Goody Stickle opened the door to her small house and peered into the morning sunlight. The day was new and beautiful and she was determined to make the most of it. Spring was here and she was going to have herself a flower garden!

Now, she didn't actually have any flowers, but she would soon fix that. A quick trek into the woodland would certainly yield a variety of delightful flowers and she couldn't wait to see them growing up around her little home. She closed her eyes and breathed in a deep breath letting the fresh air fill her up. She actually felt quite good today.

Every year it seemed things got more dangerous in Mossflower, but she wasn't going to stop living just because of a few stinking weasels! Adjusting her apron, basket in paw, the bold hogwife struck into the forest.

Mossflower was cool in the springtime way of things. The tall trees shadowed everything only allowing the occasional lance of light to strike through the canopy and illuminate the forest floor. Goody trudged deeper and deeper into the woods, taking it all in, feeling her spirits lift as she went. She was keeping a keen eye out for a particular sign.

She wound left around a slender beech.

She wound right around a squat elm.

She climbed over small tree, recently downed.

Then she found it.

Nestled among the thick roots of an old tree was the first plant she had to have for her garden. Carefully, Goody knelt down next to the tender fern.

"You know what?" she said to herself, patting her expectant belly, "I've a mind to name these hoglets that are coming after the plants I find today." Suddenly, she chuckled to herself, "I guess that means I'd better find some good ones."

Setting her basket on one of the knotted roots, Goody pulled out a small hand trowel. As she gently began digging up the young fern she sang softly to herself.

Ferny, Ferdy, Ferdy, Fern,

There is lots you gots to learn.

Wake up my little fernie,

It's time to get out of bed,

Wake up my little fernie

Wake up my sleepy-head,

Ferny, Ferdy, Ferdy, Fern,

There is lots you gots to learn.

Easing the delicate fern into the basket she made sure it had plenty of it's native soil. It would help reduce the shock when she transplanted it to her garden. Getting back on her paws she dusted off her paws and shook out her apron.

"These hoglets better come soon, this is getting harder every day." Checking her fern one last time she nodded to herself, "Fern, that's a nice name. Don't really ring for me though. Fern, Ferny, Ferdy, that's the ticket. Ferdy. If one o' my babes is a boy, then he'll be named Ferdy."

And off she went again. Her spirits as light as a feather. Since the Wildcat came things had been scary. There was a lot of uncertainty among the woodlanders, a lot of fear. But a big old kitty cat couldn't scare her on a day like today. Today, old Greeneyes and his lot were no more than a bad dream. Mossflower was hers, at least for today.

Smiling, she traipsed along, in no particular direction. The day was growing warmer as she strolled making this one of the best days she'd seen in a long time. She occasionally stopped to inspect a small woodland flower, but she couldn't find one that she really loved. She needed something that would like sunlight for the front end of her house, and she just couldn't seem to find anything in the shadowy woodland.

"Goody Stickle you're a right old nincompoop you are," she said to herself. "Of course you ain't gonna find no sun lovin' plants here in the shade, how silly you are." Looking around one last time she sighed, and resigned herself to shade plants only. "Well, them can be lovely too."

She fell quiet a moment, then her ear pricked as she heard a faint but familiar sound. Almost like a soft laugh, the hushed sound of Mossflower River were clearly audible.

"That's where I need to be."

Following her ears, the hogwife forged a path to the bank of the River Moss. Finding a log near the edge of the river, she sat herself down and promptly put her paws in the water. It was still quite cold this early, but it was so refreshing she didn't mind. Holding her basket on her lap she let her eyes wander over the riverbed, hoping to see something that caught her fancy.

Across the river there grew a pretty, bushy plant laden with small fragrant flowers. Even from here she could hear the droning of bees that were availing themselves of the sweet nectar. Goody gave a little sniff and caught the faintest hint of sweet on the air.

"Oh, I must have that one, and hopefully one o' my little hogs will be just as sweet."

She looked up the river and down, but couldn't see any way to cross nearby.

"Oh, this is going to be a bother."

A little scouting about up river didn't provide a bridge, but Goody was able to find a small logjam. With the spring rains the river had flooded several times and a lot of debris had wedged into a bend in the river. It wasn't a proper bridge by any means, but it would certainly do the trick.

On three paws, clutching her basket and trying not to upset it's contents, Goody began to inch her way across the logjam. The debris wasn't terribly stable and kept buckling and twisting when she put weight on it. By the time she got to the middle, she was beginning to think her cross-at-the-logjam idea wasn't so good after all.

"What in the world do we have here?"

"EEEK!"

SPLASH!

Goody waved her arms splashing water all about as she struggled to get to her feet. The strange voice behind her had surprised her right off the logjam into the River Moss.

"Hang on, let me help you." A strong paw found Goody's and hauled her out of the water.

"Why, you-" Goody spluttered as she cleared river water from her eyes, "why you, you, you cheeky rouge. Scarin' me and making me jump in the water like that!"

Gonff laughed at her indignation. "I was just asking what you were doing, you're the one who decided to go diving."

Goody started wringing out her apron. "Don't you be laughing at me, it's not nice to scare a poor old hogwife to death."

Gonff plucked Goody's basket from where it lay on the logjam, it had miraculously survived Goody's impromptu swim. Stifling his laughter he asked again in a mock seriously "You have my upmost apologies for any distress I may have caused you. I will spend the rest of my life attempting to make reparations for my gross indecency to your nerves. I do hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me – if not now, perhaps sometime in the next fifty or sixty years." Bowing deeply but being careful not to upset the basket he siad "I am yours to command, dear Mrs. Stickle."

