No it couldn't be. I turned to Craig, he must have known what I was thinking, he nodded and smiled.
"The Wiseman will help you, he helps everyone."
"What! I don't know what you are talking about, you point to this old statue and say he is here to help me but his mouth isn't moving when I hear the voice."
Again that voice "And never will you see my lips move, but don't be mistaken for I am here, yo hear me in my head, it's the way I communicate, always has been, always will."
This was weird, it didn't sound like the voice was in my head, it sounded like it was coming from someone right next to me, I watched The Wiseman closely, nothing, as still as the stone he was.
"Most disbelieve the first time we speak, but somehow they come back time and again." The voice was peppered with a smile. I didn't know what to say.
"Now how can I help you? Some come just to sit, most come with something on their mind."
"What do I do?" I turned to Craig.
"Just relax and speak, out loud if it help you but you can do it in your head too, wither way he'll hear you."
I took a deep breath, this was madness but hey I'm still young and learning about the world, maybe this was normal after all?
"I need to find something that's lost, but I don't know what, in a wood, but I don't know which one."
All was silent, no answer. I turned to Craig. who was scratching around in the ground, before opening a little piece of yellow cloth he'd dug up and unwrapping a monkey nut.
"I can't hear anything."
Craig looked up from the monkey nut he was de-shelling.
"Don't worry he would have heard."
Another minute passed with everyone still sitting in silence, eventually The Wiseman's voice spoke to me;
"It appears a mystery in riddles and yet somehow I don't think that is your way, no wonder you are confused Lil' Cat! Do you seek answers for yourself Lil' Cat or do you seek them for another, that is the question!"
I was getting rather impatient.
"Would you please call me by my name David-Shiro or David whatever you prefer, everyone keeps calling me a little cat and I know I am but I don't need reminding of it!"
"As you wish, but are you sure, a reason and a rhythm in every riddle?"
"Oh you are as confusing as Greego The Pixie is!" If I was of the type I would have stamped my foot.
The Wiseman's voice smiled at me, "So you've got yourself mixed up with Greego have you. No wonder you are confused, clever Pixie."
What! I squinted trying to work out what he was talking about.
"What do you mean clever Pixie, he can't have been that clever to have lost something and not know what it was or where it was?"
Craig looked shocked at the way I was speaking to The Wiseman and slightly shook his head and lowered his head as if to say don't.
"Something you will come to learn about Pixie's, they may talk in riddles but they are some of the cleverest creatures in all the land and no more so than Greego. He knew exactly what he was doing, a Pixie always does!"
"I don't understand?" I turned to face Craig and then back to The Wiseman.
"Think about it David-Shiro, a fine name by the way, very apt considering what's ahead of you. Go on really think about it, Greego knew exactly what he was doing when he set you this task."
"But I don't understand he said he lost something in a wood but he couldn't remember what was lost or in what wood."
"And then what did you do?"
"I told George about it."
"Yes, and then what?"
"And George told Craig."
"Um, go on." The Wisemans voice had softened to almost a hum.
"And Craig said he would help me search."
"Yes."
"And he brought me here to you."
"Exactly!"
I sat there still not understanding. The Wiseman must have realised.
"What is Greego, apart from being a very clever Pixie. Listen to what you know?"
I sat and thought for a while as Craig continued munching on his nut.
"He's a riddle maker?" I hesitantly answered.
"Exactly!" The Wiseman replied, "And what is a riddle?"
"Confusing, that's for sure."
The Wiseman laughed, "Yes it is, that is very true."
I felt more comfortable after hearing his laugh. "Well a riddle is saying something, giving an answer without giving it. Am I right?"
"Yes Lil' Cat, sorry David-Shiro. I think you are very right.So let me pose this question to you. If Greego hadn't set you a riddle, where would you be right now?"
"Oh that would be easy, I'd be tucked up in bed on my warm blanket."
"So you wouldn't be...?"
"I wouldn't be here." Hang on something within my catty powers spoke to me.
"You mean Greego wanted me to be here?"
The Wiseman's voice relaxed even more, "A fine answer David-Shiro, a fine answer indeed."
"Greego wanted us to meet?" The penny was dropping "And so he set this whole thing up?" I was confused as to why he wanted to do that and angry at being played.
I knew it couldn't be The Wiseman was made of stone but just for a second, maybe a millisecond it appeared that he nodded before he voice rang out in my head.
