The Game of Shepherd and Dawse
Published 2016 by William Shepherd at Smashwords
Copyright © 2016 Ramox productions
Web: www.shepherdanddawse.com
Ramox productions have asserted their moral right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with sections 77 & 78 of the copyright, designs and patents act 1988
British library cataloguing in publishing data:
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British library
ISBN 978-0-9954710
Cover design by Dan Williams
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any other form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise, whether currently existing or yet to be developed, without prior written permission from the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not ,by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, or hired out or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior written consent, in any form of binding, cover or format other than that it is originally published, and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser
The characters names, stories and events in this book are fictitious. Apart from some general facts, any resemblance to actual events, locations or persons living or dead is purely coincidental
Contents
Chapter One: Shepherd Wood
Chapter Two: Mr Sadsoul
Chapter Three: Dickie Duckley overplays his hand
Chapter Four: Aman
Chapter Five: Finding Aman
Chapter Six: A hideous knowledge comes to light
Chapter Seven: The home help
Chapter Eight: The hunt begins
Chapter Nine: Nettie
Chapter Ten: What were they to do?
Chapter Eleven: Mr Bibble and the 3c gang
Chapter Twelve: Juju
Chapter Thirteen: Sally Sour makes mischief
Chapter Fourteen: Sally drives in the coffin nails
Chapter Fifteen: Nettie wanders off
Chapter Sixteen: Dawsey Dale
Chapter Seventeen: Sally Sour rides again
Chapter Eighteen: Michael Stains
Epilogue: The Theory of Shepherd and Dawse
Bridal manor. Those happy little pills
About the author, about the editor
Definition of a Shepherd
Shepherd, noun (PEOPLE)
A person who encourages others along their life paths, especially in kind, helpful and caring ways.
Definition of a Dawse
Dawse, noun (PEOPLE)
Those who hurt, maim and destroy the people around them and the environment they live in.
CHAPTER ONE
SHEPHERD WOOD
“Beautiful things can only stay beautiful when beautiful people are looking after them”. ~ The inhabitants of Shepherd Wood
The inhabitants of Shepherd Wood were extremely content. Shepherd Wood was a naturally idyllic haven for them. Deep in the middle of the wood was a large open glade where deer, antelope, oxen and many other animals roamed freely and served the needs of the inhabitants. Running through the glade was a beautiful river that was plentiful in fish, and alongside the river were beds of reeds for making everyday items such as baskets, thatch and all manner of things. The people lived on one side of the river, and on the other side was an area where the communal meetings were held and where the evening’s entertainment would take place. Despite the different activities on either side of the river, it was only one community and it was at peace with itself.
Shepherd Wood stretched for mile after mile, and it supplied all that any community could need. The trees in Shepherd Wood were greatly loved and respected by all the inhabitants. Every single person who lived in Shepherd Wood had their own tree, when a child was born they would wait until they could walk and they would be taken on a tour of the wood. The first tree that the child tapped with their hand or sat up against would be known as their tree and they would grow over the years in the same way that their tree grew. Sometimes people would even consult their tree for guidance by sitting with it and meditating for an answer, which sounds a little silly to us but back then people knew about the consciousness of trees and the knowledge that they held. Because everyone had their own tree they had a sense of connection with nature right from the day they were born which meant that they always lived in harmony with nature.
There was another reason why the peoples of this time valued and respected trees so much and that was because the tress provided so much of the nourishment that they needed and also provided so many of the materials that they used on a daily basis.
Every year the whole community would harvest the forest and replenish their food stocks for the coming winter. They would harvest Hazelnuts and sweet chestnuts which would be kept for themselves and also to feed to the wild pigs which would give the meat a very nice flavour. They would collect apples, pears plums and cherries which would be dried and stored for a later date.
They used the oak trees for the structures of their houses and used crushed acorns to make flour with and an ancient style of coffee. They used the ash tree to make charcoal with and handles for tools and bespoke furniture. They used birch trees to make containers from its bark and they would tap the tree for its resin and to make wine from.
There was also a great supply of berries and vegetables which would be harvested every year, while always leaving plenty for the regeneration of the forest. Shepherd Wood was a living, breathing supermarket that had practically everything that anyone could want or need and so long as the woodland was managed in the proper way, it would always stay that way.
