Heroes and Villains

Flash Gopher in space - Publicity shot

 

It was the time when a new Flash Gopher story was broadcast and - predictably - Brendan would attend a Telly Party (*see Notes for details) at Lucky Snow-Warren's house to absorb another chapter of this televised space fantasy. Orton was now part of the entourage so they added another seat for him. 

 

Atypically, I accompanied them but it wasn't to watch another conflict between Flash and the dreaded Mink. I'd gone to see my old school pal Clarence Snow-Warren.

As school children, Clary and I were inseparable. I think that's the reason I have a warm feeling seeing our sons continue the close friendship. Yes, we were inseparable. Until we were separated. Our teacher, Dermot Buckley, decided that we needed to associate more in other groupings. The first time was when I was tasked to look after a new pupil - an active-minded little field mouse called Darcy Fielding (see Field Trip*). However, even though Clary and I were no longer solely working alongside each other in school, our activities outside the classroom continued as normal.

On this occasion, Clary wanted to talk to me about his mother, recently returned after years missing. 

"I've had conversations with both with her and with Chris," he said, "but it makes no sense to me. They're talking about 'limbo' and the heroic rescue by a funny little bear called Blink..."(*see Notes for details)

"Bink," I corrected.

"Right. Bink. But it all sounds as daft as... as an episode of Flash Gopher." His eyes entreated me. "You were there. Please make some sense of it, Jack." 

My old friend is a practical bunny. To him, spirituality may as well describe alcohol content. Now, whilst I lean towards that way, I have seen things that I find hard to explain and have gradually shifted towards a different view. I accept that there are things that I don't understand. That I don't necessarily need to understand everything. That I can accept unusual situations without a detailed analysis and get on with my life. But could I get Clary to think that way? I could try.

"I look at it this way, pal. Somehow Sylvania was created. Somehow critters became Sylvanians and we are their descendants. Maybe the Snow Queen was involved. Maybe there is a mysterious group called the Sylvanian Order that carries on her legacy. Maybe there is a weird place beyond Sylvania that - for the sake of argument - we call Limbo and your mum got lost there. Maybe Morwenna Deerheart was able to contact someone - this heroic little chap called Bink - that went to find her."

"Right..." said Clary, clearly wondering where I was going with this. 

 

"Supposing all this," I concluded, "the end result is all that really matters. Your mum, Chris, Morwenna and even me... we could all be under a delusion. But none of that is really important. Edith Snow-Warren is back with her family. That's what's important."

"But this Bink creature..."

"A short bear with attitude, confidence and skills to find your mum. Did we imagine him? Possibly, but would I imagine such an atypical hero?" I paused. "More to the point, why do you need to know, mate?"

Clary stared at me and then a grin crept onto his face. "Practical. You may be an arty type with all your songsmithery," - he chuckled - "but you've always been a stable influence on me. Fine. Weird bears. A mum back from being a ghost. You're right. The 'how' doesn't matter. If the story comes up again maybe I can treat it like a Flash Gopher story. That is tosh but it works as a morality tale. The hero wins. In this case my family wins because my mum is back."

A quiet voice cut in. "Do you really think Flash Gopher is tosh, Mister Snow-Warren?"

It was Orton, stretching his legs during a commercial break. How much had he heard?

o 0 O 0 o

INTERMISSION

A glimpse of an episode of

Flash Gopher and the Dragon from Mars 

Flash Gopher waits to act

Mink give his pet instructions

Flash Gopher encounters the pet

A confrontation between Flash and Mink the Merciless

END OF INTERMISSION

o 0 O 0 o

"What did you hear, Orton?" I asked. "When we were talking about Grandma Snow-Warren..."

"Oh, I've learned a lot about Mellowdene myths in the time I've been here, Uncle Jack. I accept them as far as they go. I'm more curious about why you'd consider Flash Gopher a poor programme, Mister Snow-Warren."

