In the crisp, fresh autumn, when the frosts have just begun, and the leaves of the trees whirl and twirl and swirl in the breeze, and strength ebbs away from the sun, the children of Gatshire, like those of anywhere else, catch the snuffles. When this happens, the grandmothers of Gatshire like nothing more than making their grandchildren drinks from the rosehips that are so prolific here. Rich in vitamin C, a rosehip decoction is a powerful reinvigorating tonic highly efficacious in helping the body fight coughs and colds. Boil some water and add three to four ounces of the fruit per pint. Leave the water boiling for around fifteen minutes before turning the heat down and allowing it to simmer for an hour. The water will turn a colour similar to that of a robin’s breast. Strain and serve hot or cold. If you must have a sweetener, use honey. Alternatively, you can combine the rosehips with other fruits, such as blackberries and redcurrants, or nettle leaves.

Nothing pleases the grannies more than seeing the little ones enjoy the sweet beverage, some downing it showily in big, attention-seeking gulps as if in a race for seconds, others taking tiny sips to prolong the pleasure. As the youngsters swallow their medicine, their grandmas sit them on their knees and tell them stories. Many of these describe how bad the county’s ‘little people’ are, and the grannies derive nearly as much enjoyment from the expressions on the infants’ faces when they hear the tale of the pixies who kidnapped the miller’s daughter, or the elves whose callous plan to heat up the Earth so much that Gatshire never had snow again was foiled at the eleventh hour.