All in all, Shepherd Wood was a truly wonderful place and all who lived there deeply appreciated its many wonders. The inhabitants lived in peace and they were in equilibrium with their surroundings, ensuring they never spoiled nature’s masterpiece.
Shepherd Wood didn’t have 'rules' as we know them today. People acted out of pureness and a kind-hearted instinct so there was no need to have a rule of law. If by mistake somebody upset someone else, their higher self would get around to alerting that person and they would then make amends. In turn, if anyone was upset by someone else’s actions, it wouldn’t bother them for long, as they knew it wasn’t intentional and there was no ill feeling amongst any of them.
In regards to work, everyone pitched in. Laziness was not a habit that plagued Shepherd Wood. If a person did wake up one morning and didn’t sense enough energy for working, they simply wouldn’t work that day. No one would look at them any differently, as everyone knew the chores would still be done in good time. People in Shepherd Wood were not told what chores they had to do and everyone just did what they were most attracted to. If you happened to really enjoy fishing, then that’s what you did or if sewing was your enjoyment, then you did sewing to earn your keep. Working like this ensured that whatever you did, you were inspired to do so and you did it to the best of your ability. Most importantly you enjoyed your trade. If at any point you decided you fancied a change, then you would swap with someone else. This happened quite a lot in Shepherd Wood and was encouraged, which meant that almost everyone was multi-talented.
Upon a nearby plain, lived people of all ages and styles. The elders were respected for their knowledge and experience, and the younger inhabitants were respected for their energy and enthusiasm. Wisdom, experience and knowledge were passed down from one generation to the next, including ways of hunting, sewing, building and so on. The air was always filled with contentment and happiness of a kind that few today have the opportunity to e
xperience and up to the start of our story, this pleasant way of life had been going on for several thousand years. However, as history has often demonstrated, this utopia was not to last.
Even though the time in history was 13,000 thousand years ago, the technology possessed by these people was in many ways far superior to the technology we know today. But unlike our current technology, which is all based and built around the use of electronics, the technology these people possessed was a more earthy-type of technology. That is to say, these people had mastered techniques of manipulating earth, wood and stone. There were all manner of devices these people used and many we would not be familiar with today. It is truly amazing what one can do with earth, wood and stone when those are focused upon as your sole materials.
Over time, many of these techniques and technologies would be lost, aside from a small handful that did manage to be passed down through generations. The inhabitants of Shepherd Wood also had a vast knowledge of apothecary herbs, weather and astrology. Again, some of this knowledge survives today though most has been lost to the ages.
The dwellings that residents of Shepherd Wood lived in were not the kind of mud huts one might suspect from this period. Rather, they were quite technical abodes that each owner had specially built and no two houses were the same. Each house had everything in it that one might need for maximum comfort and maximum functionality. They all had very comfortable beds, relaxation areas, cooking areas and a sanitation system that would make us today look a little backward. The stoves were very cleverly designed too, in such a way that almost no heat loss was created. Therefore, you needed only the smallest amount of fuel to use your stove for cooking and heating – about a tenth of what we use today.
Within each house dwelt no more than four people, as no family had more than two children which is what kept the population in even balance. The style in which the houses were built can now be seen in today’s era, as people have once again started to build in this very fashion which is ecological, unique and cost effective. As the consciousness of people is again now starting to awaken, it would appear that an old memory of home building is resurfacing. We know them today as pixie houses and earth ships.
In Shepherd Wood, the houses were built in circles of seven, with six of the houses facing inward toward a communal recreational area and one of the houses facing outward, which in itself completed the circle of another circle of houses. Every circle was interlinked to the circle next to it by one house and in this way kept the entire community linked together.
The area in which these people really excelled, far ahead of the peoples of today, was in the spiritual realms. There were all manner of things these people could do, which in current times are things many of us have only heard rumors about and far fewer of us could ever hope to experience for ourselves.
Everyone in Shepherd Wood had the gift of telepathy, without exception but in varying degrees, which meant the surrounding plain was much quieter than any village or settlement would be in today’s times. People could speak verbally, of course, but this was done more for fun than anything else and the language that was spoken was of a very poetic nature. There were no arguments or rowdy conversations or hard disagreements because people were not selfish in this society and the aggressive male ego was all but extinct. People took what they needed to take and never took what they didn’t need. There was no greed because no one felt the need to have more than any other or be better than anyone else. Everyone was respected for the person they were and the gifts they possessed. Every person focused their time on the betterment of themselves and when they weren’t focusing on themselves they would be helping someone else on their journey of self-improvement.
