- NARRATOR: Hello, wild wanderer. You've travelled far and near. So let me tell you a story while you wander round here.
Let us enter the forest, home to magic and mystery, treading soft and careful footsteps, sheltered by this canopy.
As life ebbs and flows, and the deep forest breathes, there is so much more than what you may at first perceive.
If you cast your eyes downwards, right beneath your feet is a whole world of fungi, so hidden from sight, discreet.
But if you watch closely, little characters start to appear, and you'll begin to know the lives of the forest dwellers here.
[BIRDSONG AND HARP PLAYS]
Like courageous Penny, so curious and unafraid, who with her friends Shaggy and Truffle live in Mossy Glade.
One day she says to Shaggy, "I'm bored and uninspired!" Shaggy replied sleepily, "Maybe you're just a bit tired?"
"Nothing ever happens here, I want to go beyond our glade, to seek adventure and excitement, to go on a daring crusade!"
Truffle shyly spoke, "But where and what would we do? No one has ever left here, and why would they want to?"
Penny looked around her home, so safe and familiar. But instead she felt restless in this humdrum atmosphere.
"Perhaps they're right," she thought and sighed reluctantly. "There's always tomorrow, I guess, we'll go eventually."
As they settle down to rest, a noise is heard in the distance.
An ominous thumping sound, it was eerily persistent.
It got closer and closer, shaking the ground with each thud. They all felt the movement amongst the twigs, leaves and mud.
[THUD]
"What was that?" Penny whispered, but no one said a word. A hushed "Stay still and keep quiet," is all that she heard.
[THUDDING FOOTSTEPS]
[PIG SNORTS]
[THUDDING FOOTSTEPS]
"Truffle's been taken! Oh, what are we to do?" On every mushroom's mind is why, where and by who?
Mother Mycelia then spoke, so quietly and slow. "A human has taken him and that is all I know."
"Those taken in the past before sadly have never returned. So for all of those who are still missing, all we can do is yearn."
For a moment there was a silence, but Penny had to speak up. "We must go after him, we cannot just give up."
"But Penny, it is not safe, you don't know what's out there." The others tried to stop her, warning her to beware.
Then Shaggy steps forward after thinking for a bit, and says, "I will go too." No one can quite believe it.
"We shall journey together, Penny shan't be alone. Together we will find Truffle and bring him back home."
After some hesitation, Mother Mycelia agreed. She wished them good luck, giving advice that they should heed.
"Take care, dear ones. The old forest is deep. A place of great wonder, but where tricksters can creep."
"Keep your wits about you and listen to your heart. Work together through this journey and never be apart."
They lovingly bid farewell to everyone they know. They take one last look at Mossy Glade and step into the unknown.
[SOFT FOOTSTEPS AND RUNNING WATER]
The pair encountered a stream, it's deep and wide across, flowing fast and steadily. They feel at quite a loss.
"There's no way around, we can't swim against this tide." Penny felt determined but also scared inside.
"Penny - something's there. It's large and rather shiny. What if it tries to eat us? After all, we are quite tiny."
"We must be brave - think of Mycelia's words. We're strangers in these parts, we still have much to learn."
Before Shaggy could try and stop her, Penny stepped forward with a little cough. "Ahem. Hello there, river dweller, do you know a way across?"
The water stirred as if summoned with a wish. Emerging above the waves came a grand, grinning goldfish.
"Do not be afraid, young ones, I don't mean to scare you. I wish to know why you're here and where you seek to go to."
"The whole truth is, we're on a rescue mission. Our friend was taken, to follow was our decision."
The goldfish's eyes widened in awe and then he smiled again. "Oh, you brave little mushrooms. I will help you find your friend."
"I believe I know the thief you seek, a human with legs of blue. They stomped through here a while ago, with a snorting piggy too."
"Yes, that's them!" squeaked Shaggy, still feeling a little afraid. "Did you see where they went from here, or any of the tracks they might have made?"
The goldfish said, "Indeed, there's tracks left in the mud. They crossed the river here, churning the water as they trudged."
Penny looked down at the waves, feeling worry and dismay. "It's impossible to swim these waters, we'll just be swept away."
The goldfish's eyes then sparkled. "Who says you need to swim? You can jump across the lilypads, be careful you don't fall in."
"A genius idea!" exclaimed Penny, jumping eagerly onto a pad. Shaggy was a little hesistant, but soon took the leap she had.
[ # VIOLINS PLAY ]
"Thank you, dear goldfish! We appreciate your help!" They waved from the lilypad, bidding a friendly farewell.
[CRICKETS CHIRP AND BIRDS HOOT]
"Where are we now? It's awfully dark and gloomy. You can hardly see a thing or whatever might be looming."
"Don't fret, dear friend, you said this all before. Everything went so well last time, have some courage once more."
[FROG CROAKS]
"Oh!" They both jumped. "Sorry, we don't mean to intrude. We just din't see you there, I hope we're not being rude."
"Nonsense," smiled the frog, sitting on a rock topped with moss. "What are you mushrooms doing here, aren't you a little lost?"
