The enormous blackberries

Elinor Otterly loves exploring, and living in a small house with a big family means that she's sometimes rather glad to get outside! While having quadruplet baby siblings and her brother, Elliot, can be fun, it's nice to go and play with her friends and enjoy the outdoors.

Elinor gets to the meadow first, with Saffron Furbanks. They've invited some of their friends to join them, and pick blackberries to take home and make into yummy pies and jams. "I can't see any yet," says Saffron. "Hey! Polly, Lola and Maia are here. I'm sure they'll have spotted a good patch."

Polly Robinson, Lola Lopez and Maia Nutt are excited to join the expedition. They've all brought various baskets and containers from home to keep the fruit safe. "Hi!" calls Maia, "Seen any berries, yet?"

"Not yet," replies Elinor. "I'm sure there's time,"

"Sorry! My basket's heavy!" shouts Macie Sweetbriar, who hurries to join the others. She and Marlie Ramsey have been walking together. "I've not seen any yet."

The girls get together and quickly discuss plans. "I think we should have a look on our own. But nobody go too far, OK?" Marlie suggests. "Shout if you find anything."

They agree, and split off. However, there don't seem to be any blackberries left! "Maybe Mrs Dappledawn picked them all for her famous blackberry tarts," muses Macie, as she looks around. "I love those, but there's no fun in just buying them! I don't want to go home with my pot empty."

Elinor feels disappointed, too. "I can't see any," she grumbles. She's borrowed Isla Goodfellow's toy cart, in the hope that she would be bringing back a load of sparkling, juicy fruits. 

Suddenly, Elinor's eyes catch something. A huge, glossy blackberry, the biggest she's ever seen! And then another, then another!

"Everyone! Look, look here! I've found some! And they are HUGE!"

Elinor's friends scamper over with their various baskets and carriers, and squeal with delight, as they see hundreds of beautiful, fat blackberries all across the meadow. 

"I can't believe how big this one is!" exclaims Marlie, "It's filled Mother's biggest mixing bowl!"

"These are the biggest blackberries I've ever seen!" Saffron says, unable to believe they are real. "You could make a whole pie out of just one of them!"

"Wow! They are heavy!" says Lola, "I can't wait to taste them!"

"I'm going to get Mother to help me make a blackberry pie for Oscar's birthday," Maia decides. She and her little brother are the best of friends, and she knows he'll love hearing about this adventure, later.

"I don't think even Grandma Ursula has seen anything like this, and she's got more stories than anyone I know!" Polly says, gathering pawfuls of yummy berries.

"Wait until my brothers see these!" squeaks Macie, filling her basket up. "Milo will be so excited!"

"I can't wait to show Mother! And grumpy old Elliot said we wouldn't find anything after Grandma Dappledawn and her friends went picking last week!" Elinor says, happily. "I'm going to share them with my family."

Finally, they can't fit another berry in their baskets, and they're tired out from trotting through the long grass all afternoon. They put their haul down, and admire it proudly. "The best blackberries in the world!" Lola laughs. "Well done, everyone!"

"Good job in finding them, Elinor!" Maia agrees. "You must have been so surprised!"

The girls sit down in front of their hoard, and nibble away, while chatting about their plans for the fruit. Everyone has a different idea for what she will make. They might have a picnic with all of their delicious treats.

At home, Elinor is excited to show her hoard to her family. The quadruplets squeal with joy when they are given one of the huge blackberries to share. Ethan, Esme, Eric and Esther adore their big sister, and are thrilled that she's sharing her find with them. 

 

Even Elliot has to look impressed as Elinor tells her parents and brother all about the adventure. Alice cuts up one of the blackberries and they all munch on the sweet fruit as Elinor describes the pretty meadow that they were discovered in. 

That night, as she falls asleep, her paws still a little stained purple from the juice, Elinor's little furry tummy is full of delicious blackberries, and she snuggles under her blankets as she recalls a very happy day. 

I hope you enjoyed this story- it was a beautiful day when I took the photos, and I hope it kicks off autumn nicely if you live in a similar climate to the UK. I took the pictures in my own garden and picked the blackberries around my local area! We later made a scrumptious blackberry pie with the berries so nothing was wasted!

What fruits grow near to you? Have you taken your critters out into the wild? Let me know!

(I made shamefully little for this story- I made Elinor's blue cart, the tartan bedding in the last photo, and a few odds and ends you can barely see in the Otterly's home!)

Fox xx