Chapter 4
The task

They ran for ages and ages hoping to find a safe place to rest but in the end they passed out and the dew covered grass rushed towards their faces as they silently collapsed.

When they awoke they felt the steady and warm breathing of an animal but instead of being a large lion or a hungry wolf there stood a unicorn, a rather small and very delicate unicorn who unexpectedly said:

"You have a long and difficult task ahead of you. You will find instructions and directions under the fifth tree from the right of the seventh tree from the broken gate." And then [he] disappeared into thin air.

"What did that mean," asked Joan.

"Well I can work it out if only we can find a broken gate," replied Chris, and then together they walked along looking for a broken gate. But their search was in vain, for in two hours time they came to a wood and sat down to have a snack that Joan had wisely remembered to pack.

After the snack Joan went into the woods to look for berries[?] but Chris said that it was too strenuous and lay down to have a sleep. Two minutes later Joan came running out, shook Chris but was too excited to speak so she beckoned to him vigorously. Chris got up and mumbled:

"If this is just a giant berry bush I'll never forgive her for waking me up."

"There ...!" said Joan finally and "lo [and] behold" there was a broken gate.

Chris forgot his temper and counted seven trees that ran in a straight line leading from the gate. When he reached the seventh Chris turned right and counted five trees and then stopped.

"What are we supposed to dig with?" asked Joan.

"I don't know unless it's our hands," replied Chris and knelt down to start digging. After a while Chris saw something metal behind a tree and said:

"Joan ... go and see what's behind that tree over there."

"Where? This one?"

"No, more to your right."

"This one?"

"No, go back two trees. Yes, that's it."

"Chris, it's two shovels."

"Where? I don't believe you," Chris called back.

But it was ... Joan came out from behind the tree smiling and carrying two shovels made of sturdy iron and stout wood. Together they dug furiously and soon found a small wooden box and inside were two pieces of paper. On one was a map; the other was a sort of note that read:

And on the back was another note that read:

Original pages