The Little Crooked Shed 4: Harriet in Tanglewhim Hollow 🪄

Just before her ninth birthday, Harriet steps through an enchanted curtain into Tanglewhim Hollow — a world of magic, watchful badgers, and long-held secrets. Her magical journey is just beginning. 🧙‍♀️

Designed to spark imagination and help kids wind down, perfect for bedtime, car rides, quiet time, or any moment when little listeners need a relaxing break.

Transcript

Speaker: 0:21

Harriet in Tangle whim Hollow. Three days before Harriet's ninth birthday, she, James and Hazel stood outside the crooked old shed at the bottom of their garden. The shed had no windows and leaned slightly to one side with ivy curling up around the wooden door. Harriet knocked on the shed door once, twice, and waited for a moment. There was only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. Then with the gentle creek, a hatch opened in the center of the door. A familiar eye blinked out at them. Ah came Mr. Twigs voice cheerful and muffled through the wood. I thought I heard you. Three. He cleared his throat and recited a rhyme. Three children waiting. Let's see who's here. Knock on the door and the way is clear. Turn it left, not right my dear. That's the way to get in here. Hazel stepped forward without being asked. She gave a small smile. She'd done this before and turned the doorknob gently to the left with a soft click. The door swung open. They stepped into the warm book filled room with a fire glowing in the grate, and two squishy armchairs tucked in beside it. This was Mr. Cobble twigs waiting room. Familiar now, but still filled with a sense of excitement. Mr. Cobble twig, the badger stood in the middle of the room, polishing his pocket watch with a soft cloth. His whiskers twitched with delight when he saw them right on time, he said, with a welcoming smile, come along. Then he led them to the back of the room. Were a heavy velvet curtain, hung deep purple, thick as theater drapes and gently swaying even though the air was quite still. On the count of three, he said glancing at them over his glasses. 1, 2, 3. They stepped through the curtain and the world blurred and shimmered. They were no longer in the shed, no longer in the waiting room. They were now entangle whim once more. Surrounded by tall ancient trees in a forest that shimmered with enchantment. Mr. Cobble twig guided them along a mossy path beneath an arch of twisting branches until they reached a peaceful clearing where a circle of wooden chairs had been arranged beneath a great beach tree. The chairs were all carved from wood, none quite matching, and most of them were empty waiting. In three of the chairs sat three older women bats. Chatting quietly to one another. Each wore a shawl stitched with cymbals, moons, acorns, and tiny keys. One had a notebook on her lap, another port tee. The third was knitting a navy cloak. These said, Mr. Cobble twig are the keepers of the hollow. The badgers smiled warmly. Hello, children. Said the one with the notebook, we've been expecting you. Please do come sit with us. The children joined the circle and the badgers began to speak. Their voices were soft and steady, and the stories they told were like nothing the children had ever heard before. Harriet leaned in so far. She nearly fell off her chair. She didn't want to miss a word Long before witches had cauldrons and spell books said The notebook holding badger badgers were keeping things in order. We don't cast spells or fly on brooms. We're the quiet ones, the ones who keep things as they should be. There are six branches in our tree, said the knitting badger, ticking them off on her paws. Some badgers are door keepers, like our cobbled wig here. Others are riddle keepers, map keepers, key keepers, story keepers, and knowledge keepers. Harriet James and Hazel listened with wide eyes. Some children said the knitting badger, when they turn nine years old, the magic in their hearts begins to shine a little brighter, and we can see they're ready to learn the magic of Tango whim. Harriet's voice came out as a whisper. But how do they learn it? All The tea badger chuckle gently. It takes years and years, my dear, and no one ever learns everything, but it starts like this. The children study potions and crystals, herb brewing and broomstick making. They'll learn about enchanted objects, spoken spells, and later wand craft said the notebook badger. That's the witch side of things, but there's more to it than that. Added the map keeper. Fairies have their own way of teaching, so do goblins and even the trees if you know how to listen. Just then, Mr. Cobble Twig reached into his waistcoat pocket and pulled out a small white envelope. Then gently, he passed it to Harriet. She could see her name on the front, just her name. This is for your parents. He said softly. You may begin learning the magical ways of tangle whim every Saturday after your ninth birthday, but only with their permission. Harriet could not believe her ears. She stuffed the envelope in her pocket as quick as she could, not long after they were turned through the velvet curtain and made the short walk up the garden path where their mom was waiting on the back step. She smiled brightly when she saw them that night when James and Hazel were tucked up in bed, Harriet crept down the stairs with the envelope in her hand. She was nervous. What if her mom didn't understand? Her mother opened the letter and read it slowly. Then she looked up at Harriet and smiled i've been waiting for this. She said, I've got a letter just like it before my ninth birthday. Harriet's, eyes widened. You did. Her mum nodded. I found the portal too. Mr. Cobble's Doorkeeper even then a bit younger perhaps, but just as kind. She unclipped a small silver key from around her neck, the one Harriet had seen a hundred times. Then she opened a chest from under the stairs that Harriet had never seen. Inside the chest was a neatly folded small black dress and a matching pointed hat underneath these lay a parcel in brown paper tied with brown string. These were mine. She said, when I learned magic, and they're yours now. They should fit perfectly. Harriet was too surprised to speak and this said her mom handing her The parcel is also for you, but don't open it until your class begins. Harriet nodded. She wouldn't peek the end.