Darby is questing! Episode 1/25

"Hello, Darby!" called Martha from her perch on her basket handle. "Are you hunting as well? We've hit a marvellous patch of beautiful eggs here! Do come and join us!"
Gwendolyn, shooting up suddenly like a downy ghost from behind a shrub, where she had been attracted by the sight of a colourful egg, seconded her friend's proposal. "Yes, do join us, Darby! We thought we'd head down to the riverbank. Nobody seems to be searching down there."
Darby happily agreed, and joined his companions in the hunt, swinging his collection bucket.

Darby is questing! Episode 2/25

Darby, Martha and Gwendolyn made their way down to the river's edge. As they were excitedly exploring the bushes and undergrowth and adding to their egg collections, their attention was caught by a rowing boat floating along the bank towards them. It bumped to a stop just where the little group was gathered, all staring wonderingly at the huge yellow egg propped up in the bow. "Open Me" invited some large gingerbread letters, and on top of the egg was a cunningly folded note.
"Good gracious me!" remarked Gwendolyn. "Whatever is going on? I wasn't expecting this!"
Darby looked round for a hidden camera—he wouldn't put it past the more rascally members of the PnF Land population to play a practical joke on the unsuspecting trio! However, he saw nothing amiss, so joined in assisting the other two in lifting the large egg off the boat and between them they pethandled it onto a clear patch of grass. They found the egg was made of tough plastic, and despite the enticing "Open Me" instruction, they were totally unable to do so!

Darby is questing! Episode 3/25

Darby hurried back home to drop off all his eggs collected so far and to fetch a wheelbarrow to aid the trio in moving the big plastic egg. When he returned with it, the three of them carefully manoeuvred the egg into the barrow, then took it back to a peaceful spot beside the newly built bunny house where the river was at its widest. Darby perched on a handy rock, and Gwendolyn unfolded the note and read aloud its message:
The egg stays closed—I know you’ve tried
To bring to light what lies inside.
Seek—that’s if you have the zest
The next clue of our Easter quest—
Two pastel doors in terraced row
With skylights—numbers (prime) below.

Darby is questing! Episode 4/25

Gwendolyn said that if the three of them were to take part in a quest of any length, they would need sustenance, and that she would prepare a nice packed lunch of potato and leek soup, to be carried in a Thermos flask, cheese and pickle sandwiches and some Battenburg cake.
"That's splendid," said Martha. "Thank you very much! But we must discuss this clue. So—where is there a row of terraced houses with pastel painted front doors? We'll probably have to search all of PnF Land!"
"Oh, I knew where they were when it mentioned the fanlights," said Gwendolyn. "My aunty lives in a house like that. She always says it's a total nightmare to clean the fanlight."
"What's a prime number?" queried Darby.
"It's a number that can only be divided by 1 and itself, Darby."
Darby looked dismayed. "There must be millions of them! Do we have to go down each road with a calculator?"
Martha reassured Darby. "None of our roads is that long. Anyway, we'll check out Gwendolyn's aunty's road first."

Darby is questing! Episode 5/25

Sooner than any of them had expected, they found themselves in front of the pastel-painted doors with prime numbers marking them. And there awaiting them, was another neatly folded clue! Unsticking it from the door, they retreated to enjoy a sandwich for elevenses and to consider where next they might be sent.

Darby is questing! Episode 6/25

Seek next the house I here describe:
A home with South American vibe—
But more Colombia than Brazil—
Orange walls; a metal grille
Across each pane; outside a pair
Of palm trees lend a tropical air!

Darby is questing! Episode 7/25

"This is a lovely house," mused Gwendolyn. "Very different from the run of the mill dwellings around here."
"That's very true, but let's crack on with the next clue!" said Martha.
Darby hurried forward and took the folded paper from the door handle.
Two formal homes in Georgian style
Oft found within the Sceptred Isle
A fanlight set above the door
And columns to each side—what more?
One in blue, one yellow paint
But is it Number 10? It ain’t!

