Once upon a Nursery Rhyme

Muffin Man

Do you know the Muffin Man?
The Muffin Man? The Muffin Man?
Do you know the Muffin Man?
Who lives on Drury Lane?

Oh yes, I know the Muffin Man
The muffin Man , the Muffin Man,
Yes I know the Muffin Man
Who lives on Drury Lane

I had been giving some thought to Clara, I wondered if she had visited another part of Dreamland, another village perhaps, I knew she had been somewhere where there was a giant teddy.

Pat the cake lady had spoken about her grandson aka the Muffin Man who lived in the next village, it may be that he could help us in our quest to find Clara.

"Come on Connie ie, let us sing 'the Muffin Man song'" I encouraged before putting her down for a sleep.

It was dark, grey ,very windy, cold and to top it all, raining.....heavily when we arrived in the other village, I was not entirely comfortable being here, at first glance the village seemed gloomy, perhaps that wasn't helping the feel I was getting.

I was also getting the feeling we were being watched, I looked around, it just didn't seem as friendly as the other place, I tried putting it down to the rain, as I looked around I could see doors closing and curtains being pulled shut. I got the distinct impression that we were not welcome, and our every move monitored by unseen eyes.

An old woman was shuffling passed us, her head down against the rain but it was more than that, she was desperately trying not to catch our attention. It didn't work,

"Excuse me" she hesitated briefly then resumed her shuffling, feigning deafness.

"EXCUSE ME, " I spoke louder and stepped in front of her, blocking her path,

"Do you know the Muffin Man? " she looked startled, like a rabbit in the headlights, she looked around wildly, then looked at me fearfully

"The Muffin Man? " she stammered

"Yes the Muffin man" I confirmed, relieved that was all I wanted she said

"He lives on Drury Lane" then with unexpected speed, she shuffled to the nearest door which admitted her before slamming firmly shut behind her.

" Thanks a bunch, that helps a lot " I muttered to her retreating back.

A horse and cart chopped into view, the driver was well wrapped up against the weather and hunched down in the seat.

"Horsey" pointed Connie

"Clever girl, " I told her as I grabbed her hand and ran across to the cart.

"Hello there, wait up" I shouted, the cart stopped and the driver looked around,

"Do you know where Drury lane is? Could you tell me how to get there?" Thought I'd better cover my bases, "I'm looking for the Muffin man" I called up to the driver.

"The Muffin Man? " This was starting to get monotonous,

"Yes the Muffin Man, he lives on Drury Lane"

"I know where he lives, he's my grandson"

"Pat......Cake?" I exclaimed, the driver peered at me then her face cleared when she spotted Connie

"Oh it's you and the wee one, you are soaked through, climb up and I'll take you to him, you don't want to be wandering round here on your own, come to taste his Muffins have you?" And she chuckled.

I handed Connie up to her and she snuggled under the big blanket she was wrapped in, "pat a cake, pat a cake" sang Connie

"That's me , my pet, you get warm under that blanket now" Pat was delighted to have been recognised.

"You did say he made the best Muffins around" I reminded her

"That I did" and she chuckled again,

As we travelled I mentioned my surprise at the difference between the two villages.

"Always been a strange village, this one, not friendly, suspicious of strangers, never no flowers or anything cheery, very suspicious of everyone in fact, superstitious too, perhaps you noticed" I nodded.

"I keep telling our Bob, come home, his father wants nothing more than for him to move back home, to our village - this place seems to have got worse since 'the visitor' was after that the rumours started"

"Visitor? Rumours? "

"Here we are, chop chop get in the dry or you will catch your death, once we have dried you off we will explain all to you" she handed Connie down, the joined us in pushing open the bakery door and releasing all the delicious aromas, inside it was cheerful and bright.

Pat stripped us of our wet clothes and hung them up to dry before enfold ingredients us in large blankets, we returned to the bakery where Bob greeted us warmly

" I see gran has got you sorted, now what you need is a large mug of my hot chocolate each and you are just in time to sample my new flavours of Muffins " he lifted out a large tray from the oven

"Beetroot and Carrot, might need some butter icing on top" then returned to the oven

"Chocolate and Lime" he announced placing another tray on the table

"And finally, Strawberry and banana" they smelt fantastic

They were delicious, hot from the oven I could have eaten them all day, but stopped when Pat said

"Charlie wants to know about the visitor " and she gave Bob a look.

"Yes, it is a very strange tale if it is true of course, could be someone's idea of a joke, but it has unsettled everyone that's for sure. I think they are convinced it is a sign the end is nigh, ridiculous if you ask me, anyway, the story has it that a mother and babe in arms .....not frightening you am I? " he joked

" Bob, you told me she appeared from nowhere " interuppted Pat,

" whose telling the tale gran?" He chided her good naturedly

"The tale goes that Saucy Sarah, said she was walking up the high street turned a corner and nearly ran into them, and she swears blind they weren't there seconds before, mind you, she's usually three sheets to the wind" and he mimed drinking from a bottle, and winked.

"Robert! The child" Pat told him off,

"Sorry Nan, anyhow, Sarah goes running down the street screaming her head off, when some brave souls went to investigate, the mother and child had vanished again."

So Clara had been here, but I guessed she wasn't here any longer,

"Well, then all the rumours started, stories about appearing and disappearing people, mysterious goings on.....all utter rubbish, the village has always been anti social but now they are paranoid, downright unfriendly to the point of rudeness. It has come to the point Nan where I have decided enough is enough and I will take you up on your offer to join forces with your bakery and return to the village."

Pat was delighted, she beamed around the room,

"Oh Bob, you have made your Gran so happy, your father will be over the moon" and she fairly danced around the room, Connie joined her although having no idea what was happening. Bob laughed

"That's settled then, I'll start packing, shouldn't take me too long"

"Talking of packing Connie, we best be making tracks your daddy will be home soon , see you soon Pat, see you again bob.......Bye"

The rain had stopped and not wanting to add further fuel to the rumours, Connie and I walked out of the village before going home.