Ivana Franciškovic’ Mister Oddwood Copyright © Naklada Nika, 2011. Publisher Naklada Nika Amruševa 10, Zagreb tel./fax.: 01/557 85 50 e–mail: info@nakladanika.hr www.nakladanika.hr Editor Kata Ivankovic’ Maric’ Prepress DTP - Naklada Nika Illustration and cover design Gordana Ivkovic’
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Like many places in this world, Meritown has its own legend. The legend of Oddwood. Mister Oddwood. Everyone knows of Oddwood.
But no one has seen Oddwood. There are all kinds of stories about Oddwood. Stories about Oddwood living in the hollows of trees. Stories about how no one knows exactly how old Oddwood is.
There are all kinds of stories about Oddwood. And no one really knows Oddwood.
The thing is that everything related to Oddwood is somehow assumed. It is assumed that Oddwood once lived in the city.
It is assumed that Oddwood was once called Norman and was a totally, totally, normal guy.
It is assumed that every morning and every evening Norman would sit on his balcony and talk to the birds. Many birds lived in the trees around his house, and he knew them all and talked with them whistling.
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And then cars appeared in Meritown.
And everything went black for Norman.
It is assumed that it all went black because of the smog and asphalt. It all went black for Norman.
Suddenly, Norman became a freak. It is assumed that it hit him so hard that he fled straight into the woods. And he never returned to the city.
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Since then, stories have been circulating. Norman had moved from his apartment to the hollows of trees. Norman had started eating berries and leaves.
Norman had drunk water from a spring and ceased to age. All kinds of stories were circulating.
Norman from the woods became Mister Oddwood. And no one has seen him since. ***
Every spring, there is a festival in Meritown.
It’s a flower festival in the streets and squares, on the window sills, balconies and fences, and in the yards.
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The Flower Festival is when no one drives cars in Meritown and everybody tries to show that theirs are the most beautiful flowers of all.
Every year, little Robbie’s mum also hopes to win an award at the festival. But, try as she might to grow the most beautiful flowers in her garden, the award somehow always passes her by. This makes her very sad. This year, Mum is sad and the Festival has not even started yet. In fact, she got sick from the flu last winter and instead of lying in bed to recover, she spent icy mornings in the garden, looking after her roses. And as soon as it passed, the flu came back again, but this time mum had to stay in bed.
While little Robbie was taking care of his mum, the roses froze.
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