Darby is questing! Episode 8/25

"What does it mean?" asked Darby a little plaintively.
"It means we have to look for two houses that look like the residence of the UK Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street," translated Martha.
"How will this help us be able to open the egg?" complained Gwendolyn.
"I don't know," responded Martha. "But we'll have to make careful notes and look for the unexpected. Is there anything unusual about the front door of 10 Downing Street? Perhaps it's hinting that it's the same with our egg."
They all turned and scrutinised the plastic ovum as if willing it to speak.
A short while later they had tracked down the two houses and located the next clue!

Darby is questing! Episode 9/25

The trio took the clue into the park to study, and coincidentally found a few more wonderful little eggs! Then they settled down underneath an oak tree, Gwendolyn distributed mugs of leek and potato soup, and then unfolded the next clue:
'A tale that grew whilst in the telling':
A cosy, comfy, spacious dwelling;
Into hillsides they were dug
And furnished well, were warm and snug!
Do you a round front door admire?
Then find this haven from the Shire!

“Easy!” said Darby. “It’s the Hobbit-hole!”
Gwendolyn had become thoughtful. “I wonder if there’s a theme going on about doors with handles plumb spang in the middle of it?”
“Make a note of it and we’ll mull it over,” said Martha briskly. “Meanwhile, if you’ve all finished your soup—it was delicious, thank you, Gwendolyn—we’d better get going.”

Darby is questing! Episode 10/25

Arriving at the Hobbit house, they spent some time running round admiring it.
“Why don’t more houses have round front doors?” queried Darby.
“I think they’re a bit impractical by reason of the physics involved, Darby,” responded Martha. “But I agree, it looks lovely.”
“There’s the next clue on the garden table,” interposed Gwendolyn. “I wonder where it will take us next?”
They gathered round to read the clue. “Wow!” remarked Darby. “This is certainly different from all the others so far!”

Darby is questing! Episode 11/25

Crossing the park with their yellow plastic egg, they ran into a Rhode Island Red Rooster, who demanded to know where the egg had come from. Excitedly, Darby told him all about their strange quest and how they couldn’t open the yellow egg however hard they tried. Darby showed the Rooster the handle on the egg and the line all the way round its circumference, which had resisted all their efforts to pry it open.
Rooster snorted. “Poppycock! Eggs don’t open in a neat line round the middle. They open where their contents want them to open.” He stalked off.
The trio stood rooted to the spot, baffled.
“Make a note, and let’s move on,” said Martha crisply after a while.

Darby is questing! Episode 12/25

Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky
Little boxes all the same
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same
And the people in the houses all go to the university
And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same
And there's doctors and there's lawyers
And business executives
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same
And they all play on the golf course and drink their martini dry
And they all have pretty children and the children go to school
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university
And they all get put in boxes, and they all come out the same
And the boys go into business and marry and raise a family
And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same
There's a green one, and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same.

Darby is questing! Episode 13/25

The trio had quite a way to go to the next house, and they traversed unfamiliar terrain. Gwendolyn became exasperated by some iguanas basking on the sandy track.
"Shoo, shoo!" she cried. "I nearly stepped on you then!"
"They're very well camouflaged," remarked Darby.
"Yes," said Martha thoughtfully. "Hidden in plain sight, as it were."

Darby is questing! Episode 14/25

You’re nearly through this little quest!
Now we’ll seek a cosy nest
It wouldn’t suit a tall giraffe!
Or even of its size a half
Just five feet wide and ten feet high*
Perhaps ‘twould suit a dragonfly!

The little group found this remarkable little house with no difficulty and Gwendolyn took the next clue from the door.
*(183cm x 310cm)

Darby is questing! Episode 15/25

The trio repaired to the park, to finish off the rest of the cheese and pickle sandwiches and to study the clue stuck on the door at the smallest house.

