too impressed if granddad saw one before them!
The Great Churchyard and St Mary’s Churchyard
They had a short break for lunch during which time Tammy and Albie looked through the photos they’d taken, showed them to each other and Tammy’s grandparents, squabbled over the map, complained and begged for adjudication over who had spotted which wolf first, and which photo was best… then it was off on the wolf hunt again … they had the 5 in the Abbey Gardens and the ones in the Great Churchyard and St Mary’s Churchyard still to find.
The ‘Oldies’ decided that as the young friends were behaving responsibly enough to be allowed off the leash for a while (and besides they thought and after-lunch coffee might be nice).
Tammy and Albie rushed off, racing each other to find the wolves.
The afternoon wore on and the previously sunny sky started to darken; the wind was brewing up a storm ….
Tammy’s grandparents finished their coffees and granddad said he would head towards the graveyard where they had arranged to meet up with their charges…
Granddad spotted the white wolf in St Mary’s Churchyard and was busy inspecting it and looking at how it was constructed when he heard Tammy and Albie’s excited voices…they had found the wolf at the Norman Tour and were arguing over what material they thought it was made of.
The sky was deepening and an afternoon storm really, really was brewing…..
Tammy shivered. Albie looked doubtfully up at the sky… ‘I don’t think we’ll be able to find the rest of the wolves, I think we should go back before it rains.’
‘Oh man up Albie we only have 2 to go,’ Tammy hadn’t changed much since their ordeal in the woods, still reckless and adventurous. The accusation of childishness spurred Albie on…
‘OK race yer, I can see the next one…’
Elisabeth Frink Statue
With that Albie ran off to the wolf adjacent to the Elizabeth Frink Statue of St Edmund and shouted out its number before Tammy had even time to spot it.
‘One more and we’re done…..’ he shouted.
The sky was darkening with every passing minute….
‘Says here St Mary’s Churchyard’ Albie had the crushed map in his hand… the children were just about to race off in the wrong direction when they heard a cry of ‘Here, Here, Here’ that stopped them in their tracks…
They looked at each other in astonishment.
‘Here, Here, Here’ came the cry again…
A rumble of thunder shocked them into animation…
‘Here, Here, Here ‘ they heard for a third time as they rounded the corner and saw a white, ghostly looking wolf above them……
At that moment a flash of lightning illuminated the spectre and the children clung to each other in fright…..
‘I don’t like this Albie,’ Tammy admitted
‘I’ll save you, Tammy,’ the brave Albie put a protective arm around his friend…
They both looked terrified…
At that moment they saw another flash as Granddad popped out from behind the white wolf, holding his camera.
‘That’s going on my Facebook page,’ he said, ‘you should see your faces, what a brave pair you are…’ he laughed and laughed as they all rushed back to the tea room before the rain came.
And took a fairly big piece of cake each before Tammy and Albie finally saw the funny side!
by
Helen Houghton
