Toby wasn’t like the other Crochelves. While many loved forest paths or tunnel hideaways, Toby was born with seafoam in his soul. With minty trousers like the canal’s shimmer and a nose for watery secrets, he patrolled the dockside with his hand-crocheted lifebuoy and boots laced tight with shiprope threads.
One windy afternoon, Toby spotted a flicker beneath the canal water—a soft sparkle like a dreaming star. Curious and cautious, he called for backup using the old Crochelf whistle passed down from the time of the Narrowboat Pixies.
Soon, his old friends came paddling over:
Gertie Mudwhisk, the wise frog Crochelf with a mossy green coat and lily-pad satchel.
Finn Tinkertail, the tiny tinkerer with fish-scale buttons who once repaired a boat engine using only dandelion fluff and willpower.
And Lula Loopfizz, a soft-eared Crochelf who rode dragonflies and painted dreams on watery surfaces.
Together, they dived into the mystery.
Deep beneath the Ellesmere locks, they discovered something incredible: a buried chest of glowing crochet-crystals, each one humming with old boat songs. The Crochelves had long forgotten these—they were woven with spells by the first Crochelf sailors to protect the waters from greed and pollution.
But now, those waters were waking again… and they needed protectors.
Toby Tidemuffin was chosen to be the Keeper of the Buoy, the one who would lead the Canal Crochelves in guarding their glowing treasures, singing old boat songs on moonlit nights, and helping lost sailors—both human and magical—find their way.
From that day on, you might glimpse him bobbing near Ellesmere Port on misty mornings, boots clicking softly, lifebuoy swinging, as he hums a lullaby only Mersey spirits understand.
So if you walk near the docks, and feel a warm presence or spot a tiny bootprint shaped like a wave—know that Toby and his friends are near. Protecting. Guiding. Crocheting magic into every ripple.
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