The Wonderful Wood

The Honey-Bee Inn

The sun was setting, and the sky was turning reddish pink. The horses plodded along down the village street. The shops had their blinds pulled down. Finally, they came to a board with 'Honey-Bee inn painted on it.

"Ah, the Honey-Bee inn. The travellers go to stop!" said Drizzlemister reading it. 'We should call it a day and lodge here for the night."

"Yes. That would be best. Is it a decent place?" asked Diana looking at Ethan as she took off her pointed hat.

"Yes. I guess. That depends on the definition of decent. When it comes to food and comfort, this is the best in the village."

They entered the inn. A warm fire was burning in the fireplace. Mounted on the wall was the head of a deer, complete with large antlers. Ethan stared. he wondered if it had belonged to a real one. "Perpahs it was," he thought, staring at it. There was a tall grandfathers clock in the right corner of the room.

The room was light up with candles and lamps. "What is that smell?" said Ethan looking around. Seated in a corner was a man in a hood. A barmaid came along carrying a tray that was steaming.

"That would be food, my lad, baked rabbit, stake, fried pheasant, roast boar, roast deer, fried hare. You name it. They have it," said Drizzlemister putting down his hood.

"I've never had roast deer," said Ethan looking at the head mounted on the wall. He took one look at it and decided that he wouldn't try it.

"Well. I'm not much of a fan of it," said Drizzlemister as he too eyed the deer. "Poor fellow," he said, taking his eyes off it.

"What do you have?" said Drizzlemister going up to the counter. The man at the counter was a plump man with a small moustache.

"Roasted deer with broccoli is our special for today." said the innkeeper as he pointed to an old board mounted on the wall. There were several things written on it: salad, vegetable stew and pheasant and pumpkin pie, and underneath written in slightly larger letters were the words Roasted deer and broccoli."

"Let's try pumpkin and pheasant pie," said Drizzlemister looking at Diana. "What do you think, Diana?"

"I think that would be best," said Diana nodding her head.

"Three and pheasant and pumpkin pies please," said Drizzlmister putting his hands into his pocket. he took out some strange coins and handed them out to the innkeeper.

"Any drinks?" asked the innkeeper looking at Drizzlemister, who in turn looked at Diana and said, "water would do."

They went and sat down on a vacant bench. Strange people were coming into the inn. There were people carrying staffs and people carrying axes, men with long beards that nearly touched the floor. Then came a man carrying something that looked like a large dark cumber. "What is he carrying?" asked Ethan sating at the man. It reminded him of the cases which boys at his school band carried with their instruments inside them.

"That is a lute," said Drizzle mister looking in the direction at which Ethan pointed. "And if I were you lad, I wouldn't go pointing at strangers. We should be wary as all manner of folks come here," he said, lowering his voice.

Ethan wondered what Drizzlemister might mean by 'all manner of folk'. He wanted to ask him, but he decided no to.

"Is a lute a sort of a musical instrument?" asked Ethan as he saw the man go up to the counter.

"Yes, it is. It's a neat little thing. A lot of musicians in this part know how to play it. That fellow is probably a musician," said Drizzlemister looking at the man.