Legend has it, that there is a special tree in a place called Padley Gorge that only grows one branch every one hundred years. Many people have tried to get this branch, because a wand made from it would be very powerful. Under the tree there lives a very wise old badger. Anyone after the branch off the magic tree, had to first please the badger with a gift. If not he would turn them into a frog.



A blacksmith in the next town heard about the badger and the magic tree. Every day the blacksmith laboured hard at his craft. ‘If I had a wand from that tree, I wouldn’t have to work so much’, thought the blacksmith. Hence, he took a lump of metal and heated it up. All day and all night the blacksmith worked away, melting, pounding and shaping the metal into a beautiful horse. ‘The badger won’t give me the branch for a metal horse’, the blacksmith told himself. Therefore, he painted it gold and used two glass diamonds for the eyes. “There, that will fool the badger”, said the blacksmith.

The next day the blacksmith went to Padley Gorge on his horse. He searched high and low until he found the tree deep in the woods. The badger came out to greet him.

“Hello, Mr. Badger.” said the blacksmith.

The wise badger greeted his visitor, even though he knew what he was after.

“What do you want?“, grumbled the badger.

“I am the blacksmith from the next village. All day I work very hard hammering ore in my hot forge. I thought if I had a magic wand made from your tree I could do my work with magic instead of straining my aching back.”

Badger thought the blacksmith did have a fair reason for wanting the sprig, so he asked him if he had a gift for him.

“I do” said, the blacksmith, pulling out the golden horse.

The badger ran over to look at the beautiful object. He took it from the blacksmith, then looked at it very carefully. The badger pulled a small wand out from inside his thick fur coat, and tapped it on the horse. Slowly, the gold paint began to run off it onto the ground, and the horse reverted back into a lump of metal. The blacksmith, seeing this started to run away, but it was of no use. The badger said a magic spell turning him into a frog.

When the blacksmith’s horse returned home without him, his wife knew something was wrong. She sent a young boy in the neighbourhood to Padley Gorge, to look for her husband. Two days later the boy returned and gave her a message from the badger.

“A fool I am not, so you cannot fool me. So, I turned your husband into a frog.”

Horrified by the news, the wife came up with a plan to get her husband back. She was very gifted with a needle and thread, so she took a fine piece of silk and cut it into a heart shape. Then, using gold thread, she embroidered it with flowers and added small pearls around the edge. Next, she used a velvet ribbon with which to hang it. The wife went to see the badger carrying her heart of gold. The badger thought it was exquisite and gave the blacksmiths’ wife the branch from the magic tree.

Having no experience with woodworking, the wife took it to a carpenter. She asked him to make it into a wand. He told the wife to come back in a couple of days. The carpenter, who was a very greedy man, wanted the wand for himself. Consequently, he made a second one from an ordinary twig. Then he painted it black to make it like the one from the magic tree. When the blacksmiths’ wife returned for her wand two days later, he gave her the phoney one.

With the new wand tucked up her sleeve, the blacksmiths’ wife went back to see the badger. He came out his den, “You again, what do you what?” asked the grumpy badger. “My husband back.” said the wife and she pulled out the wand and said a magic spell, to turn the badger into a toad. However, it didn’t work! The wife looked down at her hand which was now covered in black paint! “Why that lousy carpenter.” she mumbled just before, she too was turned into a frog.

For many years, the carpenter profited from the wand he had stolen. His fine carpentry work was in high demand. King Richard George, wanted to decorate his new ballroom. He heard about the carpenter and asked him to come to his palace. He asked the carpenter to fill the ballroom with exquisite furniture and carve wooden rosettes and angels for its ceiling. The carpenter agreed on one condition, that no one was allowed in the ballroom, not even the King, until the work was done. To this the King agreed.

For two years, the carpenter went to the palace every day, pretending to work. News of the Kings new ballroom reached the badger, who knew the carpenter had stolen the blacksmiths’ wife’s wand that was made from his magic tree.

On the day of the first ball, the badger went to pay the king a visit. When the badger walked into the ballroom the music stopped, and everyone turned around and looked at him.

“What do you want, badger?” asked the King.

The badger told the King that the carpenter had tricked him, and that his ballroom was made of sticks. This didn’t make the King very happy. “What kind of a fool do you take me for?” The King asked the badger. He walked over to a chair, picked it up, and slammed it down in front of him.

“You’re telling me that this elegant chair is just a pile of twigs! Why that’s nonsense!” laughed the King.

“If I can prove what I say, would you give me all your treasure?” asked the badger.

The King thought the badger was a fool. “Of course, I will give you all my treasure, and the horses to carry it.” he laughed.

“Then bring me the carpenter.” asked the Badger.

The Kings’ guards went to fetch the carpenter. He had no idea why the King had asked for him. ‘Maybe, he wants to thank me for his ballroom and furniture’, the carpenter thought.

When the carpenter arrived, everyone looked at him. He thought it was odd that no one was smiling, while a heavy silence filled the air.

“Did you use magic to make this ballroom?” asked the King.

“Why, of course not your majesty.” answered the carpenter, bowing low.

“See, badger, what did I tell you.” informed the King.

“Your Highness, you said you would give me a chance to prove to you that you were cheated. Are you a man of your word?”

“Of course, I am.” replied the King in an angry voice.

“Then, I will go ahead.” said the badger.

The badger pulled out his own wand and swished it around in the carpenters’ direction. A wand appeared out of the carpenter’s jacket. It floated up towards the badger who recited a spell that destroyed the wand with one big bang. This reversed any magic that came from the wand. The fine furniture and carvings in the Kings’ palace quickly turned into sticks and twigs. The King was mortified.

“We had a deal your highness, and you being a man of your word, I wouldn’t want to say otherwise.” said the not so ‘foolish’ badger.

With a room, full of people, the King had no choice but to give the badger all his treasure and the horses to carry it.

Therefore, the fortune along with many horses went with the badger to Padley Gorge, where for many years, he lived like a king, and had a lot of fun defending his treasure and magic tree!

Rib-bet, rib-bet.