Annachie's Granny was small, old, grey and full of stories. Every week the old lady walked to the village with a basket of eggs to sell and things she had knitted. She always came back with stories. Stories from the butcher, stories from the baker, stories from the grocer. Annachie was nearly five years old and when she heard all these stories she wanted to go to the village too. "Can I come with you Granny?" she said. "Oh, the road is away too long for your wee legs, Annachie" "Please, please, please, please, Granny, please!" "I tell you what," said Granny. "When you can make the road shorter, you can come with me to the village." "Make the road shorter!" "Yes, Annachie, make the road shorter!" said Granny. "How can anybody make the road shorter?" "That's for you to find out, Annachie." And off Granny set once more for the village with her basket of eggs and apples and knitting and...without Annachie. Annachie watched Granny getting smaller and smaller as she disappeared down the long road to the village. Annachie thought and thought. How could anyone make the road shorter? The road was the road, every bend and twist and up and down and in and out and roundabout. How could it be shorter? Granny came back again with freshly baked loaves, groceries and stories, funny stories, a story about a witch, a story about a kelpie and one about the magic music of little people. Annachie wanted to go to the village with Granny more than anything in the world, more than chocolates, more than dolls or prams or a new dress. "Granny, maybe if we ran the road would be shorter." "Very clever," said Granny, "but not the answer." "Or if we cycled." "Clever, Annachie, but not the answer." And off Granny set again leaving Annachie alone to watch the old woman grow smaller and smaller as she disappeared down the long, winding road. Annachie couldn't bear it. There was no answer. She went to the barn, threw herself on the straw and cried and sobbed and sobbed and sighed as if her heart would break. Her big brother Peter heard this terrible crying and sobbing and sighing and came into the barn. Annachie was sitting in the straw cross-legged, head down, sniffing and snuffling and sobbing. "Hey, hey, hey, little Annachie," said Peter, "What is all this fuss and all these tears?" Great tears were running down Annachie's face. "It's Granny!" she sobbed. "Granny?" "She won't. (Sniff) She won't. (Sniff) She won't. (Sniff)" "Yes, Annachie." "She won't take me to the village till, (Sniff), till, till" "Till?" "Till I can make the road shorter. How can anyone make the road shorter? It's in and out and up and down and nobody can change that. It's not fair." "Hey, hey, hey," said Peter. "You can make the road shorter, I'm sure." "Can't!" "Yes, you can Annachie." "How can I make the road shorter?" "What does Granny like best of all?" "Tea, strong tea." "Nope, not tea." "I'll tell you. It's something that will never break. You will never lose it. It will never wear out. You can take it everywhere on every road. You can give it away and still have it. Every time you give it away it gets better and it will make the road shorter." "I know. I know. I know. I know!" said Annachie. And the very next time Granny was going to the village Annachie put on her shoes and coat and said, "Granny, I'm coming too!" "Oh," said Granny. "Can you make the road shorter?" "Yes," said Annachie, "so short you won't even know." "Alright," said Granny, "come along and we'll see." And off they set together. "Now, Granny," said Annachie, "Can you tell me what you get if you pour hot water down a rabbit hole?" "No," said Granny. "What do you get?" "Hot cross bunnies." Said Annachie. "That's good," said Granny. "Very good." "Once upon a time there was a big fat mountain hare and..." continued Annachie. "Once," said Granny, "There was a great Scottish soldier, a brave heart, called William Wallace and..." And on they walked. "Once there was a fox and..." said Annachie. And on they walked. "Did you know", said Granny, "That the Devil is a great bagpiper?" And on they walked. Granny and Annachie asked each other riddles, sang each other songs, told each other stories all the way to the village and back again. Even Granny agreed that the road was never so short.

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