| Billy and |  | |||
| The Witch | ||||
| of Nidd | ||||
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In June 2009 The Travelling Talesman was employed by the Woodland Trust as part of a week of schools "Adventure days" at Nidd Gorge in Yorkshire. Several hours of exploration revealed four or five inspiring locations including a long narrow, wooden bridge across the river (which the participants would only see tantalising glimpses of during the morning's activities). |
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Using the inspiration from the woodland's features, several classic folktale elements, much thinking and several more hours of walking backwards and forwards to settle the route, the story of "Billy and The Witch of Nidd" came in to being: A guided story walk incorporating two large, old trees on either side of the river as important characters; a large open space by the river; two holly thickets; a puddle; a stone in the path; the wonderful bridge and a riddle for the participants to attempt to solve. When Billy ran from the witch, the audience ran. When the woodland closed around Billy, the woodland closed around the audience too. One participant said "This is great! It's like we're really in the story, it's like... I'm Billy... It's like we're all Billy!" Here is a Shortened version of the story which, including the walking, took about an hour. | ||
 Getting comfy at base camp |
A long, long time ago Nidd was a beautiful kingdom. The King and the Princess were kind and generous and the people loved them. One day a witch came and took over the kingdom. The King and the Princess disappeared. The witch started taking everyone's gold and set a huge bad tempered Troll to guard the bridge. She laughed at the people and told them they could never get rid of her unless they solved a riddle (No I'm not telling you the riddle, you may come on the walk one day and I wouldn't want to spoil it for you!). | |
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The people of Nidd decided to have a meeting but Billy, who lived out near the edge of the Kingdom, set off to ask for help from the Old Man Of The Woods. In return for some food, an old man gives Billy an egg, some salt and directions to find The Old Man Of The Woods along a rocky path down by the river. |  setting off with a skip in our step |  He meets an old man at the crossroads |
| The Old Man Of The Woods tells him to go to The Old Mother Of The Woods on the other side of the river, she has the keeping of the Horn Of Dawn which was blown on the first day of creation and if that horn is blown by the true king of Nidd then the witches power will be broken. He asks Billy to take a flask of water hidden amongst his roots to the Old Mother Of The Woods, give her his love and ask for the horn. It is magic water and may help him on his way. | ||
 The Old Man Of The Woods |  Billy heard an answer, not with his ears but inside his head |  "Can we have a go?" |
 Everyone in the kingdom was there | Billy travels back along the rivers edge until he arrives at the meeting where they point out that he can't get across the river because of the Troll. Then, the trees sway, the wind blows, the ground shakes and there is a sound like thunder as the Witch appears. She taunts them and recites the riddle before vanishing in a puff of smoke. | |
| Billy bravely heads off towards the bridge. When he gets there he is stopped by the Troll who recites a bone chilling rhyme. |  "This is my bridge" said the Troll | |
| Billy tricks the troll with the egg and salt that the old man gave him and while he is distracted Billy crosses the bridge (How? You wouldn't want me to give it away now. It's classic stuff though!). | ||
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Walking along the path by the river, Billy hears a muffled voice crying out for help and rescues a very small girl who was trapped under a stone by the witch. She offers to help and rides on his shoulder. As they get near their destination they hear the Witch coming and Billy runs wildly in to the Old Forest. Now they are lost and the forest closes in. It gets dark and scary. At last they wander in to clearing. where they try to sleep but it is cold and the night is filled with the sounds of strange animals. | ||
 "You can come, but it might be dangerous!" said Billy to the tiny girl. |  The trees closed in around them, pulling at their clothing... |  Lost and scared they lay down amongst the damp leaves. |
 "Please let us through." |
In the morning Billy and the girl set off again but soon encounter a holly thicket that seems to be blocking their path and closing in around them, cutting off their escape. Following the girls advice Billy uses the magic water, the Holly trees let them go and give Billy a leaf. | |
| They soon see a great, tall, ancient beech tree, The Old Mother Of The Woods. Billy delivers his message and pours some water on her roots. A crack opens at the base of her trunk in which Billy finds the Horn Of Dawn. |  Birds nest in her branches, insects live in her bark... | |
| Just then the they hear the Witch coming, Billy runs but the witch is gaining, they pour some of the water behind them and a marsh forms. The Witch is stuck on the other side. They run on but soon the Witch is close behind again. They throw the holly leaf behind them and a holly thicket springs up with the witch stuck on the other side cursing. | ||
| Billy and the girl run on until they get to the bridge where they are met by the Troll. He won't be fooled again and re-iterates his terrifying rhyme. | ||
 "You tricked me" he bellowed | The little girl solves the riddle which defeats the troll, the King is restored, blows the magic horn and defeats the Witch, thus freeing the Princess and saving the kingdom! And they all lived happily ever after. |  Anyone know the answer to the riddle? |
The Horn of Dawn echoes
through the Gorge
