Fern Hollow is a wonderful place to live. Ask Professor Sigmund Swamp or old Brock Gruffy to tell you about their lovely little village and they will talk all day and yet hardly have begun.

They will tell you that Fern Hollow nestles at the foot of the trees of Windy Wood and that through the village runs the sparkling ribbon of the River Ferny.

The animals of Fern Hollow are all good friends and neighbours, and if you are a stranger they will make you feel at home in next to no time.

In this title:

All the Fern Hollow animals are excitedly preparing for Sports Day - it is sure to be lots of fun. Of course, things never go smoothly and there are a couple of little snags! First, the prizes are almost lost in the river and then a big black cloud and pouring rain put in an appearance. It looks like Sports Day will have to be called off but then Lord Trundle has a bright idea.

At Trundleberry Manor, Lord Trundle packed the Sports Day prizes into a trunk and carried them out to his car... Suddenly, as he was driving over the bridge by the Jolly Vole Hotel, Lord Trundle's car hit a big stone lying in the road.

It was such a hard bump that the trunk containing the prizes shot off the roof rack and, with a great, SPLOSH landed in the River Ferny.

Luckily the trunk floated, but it was soon caught in the current and swept away down the river.

"Oh no!" panted Lord Trundle, rushing along the river bank. "Whatever shall we do?"

This is one of the stories from original series one of the 17 titles in the 1980s classic Tales from Fern Hollow series. This gentle story, written and illustrated by John Patience, has eight detailed, colourful and cheerful double-page spreads depicting the animal characters of the village of Fern Hollow, tucked away somewhere in the countryside of Edwardian England. As the inhabitants of Fern Hollow go about their daily lives, there are small adventures to enjoy and little mishaps to overcome. Everyone lends a helping hand and there's always a happy ending - and usually a feast for everyone to share in celebration.

The map on the endpapers helps children find their way around the village and appeared in every single title in the Fern Hollow series. Children really love the map and enjoy pointing out where all their favourite Fern Hollow Characters live and all the stories take place.

These stories of animal folk have an enduring charm. A generation of people who had the Fern Hollow stories read to them as children have now grown up and are buying the books to read with their own children, nieces and nephews. Parents who read the books with their children back in the 1980s are now enjoying them all over again with their grandchildren.

The charming Fern Hollow stories have remained popular since they were first published in 1980.