The four hares gathered around a fire. Nyl, General Rasquer, Cloudy, and Gist sat in Mossflower near Salamandastron. Gist gave one of his crooked grins. "I say, why don't one o' ye tell a bally story?" Rasquer stood up and cleared his throat. It was many season after the attack of Flashblade. "I think I'll tell a bally story. I 'as a moral, doncha know. Kinda sad story." Nyl looked up the General. "Well, on wi' it. We aren't get'n younger, ya know!" Rasquer straightened up and began.
"A bally Eagle was soaring through the air when suddenly it heard the whiz of an arrow, and felt itself wounded t' death. Slowly et flutter'd down t' th' ground, with its life-blood pour'n out o' it. Looking down upon th' bally arrow with which it had been pierced, it found that the shaft o' th' arrow had been feathered with one o' ets own plumes. 'Alas!' it cried, as it died, 'We often give our enemies the means for our own de'truction.'"
Rasquer sat down as the hares applauded him. "Jolly good show, wot!" Nyl flopped her ears down comically and applauded a bit more. She then stood up. I think I'll telling a jolly ol' story next, wot!" Her ears stood straight up as she told the story.
"There was once a ferret, Doomgrap, I b'lieve 'is name was. Well, there was Doomgrap. 'E hated the horde leader, Evilwraith. 'E, one day, went up to Evilwraith and challenged 'im. Evilwraith grinned, plan'n on making an example out of Doomgrap. Doomgrap charged. Evilwraith and Doomgrap locked their blades in battle. It 'twas a long battle. The horde beasts joined in after a while, it was such a long and perilous battle. Some went on Doomgrap's side and some went on Evilwrath's side. Some fought for no one in particular and some just fought for the sake for fighting. Well, anyways, they were all fighting. A stoat asked a weasel, 'Why are we fight'n?' The weasel replied, 'Fer th' old cause'. A pine martin asked a rat, 'Why are we die'n?' 'Fer th' new cause.' The rat replied. The battled waged on an' on. Finally, Evilwraith lay dead, as well as all th' horde beasts. Not a one left. Doomgrap's dagger fell from his paws. He was in charge of all th' horde. It meant nothing to him. Th' bally moral is y' can't jolly well be leader o' all vermin if there are no vermin." The hares applauded her. "Bravo! I say, good story!" Nyl did a sweeping bow. Gist smiled crookedly some more. "Why would 'e want t' be leader o' all vermin chaps?" Nyl shrugged. "Donno, m' lad. 'Twas just a story me mum told me." Cloudy stood up.
"I say! My turn! Ahem, ok. A sparrow an' another sparrow were fight'n for control o' the flock. One finally d'feated th' other. The vanquished sparra hid 'imself in a quiet corner sulking while th' conqueror flew up high in th' air calling out. A bally h'eagle 'appen t' be fly'n by at that moment. It caught th' sparra. Th' vanquished sparra came out o' the quiet corner an' b'came undisputed rulin'. Th' moral: Pride goes a'for d'struction." Nyl giggle. "Jolly good story, wot!"
Rasquer stood up and brushed himself off. "Well, we ought t' go look'n f' that band o' vermin that was travelling 'bout 'ere. If we catch up h'in time h'I think we can finish'm off if they don't get any more bally vermin on th'r side. We bett'r split up." Gist cleared his throat. "I say, sir, a'for we go, let my bally self tell a story!" Rasquer nodded and sat back down. Gist started
"There were one four bally 'ares, much like us. They were best o' friends an' trusted each other wi' th'r own life. Well, this sly vermin wi' his band o' three wanted so much t' capture those four, but fighting was too much work. Th' sly vermin had an idea. 'E began spread'n slanderous lies 'bout each o' th' friends t' one another th' four friends b'gan t' distrust each other and drift apart. They each went t' th'r own li'l camp. The vermin would th'n picked 'em off one by one…" Gist trailed off and gave his old crooked grin. The four hares stood up quietly and formed a single file line, never losing sight of one another. Gist whispered to himself. ''United we stand; Divided we fall."
"A bally Eagle was soaring through the air when suddenly it heard the whiz of an arrow, and felt itself wounded t' death. Slowly et flutter'd down t' th' ground, with its life-blood pour'n out o' it. Looking down upon th' bally arrow with which it had been pierced, it found that the shaft o' th' arrow had been feathered with one o' ets own plumes. 'Alas!' it cried, as it died, 'We often give our enemies the means for our own de'truction.'"
Rasquer sat down as the hares applauded him. "Jolly good show, wot!" Nyl flopped her ears down comically and applauded a bit more. She then stood up. I think I'll telling a jolly ol' story next, wot!" Her ears stood straight up as she told the story.
"There was once a ferret, Doomgrap, I b'lieve 'is name was. Well, there was Doomgrap. 'E hated the horde leader, Evilwraith. 'E, one day, went up to Evilwraith and challenged 'im. Evilwraith grinned, plan'n on making an example out of Doomgrap. Doomgrap charged. Evilwraith and Doomgrap locked their blades in battle. It 'twas a long battle. The horde beasts joined in after a while, it was such a long and perilous battle. Some went on Doomgrap's side and some went on Evilwrath's side. Some fought for no one in particular and some just fought for the sake for fighting. Well, anyways, they were all fighting. A stoat asked a weasel, 'Why are we fight'n?' The weasel replied, 'Fer th' old cause'. A pine martin asked a rat, 'Why are we die'n?' 'Fer th' new cause.' The rat replied. The battled waged on an' on. Finally, Evilwraith lay dead, as well as all th' horde beasts. Not a one left. Doomgrap's dagger fell from his paws. He was in charge of all th' horde. It meant nothing to him. Th' bally moral is y' can't jolly well be leader o' all vermin if there are no vermin." The hares applauded her. "Bravo! I say, good story!" Nyl did a sweeping bow. Gist smiled crookedly some more. "Why would 'e want t' be leader o' all vermin chaps?" Nyl shrugged. "Donno, m' lad. 'Twas just a story me mum told me." Cloudy stood up.
"I say! My turn! Ahem, ok. A sparrow an' another sparrow were fight'n for control o' the flock. One finally d'feated th' other. The vanquished sparra hid 'imself in a quiet corner sulking while th' conqueror flew up high in th' air calling out. A bally h'eagle 'appen t' be fly'n by at that moment. It caught th' sparra. Th' vanquished sparra came out o' the quiet corner an' b'came undisputed rulin'. Th' moral: Pride goes a'for d'struction." Nyl giggle. "Jolly good story, wot!"
Rasquer stood up and brushed himself off. "Well, we ought t' go look'n f' that band o' vermin that was travelling 'bout 'ere. If we catch up h'in time h'I think we can finish'm off if they don't get any more bally vermin on th'r side. We bett'r split up." Gist cleared his throat. "I say, sir, a'for we go, let my bally self tell a story!" Rasquer nodded and sat back down. Gist started
"There were one four bally 'ares, much like us. They were best o' friends an' trusted each other wi' th'r own life. Well, this sly vermin wi' his band o' three wanted so much t' capture those four, but fighting was too much work. Th' sly vermin had an idea. 'E began spread'n slanderous lies 'bout each o' th' friends t' one another th' four friends b'gan t' distrust each other and drift apart. They each went t' th'r own li'l camp. The vermin would th'n picked 'em off one by one…" Gist trailed off and gave his old crooked grin. The four hares stood up quietly and formed a single file line, never losing sight of one another. Gist whispered to himself. ''United we stand; Divided we fall."