Enchanted hair

Ann Jones was my best friend Lisas itsy-bitsy sister. She had not made some(prenominal) particular impression on me. Among the children in her class she was not known for brightness at her lessons, or for liveliness in class. But, by the time Lisa mouth to me some her, I was aware of Ann as a particularly stable and pleasant girl. Stable seems an suspicious word to describe a six-year-old, yet it seems to be her vital quality. She was always polite and friendly.Her appearance was no way exceptional, yet there was something neat active her. Her shining hair was fair, beautifully brushed and neatly plaited her big fair-haired(a) eyes were always serious to what was going on. She seemed a model pupil, and, though she never came top in any subject isolated from spelling, she seemed unlikely ever to cause her parents or teachers the slightest worry.It was, therefore, a big surprise when Lisa came to see me, clearly distressed, one night just as I was about to go to bed. Tiffany, Im sorry to trouble you so late, moreover Im worried about Ann, I dont know what to do for the best.About Ann? I was really amazed. But shes the quietest little girl I know.I know and shes always been at home, but just lately somethings got into her.Well, every(prenominal)one goes phases, I began vaguely. Whats wrong with Ann?Its to do with her hair.Her hair?Then it did come about to me that for the last week or two, Anns hair had not been so shiningly neat.What about her hair, then, Lisa?Well, I dont know how to put it so you wont think either I or my sister is crazy I noticed that Lisa had tears in her eyes but shes got this notion that theres people living in her hair.A lot of possibilities flashed by means of my mind. Youre quite sure, Lisa, that its not a simple case of nits, or something like that?Tiffany How could you think such a thing? Anns always washed her hair every night. Her hair does always look clean. I give tongue to quickly, so I wont offend her.Well, if t hat is the case, you dont think its possible that she imagines she has something of the sort? Kids sometimes have such odd worries.No, tiffany, no, its not like that. No, its people she says are living on top of her head. In among the hair, she says the hair seems like a forest to them.Shes playing a wager with you, Lisa, I suggested. A game it may be, sir, but its dead serious to her, Lisa said worriedly. Every day I have the job, to get her hair brushed. Dont do that, Lisa, youll drive them out of the forest, she says, and screams and screams. And lately, Ive begun to wonder if shes going mental. All about chariots, armies and temples, its not right, it really isnt. And sometimes what she says doesnt make sense at all, I squirtt understand anything she says, and shell go on like that for hours.Did you mention this to Dr Somers?Well, I did. I didnt take Ann to the surgery because I thought It may scare her, I just told him, and he moderately snapped my head off and said she was a perfectly healthy child and not to fuss him with a bit of kids play.Well, what did you want me to do, Lisa?Oh, tiffany, if you could just piffle to Ann about it a bit She thinks the world of you could just reason this nonsense out of her head She looked at me rather blankly, so I promised that I would see what I could do. Supposing I take Ann for a walk, tomorrow, after school. So it wont seem like an interview.Tiffany, I dont know how to thank you -I pointed out that I havent done anything yet, but she went away clearly relieved to have pushed the responsibility on to somebody else, even if only temporarily.Next afternoon Ann agreed, to take a walk with me. I thought there was no sense in putting off the question, so as soon as we were away from her house, I said, Your sister asked me to talk to you, about this idea you have that er, that people are living in your hair.She looked up at me calmly, with a surprisingly adult expression in her grey eyes, and said, Yes, I thought p erhaps she had.I said, gently, not wanting to seem unsympathetic or mocking, What sort of people are they, Ann?She answered at once, Theyre a kinfolk of Gauls, the Veneti. They were defeated, you see, by the Romans, in a big sea-battle, and driven out of their homes. They built a new town, but then it was destroyed it sank in the sea. And so they salt away up what they could of their belongings and now they live in my hair. Its like a forest to them, you see.I was startled, to say the least.But, Ann how did you come to know about the veneti?I can hear them, talking through my skull.I said, How could they all get on to your head, though?She gave me a look as closely approaching to impatience.Things seem a different size, dont you see, when theyre in different places. If I saw you a long way off youd look small, wouldnt you? Or if I saw you beside a huge monster. Her eyes widened, and I remembered that, after all, she was still only a six-year-old.What sort of run-in do they ta lk, these people, Ann? I wondered where she read or perceive of the Venti, who, I recalled, had been conquered by Caesar in Brittany.Well, they talk two languages, she told me. batch you remember any of the words?She spoke a load of words, which was meaningless to me full of x sounds and ch sounds.And what is the other language?She then startled me by replying, Una salus victis nulam sperare salutem (there is but one safe thing for the vanquished not to hope for safety).Where did you hear that Ann?One of them up there said it.Can you remember any more?Quid nunc it per iter tenebricosum Illuc, I said it with her, unde negant redire quemquam.You know that too? she said, turning the grey eyes on me.I have heard it, yes. What was the peoples town called, the town that sank in the sea?It was called Is.Can you hear them now? I asked.Yes. Just now their holy men are very worried, she said, turning to me, frowning she looked oddly like her sister.Why are they worried, Ann?They have signs from, the ones who can tell the future, that there is going to be another very bad contingency and that they are going to have to move again, and all the people with their things. Oh she cried, I hope Mum isnt going to cut off all my hair She said she might do that Please tell her not to, TiffanyAll right Ann, dont worry. Ill tell her.I, needless to say was wondering what to do, and hardly looked where Iwas going. Which is why I didnt hear the car till it was right behind us.It was young, feckless Jack Fish. Hes now in jail, doing time for manslaughter.People said Id had a breakdown after that, and everyone was very sorry for me. But actually its a lot simpler. What happened was, the Veneti transferred from Anns head to mine.