A round front door of sunshine yellow
A garden that is sweet and mellow
A porthole in the wall gives light
Inside the house all’s clean and bright.
Curl up by the crackling fire—
Is this one more from the Shire?

They stopped to say hello to a group of guinea pigs busy with lunch, and gave them a chocolate egg each.

Darby is questing! Episode 16/25

As they walked on, Darby said idly, "You know, it's funny—did you see that apple one of the guinea pigs had been eating earlier? A human munching an apple will take bites all the way round until they're left with just the core. A guinea pig just starts at the top and works its way down, eating the core and all in the process. It looks most odd!"

Darby is questing! Episode 17/25

In your hideout near the pier
Change into your swimming gear
Shelter take when wind’s a-blowing
Grab a snack to keep you going!
This wooden hut above high tide
Bears the Scottish flag outside.

"Simples!" declared Darby. "Let's get to the beach huts!"
On the way they paused on the cliff walk to greet a hungry bunny munching grass.

Darby is questing! Episode 18/25

Here it is: the final clue
You’ll all be ready for a brew!
Or something stronger? Find this bar
The view inside is quite bizarre
And to the first floor leads a stair
Is any of it really there?

The little group fell silent as they considered the document.
"A bar that isn't there?" queried Darby, bewildered.
"I think I know where this is," said Martha. "Come on, let's go!"

Darby is questing! Episode 19/25

"It's all false!" squawked Gwendolyn. "It's not at all what it seems!"
"It's very convincing, isn't it?" marvelled Darby.
Martha had gone very quiet. Her companions looked at her in some concern. The macaw was staring at the plastic egg. "What have we learnt today?" mused Martha.

Darby is questing! Episode 20/25

They could almost hear the cogs whirring! Not all doors were the same—impracticalities of a round front door, hinged at the side—eggs don’t open in a neat line round the middle—they open where their contents want them to open—top down—a door can be the height of the house—10 Downing Street can only be opened from the inside—hiding in plain sight—things aren't always what they seem—beware of optical illusions ...

Darby is questing! Episode 21/25

"Got it!" cried Martha suddenly, making Gwendolyn and Darby jump. "This egg does not open where we've been led to believe. It opens from the top down. Wait a minute!"
She hopped on top of the egg, made a brief examination, then made a couple of pecks at the egg's surface near her claws. The egg started trembling slightly, and Martha hurriedly flew down to join the others, who were watching in awe! Slowly the egg split into two halves vertically and before their eyes a metamorphosis started to take place ...

Darby is questing! Episode 22/25

Darby, Martha and Gwendolyn were back at the bunny house, after a very long day of adventure.
"I'll put the kettle on," said Gwendolyn. "I'm sure we could all do with a nice cup of tea."
Darby perked up. "I don't suppose there's any more of that Battenburg, is there?" he ventured.
Gwendolyn agreed that there might well be, and disappeared. No sooner had she brought a loaded tea tray back to her companions when they had a visitor ...

Darby is questing! Episode 23/25

There, grinning sheepishly, was a cream-coloured bunny, clutching a few flowers in her paws. These she presented to the little group of pets. "I hope it wasn't too much of a bore finding out how to open that egg," she said.
"No, not at all it was fun!" said Darby. "But tell us—who was it who set those clues? And why were some apparently nothing to do with solving the mystery?"
"Ah," said the bunny. She beckoned conspiratorially with her paw. "Come closer, all of you."
All agog, they clustered tightly round their new friend.
"I don't know," whispered the bunny.

Darby is questing! Episode 24/25

"Anyway, just see what the egg shell turned into! This is amazing," remarked Martha.
They all turned and admired it. It was indeed incredible!

Darby is questing! Episode 25/25

"Darby, we'd like you to have this special Ukrainian egg for coming along with us today," said Martha.
Darby was lost in admiration of the beautifully decorated egg. What a fun egg hunt this had turned out to be!
Darby has solved the mystery of his egg! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also take part!