As an addition to our extended family, Orton occasionally makes statements that surprise us. When he wants to know something he will quietly research the subject (and with a librarian/bookworm as foster father he has the resources) then floor us with a few words. This was clearly one of those times but with my school friend on the receiving end, I decided to step in.

 

"I suspect Brendan has explained the underlying meaning of the show, Orton. For someone who doesn't follow the storylines - such as Lucky's dad - isn't it possible that the fantasy theme obscures the clever parts and it all comes off as trivial?"

Orton nodded. "I can understand that. At first I couldn't see why Brendan and Lucky were addicted to the show but they showed me why. Lucky said he'd enlighten me as to how the show promoted Sylvanian values whilst wrapping them in an imaginative boost to one's dopamine."

Clary and I exchanged glances. I suspected this was Lucky's sentiment rather than his exact words. It suggested Orton had supplemented this with his own research. The boy continued.

"Mink the Merciless was constructed to pose a threat to our way of life, cloaked with extravagant schemes. Flash Gopher is the hero that shows us a better way, thwarting the schemes in an entertaining manner."

"And now you're involved too," I said, referring to the role play games arranged by Brendan and Lucky.

"I play General Octon," Orton acknowledged. "He's supposed to be Mink's adviser but Mink goes his own way. Actually, if he took the General's advice he might win occasionally."

"Sounds like Mink is a real villain," said Clary.

"Yes and no," said Orton. "Brendan says the writing is clever, making Mink look evil but he's also a warning for us to beware of taking actions that could be unSylvanian. In that sense, he's a hero too. Octon helps by outlining the threat that could occur. Mink's errors and Flash's mitigation makes them both heroes."

"I didn't realise it was that involved," said Clary.

"Hmm. It is. And for our games Brendan writes his own scenarios and we all work on a solution."

It became clear. "I always wondered why Brendan always took the role of Mink the Muckiness rather than everyone taking turns, swapping roles to give others a chance as Mink."

"Muckiness, Jack?" said Clary. "I thought it was Merciless."

"It is," said Orton, "but Brendan liked Mucky better."

"He likes playing with words," I explained to Clary. 

"Yes he does but there's a reason for that, Uncle Jack. It seems that in the second season of the show, Mink created an alliance with the flying mud monkeys of Europa. They were spreading dirt everywhere. So Brendan decided to became Mink the Muckiness."

"Makes sense," laughed Clary. 

The conversation was interrupted at that point. From the adjacent room, two voices were calling.

"Orton?" said Lucky "The show is about to recommence..."

"Ort!" called Brendan. "Get in here, General!"

Orton looked at us apologetically. 

"Mighty Mink summons me."

As Orton hurried back to his pals I pondered what I'd just heard. I'd not realised that Brendan and hìs pals were using the hero / villain construct of the TV show as a basis to perform a philosophical analysis of what it means to be Sylvanian. Wow, that sounds highbrow! Do they really do that?

Well, maybe not consciously. Brendan? I think I know my son. Orton, on the other paw... 

 

o 0 O 0 o

Mink the Merciless - Publicity shot

* Notes: Stories supplying extra background

Telly Parties - April 2019

Clarence and Jackson after school: A Couple of Couples - February 2020

When Jackson & Darcy met: The Field Trip - April 2021

Orton included in role play: Flash Gopher and the Micro Waves - January 2024

The Ghost of Edith Snow-Warren (etc) - October/November 2025

Avid Tourists

Arriving home from my morning constitutional I heard two things - the thunder of children's feet running upstairs and laughter from my living room. 

 

Entering, all became clear. Cornelius and Letitia Dandelion were holding court and Eliza, Cecile and Merlin were still chuckling from whatever had been said.

Letitia was first to notice my presence.

"Jackson!" she said. "We've been waiting for you."

 

I wasn't surprised to learn Eliza's parents had just returned from their latest excursion, travelling Sylvania. By habit, the first thing they did after dropping off their belongings at their house and greeting their nephew Clive (who lived there and looked after the place in their absence) was to visit their son and daughter.

