On a Sunday morning, the twins, Tom and Laura with their mum and dad, left theyÕre home to visit their Grandmothers. It was a regular trip and it only took half an hour to get there.

Gran was stood at the front door ready to greet them. As they entered the house, Gran told the twins they could go into the attic and play as long as they were careful. The children ran upstairs, knowing it was a rare treat to be allowed to play in Grans special place, as there were lots of old and fragile things up there! The twins were carefully going through a big wooden chest full of old clothes and toys, right at the bottom was a very big leather covered book.

It took both Tom and Laura to lift it out. They dusted off the cover and opened it. The writing was very old and squiggly. On the opposite page was a large colourful picture of a forest. Laura placed her finger on the picture saying to Tom, "IÕd love to go there!" Suddenly her hand disappeared into the picture! Startled, she pulled out her hand, looking at Tom. "Did you see that!" she said, "did you see my hand go into the picture?" Toms jaw dropped. "What do you think happened?" he asked her. "IÕm not sure" she replied, "shall we try it again?". Laura put her hand back into the picture, they looked at their watches, it was 10am exactly. As they started to climb into the book, Tom said, "just 10 minutes, then we will come out!" "O.K!" Laura replied. In a wink of an eye they were gone!!

They landed with a gentle bump on a grassy area just outside the forest. "LetÕs investigate" Tom said excitedly. They entered the forest. It was very quiet, not many birds were singing. The twins went deeper into the trees. Suddenly in a clearing they saw a small tree. As they got closer, Laura heard weeping. "Where is that coming from?" she asked Tom "It sounds like itÕs coming from that tree!" The twins approached the little tree. "Oh please help me!" the tree whispered.

Tom and Laura stopped in their tracks. They looked at each other not believing what they had heard. "I need water!" the little tree continued, "these big trees are taking all the water from the ground and they are also shutting off the sun with there tall branches!" Tom noticed how limp and droopy its branches were. "How can we help you?" Tom asked. "Take me to a clear place near some water" the tree answered. The twins carefully pulled up the tree and carried it to an ideal spot. It was just outside the forest on a bank near a stream. The twins replanted it. As it was having a good drink and swaying its branches in the sunshine, the twins asked the tree what type it was. "I am a weeping willow tree" it answered proudly.

The children decided to leave the forest and return to the attic. The weeping willow waved its branches shouting "Thank you, Thank you very much!" The twins climbed out of the book and quickly checked their watches. It still showed 10am! Time has not moved. They smiled at each other, knowing they could enter the book at any time and not be missed!

As the children looked back at the page, something was different. On the edge of the wood stood the weeping willow tree, just where they had planted it. Also at the bottom of the page writing had appeared, it read:- The weeping willow is usually found on riverbanks or near ponds. It grows its branches downwards as if it is reaching for the water. Tom and Laura looked at each other and smiled. They put the book back in the wooden chest and joined their parents downstairs. They decided not to tell anyone about the book, it would be their secret! As they drove home, the twins could not wait to visit grans next Sunday for another exciting adventure.