273
Bunking off
🩳

"Great!" replies Kensley. "Let's start by exploring your hole."

You inspect every room in your Hogger-hole carefully, and find that everything you could possibly need has been stowed away: food, spare clothes, pots and pans, a hoover, cutlery, salt and pepper, spare bin bags, washing up liquid - the place is amazing.

You discover that one of the rooms functions as a little shed with gardening equipment in it, compost and seeds. Kensley is delighted to find a bag of seed potatoes at the back, still in good condition.

Kensley and you immediately set to work in the small garden at the front of your house, clearing more space for the flowers by pulling up brambles, trimming the grass and making a little vegetable plot, where you plant out the potatoes you found.

Feeling tired you go to your kitchen and make a pot of tea and rummage out some seed cake and a few scones, with pots of strawberry jam and clotted cream. You and Kensley sit on little wooden chairs in the front garden in the sun, and eagerly chomp your way through the delicious food and sip hot tea.

Refreshed you turn to Kensley: "What do you say to a little ramble?"

Both of you stroll along the path among the Hogger-holes in the side of the hill. Most of the students have gone to their lessons but there are a few who have decided to stay behind to weed their gardens or just sit and enjoy the autumn sunshine, and you greet them as you go by.

"Good morning Brian Banana."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance Rebecca Radishbottom."

"How do you do Betty Appleton?"

Everyone is friendly and happy to see you even though this is your and Kensley's first day as Hoggers.

You stroll down to a river at the bottom of the hill and spend a moment watching the sunlight sparkle on the water. Then you notice some flat pebbles on the riverbank and you take turns skimming them across the river.

"Four bounces Kensley, that's a record!" you cry in triumph.

"You liar. That was never four, the last bounce was a sink," she says with a smile.

"It was four bounces, I saw the splashes!"

"Oh yeah, well how about this for a splash!"

With that Kensley gives you a playful but firm push and you topple backwards into the water.

For a moment you are submerged, and as you scrabble for something to hold onto, your hand touches something. Something small and hard - you close your fist instinctively. When you come up to the surface you realise you are holding a beautiful shiny golden ring.

As you climb onto the river bank dripping water Kensley announces that it is her birthday. This is a bit unexpected but, making the best of it, you decide that jewellery usually goes down well as a present, and give her the golden ring.

"Happy birthday!" you say. Kensley says nothing in reply and slips the ring into a hidden pocket with a sly look on her face. What odd behaviour! you say to yourself.

Then it's off to the hole to get changed into dry clothes, putting your wet and muddy clothes from the river into the enchanted washing bucket, and reciting the 40 degrees wash incantation.

Then to Kensley's house for dinner where you have a delicious meal in front of a cosy fire. After which you take it in turns to read poetry to each other, followed by thirty minutes of 'Animal Crossing' in the games room.

At last the other Hogger students start returning from their lessons to Hoggerton (this is what you are calling this collection of Hogger Holes) and one of the shouts out to you as they go past: "Dinner time Arthur, Kensley - in the Great Hall!"