Everyone in Shepherd Wood had a gift and everyone had a trade: some made clothes, some made cooking utensils, some made handy little devices to use in the home and some made jewellery. It all depended on what sort of trade you were drawn to the most. No one was ever forced into doing something they didn’t want to do.
During this era on Earth, nothing was ever bought or sold. If a young couple was starting out and needed to build themselves a house and kit it out with all the necessary things we all need, then people would pitch in and help them build it, if building was their trade. Then at a later date, that young couple who had been helped would make something for the person who had built their roof for example, when the roofer was in need of something.
There weren’t books or diaries in which people kept a log of who owed what to whom, as there was no need. It was a pleasure and honour to be able to help your neighbour or friend and to be able to say you added a certain amount of your own energy into their home or possessions. People always looked forward to being able to repay a gift with a gift. The whole of Shepherd Wood society was founded and based on giving, not taking.
To feed themselves, the inhabitants relied on a hunting and gathering system. The amount of food that was consumed was much less than we eat today because of the amount of goodness in the food and the fact that there was no such thing as pollution. Those who couldn’t hunt or gather would help with the preparation of the bounty or the clean-up afterwards. This was something every resident took part in, from young to old, as nourishment was something each of them needed daily.
The few who couldn’t take part in any way shape or form due to old age or infirmities were no longer of any use to the community but this wasn’t seen as it would be today. To no longer be of any use to the community was an honour as it showed that you had lived every last part of your being. When a member of their group got to this stage of not being able to contribute, they usually wouldn’t have long left to live and certainly didn’t want prolong the passing over process.
When an elderly person decided their time was due, they would sit in their dwelling and neither drink water nor eat food. During this time, all of their friends would come in turn to their house and share the fond memories they had had with them and wish them well on their journey. It would be one last joyous occasion for them to enjoy.
No one would mourn for them when they passed over. Instead, they would celebrate that person’s life. They would be cremated and their ashes would be buried at the base of their personal tree. It was said that a tree could often take on some of the characteristics of the person who was buried there and if someone missed their friend who had passed over, they would go and sit with that person’s tree for a while until they missed them no more. It wouldn’t be until much later in history that people were forced to suffer their end days in some of the most horrible ways possible, being led to believe that life alone was more important than the quality of it.
On the other side of the river was where all of the meetings, gatherings and celebrations took place. The main meeting hall had been constructed in an amphitheatre style, allowing everyone to be able to see what was going on. The seating part of the theatre had been sunken into the floor and had several levels of steps. This gave the meeting hall great insulation during the colder months and kept it cool during the summer months. The roof was made with lots of bendy and long thin twigs that had been woven together in a way that water couldn’t penetrate. The twigs could be harvested from certain trees all the time without damaging the tree and gave the meeting hall a unique looking roof.
Between the ground and the underside of the roof were wooden hatches that could be opened or closed depending on the temperature. Inside the theatre there were many different types of cushions and pillows that had accumulated over the years and had been individually made by different people that wanted to add their energy to the theatre. The theatre was also where all learnings and education took place and where the Wise Council would hold their meetings.
The education of this time was far different to the social programming forced upon us today and, most importantly, everything that was learned was used to great effect by the person wishing to attain their new knowledge. The sort of things that were taught and learned were things like meditation, astral projection, hea
ling techniques and how to make or repair things that could be of use to other people as well as themselves.
They held sewing workshops, pottery classes, woodturning classes, jewellery and costume making sessions, healing classes and any other workshops that nourish the soul.
By far the most popular class that was held was the dream day class. To take part in this class, you would have to stay awake all night the night before. Classes would start at 6 am, when you would find a comfortable spot to lie down and slowly drift into a dream. Every 10 minutes, the dream catcher (the person in charge of the class) would very gently hit a gong and by doing this, the day dreamer would stay in the brain pattern of theta mode and not fall into the deep sleep of delta mode, giving each person an abundance of dreams.
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