Algy moved nearer to the waterfall. He knew that a shortage of water was the key factor behind the disturbances in his friend Thierry’s tropical garden. The Gecko had explained to Thierry that the trees were sending their roots deep down into the Underworld in a desperate search for water, thus allowing disturbed spirits to travel up into the garden. Although Thierry was an expert in water management, there was little he could do when no water was available. The Gecko had recommended the use of a magical musical instrument to help banish the evil spirits, but Algy felt that this might not be enough. Ultimately the plants must have water…

Algy perched on an old broken branch by the waterfall, pondering this problem. There was such a huge quantity of water in the West Highlands, but how could he send it to the other side of the world? As he watched the water jumping and playing in front of him, Algy noticed something very strange. He was convinced that he could see a brightly-coloured gecko fading in and out of sight on a rock beside the water…

[Catch up with Thierry’s photo-illustrated story at thierry-facon.]

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One of Algy’s Tumblr friends, Thierry, lives in an exotic location on the other side of the world – a place very different from Algy’s northern home. Recently, Thierry has been reporting a sequence of strange events in his tropical garden. Unlike the gentle mosses and ferns in Algy’s mild environment, Thierry’s plants have grown alarming and dangerous, and now seem to have minds of their own.

Algy was keen to help his friend regain control over the evil plants, so he flew over to the old oak woods, to ponder the matter by an ancient woodland waterfall. The constant flow of the tumbling water in such a peaceful setting can be a great aid to clear thinking and inspiration, and there is much wisdom there …

(You can catch up with Thierry’s story and photos to date at thierry-facon.)

Deep in the woods, the hillsides were surprisingly steep. A massive Atlantic Oak tree had lost its footing in an ancient storm, and its great trunk now made a wonderful horizontal perch for a fluffy bird, or for any other creature who happened to come along. It was covered in soft, deep mosses and lichens, and young ferns were springing up along the old branches, turning them green once again.