Foreword by the Author
The following 'dictation' was given to me in the early hours of one morning in 1982.
'The name 'Corky' has tremendous appeal. It was put into your mind to help you write a book for children which will be a vehicle to express heavenly truths to adults without them realising it. This task will be a great joy because you will be seeing such beauty with your inner eye. Nevertheless it will require time and effort and sometimes there will be the temptation to lag by the roadside; but make the effort and rouse yourself and know that this is your destined task and do it joyfully. Remember, there is no sadness in the realm you describe.
Corky is the searcher after truth and he always maintains his own ideas. 'Why' and 'How' are his continual questions.
Make great use of humour, especially punning which children love. Do not make the chapters too long. Let there be mutual respect between animals and humans and try to bring out the important values of love and honesty and trust (childlike qualities). Stress that adults are not always right. They loose their awareness - no longer stand and stare and become self conscious - afraid of what others think. A child is more frank even if this is devastating!
Write the truth - no covering up. Always fair play - each character gets its deserts, happy ending. Justice is done.
Stress the forgiving spirit and the forgetting, never bearing malice. This is part of heavenly love, and the willingness to help others.
Rhyme is important, and the sound of words. Corky is not a didactic Victorian story. There must be subtle suggestions inserted in a humorous way so that the reader is firstly to laugh, then to realise the importance of what he has laughed at. This requires skill and must not appear to be contrived.'
Margaret Holmes
