TOCKO
Book Two of four

The Middle

The courtyard, the lemon tree, and a voice that comes back exactly once.

Four hands on the shut front door of Tocko: two small ones flat on the wood, pushing, and two adult ones on the handle above, lifting.

Thirteen complete stories, numbers 14-26 of fifty-two. This illustrated 8.5 × 8.5 in square hardcover edition is in production, with a Premium colour interior and matte cover.

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The thirteen games

Every story has its own illustration. One from this book is free to read and hear in full.

  1. Four hands on the shut front door of Tocko: two small ones flat on the wood, pushing, and two adult ones on the handle above, lifting.
    Story 14 · free to read

    Half A Door

    One of us does the push and one of us does the lift, and nobody gets to do both halves.

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  2. At the familiar Back Steps bin, Hod holds its light round lid just slightly above the rim while Pim stands alongside with both hands ready at the near edge, delighted and attentive.
    Story 15

    Bang Going Up

    Everybody in the world bangs the bin lid shut, so we are going to bang it open instead.

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  3. Pim stands at the Hall’s row of twelve brass letterbox flaps with her palm close to one flap and her wooden spoon down.
    Story 16

    Twelve Thumps

    Push all twelve letterbox flaps in one run down the Hall and get twelve thumps out of them.

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  4. Inside Number Three, Pim stands on the floor beside her low bed, arm reaching upward as she listens to the ceiling, wooden spoon in the other hand.
    Story 17

    Over My Bed

    I put my hand flat on the ceiling, and Hod has to stamp on exactly that spot until it knocks back.

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  5. Pim stands safely on the enclosed Drying Roof holding the accessible washing line, wooden spoon in her other hand, and listens toward the fixed pulley beside the zinc tank.
    Story 18

    One Pull

    Give the line one pull, call it wet or dry, then go up and see if you were right.

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  6. Pim listens inside the same linen cupboard beside folded off-white sheets and the exposed pipe, ear turned toward the pipe as she waits for two gulps from above.
    Story 19

    Two Gulps

    Shut yourself in the linen cupboard, get somebody to turn a tap off, and the roof will say gulp, gulp.

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  7. Pim stands in the Middle beside its single potted lemon tree, face tilted toward the ordinary windows around the courtyard, calling upward with one open hand near her mouth and her spoon in the other.
    Story 20

    Every Window

    Stand in the Middle and call up until a window answers you, and you only get until the windows shut.

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  8. Pim’s mum stands securely on the familiar wooden stair with one manageable cloth wash bag in each hand, listening for the tread.
    Story 21

    Both Hands Full

    Get the eleventh stair to squeak while you are the one standing on it.

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  9. In the same Middle courtyard, Pim stands on the cobbles holding her wooden spoon upright and calling the final word toward the open sky.
    Story 22

    Say Spoon

    Shout as much as you like in the Middle, but the word you want back has to be the last one.

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  10. Pim stands safely on the paving beside the bottom Back Steps, holding exactly four empty small plain glass milk bottles snugly against her front with both arms.
    Story 23

    Sleeping Brick

    Carry the whole lot down the Back Steps in one trip and get past the loose brick without a single grind.

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  11. Pim listens on the familiar stairs while Hod stands with his hands in his pockets.
    Story 24

    Hod's Squeak

    Only one foot on the eleventh stair at a time, and everybody has to come away with a squeak of their own.

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  12. Pim and Hod stand by the closed green cupboard door, listening for its one clunk.
    Story 25

    One Clunk

    Push and lift at the very same moment and the green door says one clunk instead of a rattle.

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  13. Pim and Hod take in linen a little at a time on the roof, beside the hanging bag of pegs.
    Story 26

    Peg By Peg

    Bring the whole loaded line in peg by peg with your hands on the line, and the pulley never gets to squeal.

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