Just like before, they explained their mission, to retrieve a beloved friend. The frog listened closely with an unblinking stare which never seemed to end.
"What a brave story indeed." The frog's head tilted slightly. "So lovely to eat - I mean meet you." [LAUGHS] His eyes were glinting brightly.
"I don't trust this frog one bit, so let's just be on our way," Shaggy whispered to Penny cautiously, he did not wish to stay.
"But he might be able to help us, and he's being so polite. Don't worry, just trust me - I'm sure he knows what's right."
The frog sensed their confusion and leant forward on his perch. "Just like you, I'm a fun guy. I can help you in your search."
"I have here a magic acorn which will guide you on your way. Come closer and take a look and then you'll believe what I say."
[VIOLINS PLAY, FROG CROAKS]
[FROG COUGHS]
[MUSHROOMS PANT]
"That was close," said Shaggy, breathing heavily from their run. "What an awful trickster! I suppose you can't trust everyone."
Penny felt so upset at her gullible mistake. "I should've trusted you, Shaggy. You knew he was a fake."
"Don't be sad," said Shaggy. "We're safe now, it's okay. We make mistakes for a reason, we learn to grow, that way."
"We're on this journey together and that's how we'll figure it out. We're the best combination: a bit of bravery and a bit of doubt."
[CHIMING SOUND]
"So what shall we do with this acorn?" "Ha! Magic? That's so silly."
"I'll keep it for now. It might become useful - though I doubt it, really."
"Where to next? We have no clue where we are!" "We've got to be somewhere close as we've come so very far."
[BIRDSONG AND INDISTINCT SINGING]
"Oh, wow! Just listen to that, what a beautiful melody! Perhaps she can help us, with a view from such a tall tree."
"Hello, there!" they called. "We don't mean to disturb you. We're looking for directions - coudl you spare a minute or two?"
The humming abruptly stopped, and downwards the pretty leaf gazed. She saw the two friends below her, smiling dreamily as if dazed.
"Oh, hello, little mushlings. How may I help you today? My name is Maple. So, you need me to show you the way?"
"We're searching for our friend whose gotten in some trouble. Taken by a man and a pig, our friend's name is Truffle."
"I do remember something, yes. They all passed through here. A man, a pig, and your little friend, who was quivering in fear."
"Quite recent actually, not a long time ago." Maple fidgeted restslessly, rocking to and fro.
"I'm trying to remember which way it was they went. Oh, why is this so difficult?" she then began to lament.
"Ooh! I think that they went that way, though I really can't be sure. Wait - I hear something in the trees - the wind is telling me more."
"Yes - I know which way they went. Out beyond the trees. So come along, my forest friends, come and follow me."
[ # VIOLINS AND BIRDSONG ]
She leads them out past the forest edge, over the fields of green. In the distance they see a house, so small it can barely be seen.
As she floats to the skies, her voice rings clear like a bell. "Journey on to the little house. Good luck - I bid you all farewell."
After a long trek across the hilly fields, the pair arrive at the house. As they acrefully step onto the lawn, they keep as quiet as a mouse.
[PIG SNORES]
"So what should we do? We've not thought this part through." They were both quite at a loss, unsure of what to do.
"Let's try and persuade the pig to set our Truffle free." "We'll have to wake him up though, so rather you than me!"
"Who wakes me from my slumber?" the sleepy pig grunted. He did not like his nap being so rudely interrupted.
"Excuse me, Mr Pig, we're very sorry to wake you. But we've travelled very far for a friend we seek to rescue."
"Why should I care?" he said rather grumpily. "I should chase you off this farm. Just go, and leave me be."
"But please, just listen, we don't mean you trouble. We just want to head home, with our dear friend Truffle."
"Oh, it's Truffle, you mean?" The huge pig spoke slow. "I worked very hard to find him, hunting high and low."
"I'm sorry to tell you but you can't have him back. My master wants to keep them and that's just a fact."
The mushrooms were distraught. Truffle trembled in fear. The situation looked bleak and that much was clear.
"We understand, Mr Pig, but there's something that you don't know. We have something of greater value, that we might be willing to let go."
His piggy ears pricked up at this proposition. "Alright. Tell me more - I'm willing to give this a listen."
"We have this magic acorn, given to us by a wise beast. It shows you anything you seek - be it north, south, west or east."
"How does it work?" asked the pig. "I want to have a go. To see every truffle, where they hide, I want to know!"
"You hold it very close to you, and shut your eyes tight. Think long and hard of what you seek and then you'll see the light."
"Give it to me!" he ordered, and Shaggy soon complied. He focused on the acorn, forgetting the truffle by his side.
"Show me all the truffles, so I can dig them out." His eyes were closed up tightly, acorn pressed against his snout.
[MUTTERS] Truffles... Oh, show me all the truffles..."
As the sun begins to set, the joyful friends head home, running through the fields and trees, retracing the route they roamed.
When all three reached Mossy Glade, everyone rejoiced. After such a time apart, every eye was moist.
Being back home safe and sound, it felt so sublime. They wouldn't want another adventure - not for quite a long time.