MARCEL'S ADVENTURES IN EDINBURGH - PART TWO

Hi,

Today, I'm here to tell you of how Marcel got on in Ediburgh, having been allowed to explore the city by the metal lion, Lenny. Forgetting your passport when you travel from London to Edinburgh isn't something I've ever done, but I can imagine it must be a trifle annoying and so, sure enough, Marcel was eager to get on and explore.

Out on the Streets he hailed a passing Taxi Tortoise - but it took him about an hour to get from outside the station to a statue about two metres away. "I'm sorry, Sir..." apologised the Taxi Tortoise, whose name was Labyrinth. "If you want I can call my friend Snail or Hare to help you..."

"I suppose Snail is a snail and Hare a hare..." mused Marcel. "Either way - one will be even slower than you and the other one probably too fast..."

"It's possible..." agreed Labyrinth. "Although Snail's the hare and Hare's the snail... I know it's confusing - but that's talking animals for you!"

"Don't I know it..." sighed Marcel. "Thanks all the same... But I think I'll walk..."

So walk he did, up to the Castle and around some shops - passed a pleasant looking Italian that he considered popping into, but then decided against. "The weather's too nice for restaurants..." he decided. "I'll get myself a picnic..."

...And so a picnic is exactly what he went for - fresh bread roles, ham and cheese - a danish pastry, orange juice and a large Granny Smith apple.

Up on the hill, just off Princes Street Marcel sat and looked across the city. It didn't take him long to eat his lunch and he took a few photographs too and then he sat by a seat next to what appeared to be an old fashioned cannon that looked old enough to have been used in The Great Bear War of 1837.

"...Or was it 1836..." he mused.

He couldn't remember.

It had been a while since he'd read the history books in the history section of the library, but he did like to take an interest when it was the history of his own bear kind.

It was just about now that he began to sniff the smell of pies. "Pies..." thought Marcel. "At a time like this... On a sunny day on top of a hillock in Edinburgh?"

The smell of pies seemed to be very close by - infact they seemed to be coming from the cannon itself. Could it be that somebody had stuffed an unwanted pie into the cannon or that a friendly pie on his way to work had tripped and had accidentally become wedged inside the cannon.

"Maybe it needs rescuing..." he pondered. "Maybe it needs my help and yet it can only speak "pie" and so only pies can hear it's call. "Not much use if there's someone about - a bear, say... Like me... I mean - I could help... But if I can't hear the pies calls for help then..."

But he didn't need any further encouragement.

"I'm coming!!!" he called. "Don't worry little pie... I'll help you..."

And so Marcel climbed up onto the cannon and edged his way along it so that he could lower himself in the barrel and peer inside.

"Hello?!?" he called - he could still smell the pie, but he couldn't see it. "Hello!? Do you need any help?"

"I don't need any help..." said a voice suddenly from inside the barrel. "If you don't go away I'll fire you out of there... Do you hear me? So just buzz off..."

Goodness!! Next time I post I'll tell you exactly what the voice was inside the cannon and the story behind why exactly Marcel decided to walk to Sweden.

Bye for now...

Paul the Librarian xxx


Next Part: Marcel's Adventures In Edinburgh - Part Three

After That: Marcel's Great Walk To Sweden...