Sigmund's Birthday Surprise — John Patience

Fern Hollow is a wonderful place to live. Ask Professor Sigmund Swamp or old Brock Gruffy to tell you about their lovely little village and they will talk all day and yet hardly have begun. They will tell you that Fern Hollow nestles at the foot of the trees of Windy Wood and that through the village runs the sparkling ribbon of the River Ferny. The animals of Fern Hollow are all good friends and neighbours, and if you are a stranger they will make you feel at home in next to no time. In this title: Due to a mix-up with parcel labels, Sigmund Swamp accidentally receives a real live crocodile for his birthday. The creature escapes and causes pandemonium around the village.The birds were singing and the early morning sunshine was glinting through the trees as Mr Periwinkle the mailman came driving along the lane in his mail van. Normally, Mr Periwinkle did his rounds on his bicycle but this morning he had an especially large birthday present to deliver to Sigmund Swamp. It was a long wooden crate, and rather strange snorting noises were coming out of it!Carefully, Sigmund began to prise the lid off the crate. As he did this the snorting noises from inside grew louder and louder, until at last the lid popped open and out crawled an enormous crocodile! This is one of the stories from original series two of the 17 titles in the 1980s classic Tales from Fern Hollow series. This gentle story, written and illustrated by John Patience, has eight detailed, colourful and cheerful double-page spreads depicting the animal characters of the village of Fern Hollow, tucked away somewhere in the countryside of Edwardian England. As the inhabitants of Fern Hollow go about their daily lives, there are small adventures to enjoy and little mishaps to overcome. Everyone lends a helping hand and there's always a happy ending - and usually a feast for everyone to share in celebration. The map on the endpapers helps children find their way around the village and appeared in every single title in the Fern Hollow series. Children really love the map and enjoy pointing out where all their favourite Fern Hollow Characters live and all the stories take place. These stories of animal folk have an enduring charm. A generation of people who had the Fern Hollow stories read to them as children have now grown up and are buying the books to read with their own children, nieces and nephews. Parents who read the books with their children back in the 1980s are now enjoying them all over again with their grandchildren. The charming Fern Hollow stories have remained popular since they were first published in 1980.