Prologue
"Mr. Garny?"
"In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight… A-Wumbahwumbah," sang James Garny, his voice carrying over the thousand season year old walls of Redwall abbey, the sound echoing off the ancient stones and settling over the grass quivering with ladybugs and other insects.
James struck another cord on his wooden guitar, feeling the music flow thru him, the sound reverberated the pleasure nerves in his brain and sent happiness and utter love for the world out off him like the sun. He was a sandy furred mouse, unlike the rest of his grey family. The light from the pink evening horizon gave him almost a golden hue. His were whiskers short and straight, each one a singular feather, tickling the air around him. He was a little skinny for his species, but managed to eat way too much without gaining any weight. James sat on the grass directly next to the pond, his green habit spread out like a blanket under him. Instead of the formal abbey dress, he wore a pair of denim jeans that had one rip, on the right knee.
His mother had made those jeans. It had taken her many days and when they were finished, everyone saw how sturdy they were. She got many requests for denim, but she turn them all down, saying "No" as sweetly as possible then giving them the nearest available fruit. James's mother was a very kind woman, she thought of everybody but for herself. Like the time she was sick with Dry Ditch, she got out of bed and did laundry even as the Infirmary maid Holly coaxed her to get some rest. Her name was Carol-Anne Garny, but her maiden name was Rosebud. Everyone called her Annie, but James's daddy called her Carol.
His Dad, Napoleon, was a little on the strict side with James, but never went as far as physical punishment with him or obscene yelling and ranting. Napoleon or Dap as a lot of people called came from a farm family that lay southeast of Redwall, settle in a little meadow next to River Mossflower. When he had first come to Redwall, his paws were dry and cracked from working the fields so much. His parents had been killed in a vermin raid, and since had no other way to get food, or make a living, he farmed long and hard, supplying crops for trade with cloth and other needs and wants. He had come to Redwall that day eleven seasons ago because he was tired of being lonely, and knowing the abbey had many potential friends, he had come and been excepted. It was also the day he spotted the mousemaid Carol-Anne Rosebud, sitting next to the pond. It was love at first sight for both of them. Eight months later they were married, and nine months after that James was born.
James was now about ten seasons old, and he had only one thing he really cared about, and she was lying down next to him on the blanket/habit. James was sitting up beside her, with the guitar on his lap, when she asked "What's a lion James?"
James paused, thinking of an answer. He had just thought of the word, it sounded fitting for a jungle so he had put it in his song. Then he thought of something perfect for the moment, and a smile grew on his lips.
"I don't know Triss, but I can be absolutely sure it's not as beautiful as you"
"You really think that? I don't believe you"
"I'm being positively truthful to ya mam"
"Well prove it" said Trisha sitting up, raising her arms to stretch.
"Whatever you say"
James leaned to the side and planted a big kiss on her nose. He backed away, blushing.
"I believe you now" said Trisha, whose cheeks were red, "Why don't you give me one where it's supposed to be?"
"I don't know why I haven't thought of that mam"
With that Trisha and James gave each other a long kiss as the sun set below the abbeys walls. One singular beam of sunlight still peaked above the battlements, and it shined on James and Trisha. Then the sun set and the interior of Redwall darkened slightly. The abbey bells rung loudly, startling James and the love of his life. They fell backwards, gasping for breath.
"Good god Triss, I think I almost died doing that"
"And you're telling me James"
With that they burst out laughing.
Unfortunately the bellringer was Trisha's father, a very strict man. While had had been ringing the bells he had witnessed James and his daughters moment. He was storming down the stairs, hoping to strangle that boy James.
One of the many things James loved about Trisha was her mesmerizing brown eyes. It was the original reason he had noticed her one night during dinner. A season later they sat where they sat by the pond, laughing. James wiped his eyes with the back of his paw and began to play another song on his guitar.
Hey where did we go
Days when the rains came?
Down in the hollow,
Playing a new game,
Laughing and a-running, hey-hey
Skipping and a-jumping
In the misty morning fog with
Our hearts a-thumping
And you, my brown eyed girl
You my brown eyed girl
To Tuesday and so slow
Going down to the mine with
My Daddy-o
Standing in the sunlight laughing
Hidin behind a rain bowed wall
Slipping and a sliding
All along the waterfall
With you, my brown eyed girl
You, my brown eyed girl
Remember when we used to sing
Sha la la la la la la la la la la la dee da
Just like that
Sha la la la la-
Trisha was laughing along and humming along to the rhythm. Then she stopped laughing, her reddish fur sticking up on the back of her neck.
"Oh crap James, here comes dad, run or he'll kill you"
James stopped playing, too bad, he was having a good time.
"You mean you think he saw us…"
"Uh-huh"
"Well come on, I not leaving you behind" He offered her a paw. She took it and they stood up. He held the neck of his guitar in his other paw. They ran off silently and hid in rose bushes next to the gate, Triss'es father lumbered after them screaming "You little PUNK"
Triss started to cry a little, saying under her breath that her daddy was gonna kill them. James put his arm around her and said to her softly "He won't find us"
It was nearly pitch black out at that point. The bellringer walked right by them twice, James and Trisha would hold their breath and hope for the best. After an hour, Triss'es father went inside the abbey grumbling. They crawled out of their hiding spot and laid down next to the pond.
"I don't think we can go inside until your dads cooled down" remarked James.
"Neither do I"
They slept out there on the abbey lawn that night, and it happened a lot of times before they were married five seasons later.
"So that's how my parents met, they had me a season after they was married" said Daniel.
The fox sitting across of him was very interested in Daniels life story after bit about Dan's parents.
"Mr. Garny?" asked the fox.
"Yes?" replied Daniel as he ate another bite of chowder.
"Can you tell me more about your life?"
"Sure. You see I was born on a crisp fall afternoon…"