They had spent a couple of hours at Butterglove Lodge with Denzel's family and now it was Eliza's turn. Some small gifts for Orton, Brendan, Beverley and Russell were received gratefully but the presence of their surrogate grandparents meant more. Just! Our children had been chivvied upstairs to enjoy their gifts, giving the adults opportunity to talk without distractions, however pleasant. My entrance was timed to perfection.

 

"Well, hello you two," I said, a smile on my face. "Another tour over, I see. It's good to see you back. Although I can't help wondering how long before you tire of Mellowdene and are off again."

 

"Oof," said Cornelius, paw to his chest in mock pain. "Why do we return to be met with such cruel words?"

 

Everyone collapsed with laughter. Eliza was the first to regain her composure. 

"My mother was just telling us that they planned to leave off going on boat trips for a while and think about touring some inland villages next time."

"We've got ourselves a car," said Cornelius. "Parked outside. What do you think of it?"

 

"Haven't seen it. But I didn't come in that way," I said. "I've been walking near the village green so took the woodland path back. Came in through the side door."

"Oh," said Cornelius, sounding a little disappointed. "Never mind. We can show you afterwards. Lovely little red number."

 

I had a thought. "I saw a red car on my way out. When I was passing the Lodge."

"That will have been us," said Letitia. "We'd been visiting Denzel, Sam and the children."

"So that was you. Nice looking car."

"We got it before we went on the boat trip," said Cornelius. "While we were away Clive took it to Truffle's Garage and had Murphy Van Dyke convert it to use a fireglass fuel system."

 

"They were just about to tell us of their trip," said Cecile, "but we were waiting for you."

 

 

"You sounded like you were having fun."

"Oh, that? Letitia was telling us of their hippie days."

"Hippie days?"

"I told you - we weren't hippies," laughed Letitia. "We were just a bit more free and easy. Like the young couple we met after we disembarked at Tinyport. Reminded us of how we used to be."

 

Tinyport was barely a port and it was not even a village. There were a few buildings set back from the Coast Road at a point where the sea was deep near the shore line. There were a couple of jetties that aided travellers leaving their ships, a chandler's shop, a small warehouse, two or three houses and an inn.

"We had telephoned Mellowdene switchboard from the inn and arranged for Clive to pick us up in the car. We met the young couple whilst we were waiting. They were passing on their way back to Sweet Berry Valley. Turns out they were a branch of the Babblebrook family. They were delightful."

 

"They were," agreed Cornelius. "It's been a few years since we stayed in Sweet Berry Valley. We need to revisit."

"We could visit Peter and Peace's beach bar," nodded Letitia.

I laughed this time. "You're only just back from gallivanting around Upper Tricadna and you're planning a future trip?"

"You talk like you've forgotten they're avid tourists, Jack," said Merlin. "I'm still expecting them to write a travel book for our library. I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't more widely travelled than Ricardo Porcini."

"We're straying from the point," said Cecile. "There may not be a book but we have the travellers here with the latest news of their latest trip. We've been waiting for my hubby to return so that we can get the highlights."

"Fair point," I said. "Let's hear from - what did you call them, Merle? Avid tourists? I admit I'm curious where they went and what they saw."

o 0 O 0 o

Cornelius began by reminding us that they used to organise their own travel plans without any assistance until they became friends with Mellowdene's own travel agent, Jolyon Simon. Thiough his business - Primate Travel - this friendly monkey had contacts with his counterparts all over Sylvania. 

 

 

The latest trip had been organised with the help of a small tourism business located between the towns of Porta del Sol and Zooville on the central isle of the three eastern islands.

"We used Critago to check for accommodation availability and suitable transport," he said. "Our original plan was to visit all the coastal drop-off points on the east coast of the Tricadnian upper island then use local transport to reach the nearby villages. We'd use sea taxis to take us from one to the other."

"By villages you mean Willowtree Gully, Wildemont Valley and so on?"

