Squire Bidecombe's Tree

“The tree, Henry” Squire Bidecoombe pointed out, “That is the root of our inconvenience. Once a year the whole church yard is assailed by acorns. Everywhere they are. The tree must go.”

In the year of Our Lord One Thousand Six Hundred and fourty six in the village of Tharnet, just before dawn, Henry Bracebridge was about to cut down a large oak tree at the request of his squire. The following events would be recorded in the annals of the village of Tharnet for hundreds of years to come.

* who (or what) is the man in the oak?

*How do you get two horses across a toll bridge without paying?

*Is Mother Alice really just a sweet old lady.. or something else entirely?

“Ah.”said Alice. "The Man in the oak, eh? Let us see what he wants then” she said, and closed her eyes...