Mucking About

We are in Ireland and its an awfully long time ago. Centuries and centuries. The country is supposed to have gone Christian, but theres still magic in the air, salmon in the rivers, berries in the bushes, druids in the forest, a Worm in the lake, fairy music in the distance.\r\n\r\nManchans mother wants to make a monk of Manchan. Manchan most emphatically does not want to be made a monk of. Hed rather sing songs with his father, or go fishing with his friend, Pagan-of the-Six-Toes, or go charging through the forest with his pet pig, Muck, or go bare-back riding over the bog on the chieftains mad ram, Balor. Anything fun or adventurous or magical, and absolutely nothing to do with turnips, penance, prayers, monks and chanting. \r\n\r\nPoor Manchan! The more he mucks about having fun, the more his mother is determined to tame him.