The Dancing Bush

Jud helps his father in the topiary garden of the local manor, where he is tormented by Annabella, the malicious daughter of the owner. He infuriates her by ignoring her taunts, finding solace in the cultivation of a woman-shaped bush. But when he begins to fall in love with his creation, he unwittingly provides his persecutor with an opportunity to vanquish him. Vivien Alcock provides a sharp depiction of adolescent nastiness brought up short by robust decency. The denouement of the story, where the magical elements collude and collide with the human struggle, is somewhat confused and unconvincing, but dramatic enough to almost maintain a suspension of disbelief.