If you have been following the travels of the flutterby patch blog-trotting sheep you will remember they have been staying in Ohio (USA). But now they have been invited to visit little Eli and their woolly cousins in Iowa who live with an ever growing family of
cute knitted dolls. As they don't have an ocean to cross (thank goodness), they have decided to walk all the way to the next blog
Knitting Tree.
However, their journey has barely started when they bump into a couple of items that appear to be lost.
The basket doesn't interest them much, but the sheep all agree that the strange black monster requires further investigation.
Brave Chalky climbs inside the monster's mouth but is afraid it might swallow him so he quickly climbs onto the long pole hoping to escape the ferocious jaws.
Suddenly he slips down the pole and with a loud 'SNAP' the jaws open even wider.
Now all three sheep are swallowed up and trapped inside. What a disaster!
A gust of wind spins them round like laundry in a washing machine.
They twirl and twist and then are suddenly tipped out.
"Perhaps it's not such a bad monster " says Chalky "it will make a great shelter from the wind and rain."
Eventually curiosity gets the better of Charcoal and he climbs onto the basket and tries to lift the lid.
But his efforts are unsuccessful and so Chalky suggests giving him a helping push.
With Chalky's help, Charcoal is able to open the lid and excitedly calls to the others that the basket is full of knitting wool.
What fun! Chalky and Rose join Charcoal in the basket and nestle down into the soft yarn.
And what a snug little house it makes.
The black monster, who all this time has been watching them, suddenly takes a mighty leap.
It's black handle catches hold of the basket
and before the friends can jump out of their new home they are lifted skyward.
And it seems another journey has begun.
Will the flutterby flock reach Iowa safely?
To be continued - the 10th and final journey will follow shortly.