"Now the next question I would be asking myself in such a position is why?"
"The Wiseman will help you, he helps everyone."
"What! I don't know what you are talking about, you point to this old statue and say he is here to help me but his mouth isn't moving when I hear the voice."
Again that voice "And never will you see my lips move, but don't be mistaken for I am here, yo hear me in my head, it's the way I communicate, always has been, always will."
This was weird, it didn't sound like the voice was in my head, it sounded like it was coming from someone right next to me, I watched The Wiseman closely, nothing, as still as the stone he was.
"Most disbelieve the first time we speak, but somehow they come back time and again." The voice was peppered with a smile. I didn't know what to say.
"Now how can I help you? Some come just to sit, most come with something on their mind."
"What do I do?" I turned to Craig.
"Just relax and speak, out loud if it help you but you can do it in your head too, wither way he'll hear you."
I took a deep breath, this was madness but hey I'm still young and learning about the world, maybe this was normal after all?
"I need to find something that's lost, but I don't know what, in a wood, but I don't know which one."
All was silent, no answer. I turned to Craig. who was scratching around in the ground, before opening a little piece of yellow cloth he'd dug up and unwrapping a monkey nut.
"I can't hear anything."
Craig looked up from the monkey nut he was de-shelling.
"Don't worry he would have heard."
Another minute passed with everyone still sitting in silence, eventually The Wiseman's voice spoke to me;
"It appears a mystery in riddles and yet somehow I don't think that is your way, no wonder you are confused Lil' Cat! Do you seek answers for yourself Lil' Cat or do you seek them for another, that is the question!"
I was getting rather impatient.
"Would you please call me by my name David-Shiro or David whatever you prefer, everyone keeps calling me a little cat and I know I am but I don't need reminding of it!"
"As you wish, but are you sure, a reason and a rhythm in every riddle?"
"Oh you are as confusing as Greego The Pixie is!" If I was of the type I would have stamped my foot.
The Wiseman's voice smiled at me, "So you've got yourself mixed up with Greego have you. No wonder you are confused, clever Pixie."
What! I squinted trying to work out what he was talking about.
"What do you mean clever Pixie, he can't have been that clever to have lost something and not know what it was or where it was?"
Craig looked shocked at the way I was speaking to The Wiseman and slightly shook his head and lowered his head as if to say don't.
"Something you will come to learn about Pixie's, they may talk in riddles but they are some of the cleverest creatures in all the land and no more so than Greego. He knew exactly what he was doing, a Pixie always does!"
"I don't understand?" I turned to face Craig and then back to The Wiseman.
"Think about it David-Shiro, a fine name by the way, very apt considering what's ahead of you. Go on really think about it, Greego knew exactly what he was doing when he set you this task."
"But I don't understand he said he lost something in a wood but he couldn't remember what was lost or in what wood."
"And then what did you do?"
"I told George about it."
"Yes, and then what?"
"And George told Craig."
"Um, go on." The Wisemans voice had softened to almost a hum.
"And Craig said he would help me search."
"Yes."
"And he brought me here to you."
"Exactly!"
I sat there still not understanding. The Wiseman must have realised.
"What is Greego, apart from being a very clever Pixie. Listen to what you know?"
I sat and thought for a while as Craig continued munching on his nut.
"He's a riddle maker?" I hesitantly answered.
"Exactly!" The Wiseman replied, "And what is a riddle?"
"Confusing, that's for sure."
The Wiseman laughed, "Yes it is, that is very true."
I felt more comfortable after hearing his laugh. "Well a riddle is saying something, giving an answer without giving it. Am I right?"
"Yes Lil' Cat, sorry David-Shiro. I think you are very right.So let me pose this question to you. If Greego hadn't set you a riddle, where would you be right now?"
"Oh that would be easy, I'd be tucked up in bed on my warm blanket."
"So you wouldn't be...?"
"I wouldn't be here." Hang on something within my catty powers spoke to me.
"You mean Greego wanted me to be here?"
The Wiseman's voice relaxed even more, "A fine answer David-Shiro, a fine answer indeed."
"Greego wanted us to meet?" The penny was dropping "And so he set this whole thing up?" I was confused as to why he wanted to do that and angry at being played.
I knew it couldn't be The Wiseman was made of stone but just for a second, maybe a millisecond it appeared that he nodded before he voice rang out in my head.
"Now the next question I would be asking myself in such a position is why?"