"Yes," said Letitia, "but when we got to Critago there was an opportunity we couldn't ignore. We agreed we could revisit our original plan at a later date. This time, there was a chance to join a cruise ship that toured the outer islands. The ones too small for Sylvanako's map."

Sylvanako's Map is the primary map of Sylvania and the one familiar to Mellowdenians and probably most critters in the land. You need specialist maps go beyond this, some reaching as far as the Ring of Sylvania - our nominal boundary. 

"So where did you go?" asked Cecile. 

"When we saw the itinerary Letitia remembered an article in the Mellowdene Examiner about the Billabongs," said Cornelius, "as she saw the cruise ship would call at the Isle of Koalaroo."

"There were four other islands too," said Letitia, "and we'd also pass in sight of the Perilon Archipelago..."

Eliza sat forward, earnestly addressing her mother. "Please tell me you didn't go anywhere near there," she said, "when you knew that was where Orton's parents were shipwrecked!"

 

"Of course not, dear. Don't fret. Neither of us are that careless, and the ship's captain wouldn't be foolish. It was a cruise - not an expedition."

"The sky was clear enough for us to see Needle Peak, though," said Cornelius. (See notes.)

"Do you ever hear anything from the Burroughs?" said Letitia. "I still cannot understand how they abandoned Orton..."

Eliza waved her paw. "Don't go there, mother."

 

Merlin intervened. "We get regular letters passed on to us. They mention their conservation work, continually thank us for caring for their boy, and there's no sign that our fostering of Orton will end in the foreseeable future."

"They're a potty couple," said Letitia.

"But good for Eliza, Merlin and the boy," said Cornelius.

There was a consensus of noises followed by a brief silence.

"Anyway," continued Letitia, "after that, we sailed westwards. We saw Fisherport and Mosswood Fells in the distance..."

 

"You weren't circumnavigating the upper isle?" I asked. "I thought you'd return to your starting point."

"Oh no," said Cornelius. "It was a long cruise that was due to continue down the straits, passing Arcfield and FoxFire Fells before circling Atlandia and heading back. It would have taken at least two more weeks and we hadn't planned to be absent that long. That's why we arranged to be dropped off at TinyPort."

"Still, you covered a fair distance," said Merlin.

"We did. We've got photos."

"You certainly are avid tourists," laughed Cecile.

"And lots of places yet to see," nodded Letitia. "I hear that they've got some aeroplanes in some parts of Sylvania. I don't know where they would go."

"Mother..." said Eliza. 

"...and when I was talking to Denzel, he mentioned some wild tale that Rowan had told him a few years ago. Something about a 'Land of Men'. I believe you were part of that conversation, Jackson."

 

I could feel the stares from both Cecile and Eliza. Thoughts flashed through my head. Cornelius and Letitia meeting the Mist Cat Tribe. My attempts to explain the Routes of Sylvania... no.

"Ah, Rowan does like his tall tales..."

"Ah. Thought so. Never mind. Photos, then?"

Smiles of relief and enthusiastic agreements were forthcoming.

Eliza certainly has some interesting parents.

o 0 O 0 o

A few photos from Letitia and Cornelius:

 

 

Gazing out to sea on the Isle of Mistella

The Old Tower on Wolf Island

 

  

The balleg-root fields of Dartrel Island

A pause on Calonis remembering all the islands we'd visited

o 0 O 0 o

Editor's Note

Peter and Peace are lovely characters from the wonderful blog My Sylvanian Paradise. (Highly recommended if you've never visited there.) Many thanks for their unexpected cameos!

Darcy Fielding

Notes: 

Cornelius and Letitia Dandelion introduced in "Celebrating Grandparents" - January 2021

Koalaroo visited in "New Beginnings" - January 2022

News of the Shipwreck in "Butterglove Losses" - August 2020

Fate of Orton's parents in "Routes of Sylvania" - September 2020

Word from Orton's parents in "Unexpected Letter" - April 2022