"Be away with you, you just frightened me, that's all." Goody finished wringing herself out. The logjam still felt unsteady under her paws. "You stop being so cheeky and help me across the river, and don't put me in the water again."

Gonff laughed again, then taking her by the paw, helped Goody balance across the remaining portion of the river.

"And what, might I ask, are you doing out here so far into Mossflower with a basket of-" Gonff inspected the contents of the basket, "ferns?"

"I want some plants for a flower garden around the house, so I came to get them." Goody checked to see that her fern was unhurt. "I want a cutting from that sweet little bush over there. It'll be nice under the window."

"Do you need any help? I'm a prince of plant digging."

"Oh, you are not. I've seen you dig up plants before. But, if you'd like to help carry my basket I'd most appreciate it."

Gonff grinned and the two of them made their way down to the bush growing on the river bank. Goody sniffed the delicate blossoms once again.

"Yes, this will be lovely under the window."

"What's this one called, Goody?" Gonff asked as he lent a paw for Goody to lean on as she knelt near the plant.

"Cogsweed, and it's the loveliest smelling thing under the sun." She began to dig up some of the small shoots from around the base of the bush. "You know, Coggs wouldn't be such a bad name for a hog neither. Especially a sweet boy."

Gonff's smile widened. "You looking for names for your babies?"

"I thought I'd like to name 'em after plants. Something nice and simple. No hog needs a name that's more than that." Goody gently deposited the second plant in the basket, packing the base with soil.

"But you don't know how many your having, what if you don't find enough names?"

"I got that all taken care of, Mr. Gonff." Gonff helped Goody back to her feet. Goody dusted dirt from her paws. "There's a trick my mother taught me and her mother taught her that will tell you without fail how many hogs your gonna have."

"Really?"

"Yes, and it works every time."

"Well, what is it?" Gonff leaned forward with anticipation.

Goody tapped the side of her nose and winked. "It's a secret. If you ever manage to land yourself a wife I'll tell her, but it's not a thing for just anyone to know."

Gonff looked a little disappointed, but he got over it quickly. "Well, how many are you going to have? I need time to get them all proper mousethief gear."

"You ain't getting them no such thing, or so help me. My hogs are going to grow into nice little hogs that don't run around doing dangerous things." She brushed her apron vigorously to get the dirt off while Gonff tried to hide a smile. Patting her belly she said, "I'm going to have four. That I know for sure. I already had a name for one, and now I have a second one. Ferdy and Coggs. Them are two nice names for two nice hogs. Now I just need two more."

"What about Gonff?" he said with a bright smile.

"Enough of your teasing. There's no Gonff plant and I want my babes named for nice growing things."

"Well, if you've miscounted and are actually having five hogs, I am willing to donate my name at any time."

"I'll keep that in mind." Looking about Goody tried to see through the undergrowth to where she would continue her search. "Gonff, sweetie, do you know where a clearing is with some sunlight? I'd dearly love to have some sun loving plants."

Gonff thoughtfully scratched his ear for a moment. "I think I know just the place, and it takes us back towards your house so we won't have as far to carry everything once we're done."

"Then lead the way."

The clearing was full of golden sunlight. Gonff let out a small whoop as they came to it, placing the basket on the ground he ran into the grass and turned three somersaults in a row. Throwing himself on the ground he lay and looked looked up at the sky.

Goody shook her head indulgently at his antics as she began hunting for the next plant she wanted. "Your gonna make yourself dizzy if you keep that up."

"I'm dizzy now." Gonff said, giggling. "It's too wonderful to not get a little dizzy, you should try it."

"I'm dizzy just looking at you. When you get un-dizzy you can help me look for some purple thistle, I would dearly love some purple thistle around the door."

"Sure, put the prickly plants near the door, it's like you want to keep me out or something." Gonff grinned as he rolled to his feet and began rooting through the grass for the thistle. It wasn't long before

"Yeouch!"

Gonff put his paw in his mouth, "I fink I foun a fissle," he said around his paw.

Goody bustled over to him, pulling his paw from his mouth she looked it over. "Maybe you should leave the thistle to me, dearie." She kissed the pricked paw and gave it a pat. "Go fetch my basket will you?"

Gonff smiled and skipped to where he had left the basket.

Goody, very carefully extracted the plant.

"Will one of the hogs be named thistle? Or prickle? Or Tiny-Sword-That-Stabbed-Dear-Gonff?" he said as he placed the basket next to her.

"Think," said Goody as she packed in dirt around the plant, "I think, Spike. Spike Stickle, that's nice."

"That it is." Gonff looked at his paw one last time, there didn't seem to be any prickles in it. "Only one more name to go."

Goody looked at her basket. She only had three plants, but she didn't have any more room. "Oh dear, it seems I need a bigger basket." She gave a disappointed sigh. "I guess I'll have to come back for another one some other morning."

Gonff sat down on the grass next to her. "Well, just say the word and I'll help you gather up all the flowers of Mossflower Woods if that's what you want." Gonff gently patted Goody's shoulder. "I'll help you get this bountiful bouquet planted this afternoon, though."

Goody smiled. Gonff was a good soul. "Thank you, dear, I would like that." She leaned over and sniffed the mixed scents of the fern and flowers. "They really are nice, I can't wait to put this posy all about my house."

She paused. "That's it!"

Gonff looked a little confused. "What's it?"

"Posy! That's the perfect name for my fourth hog. Posy. And it's such a sweet name too."

Gonff laughed and tossed some grass in the air. "Perfect." Carefully kissing Goody on the cheek, he jumped to his feet. "Let's get your hoglet garden planted."

Holding onto Gonff's paws for support, Goody got to her paws as well. Planting a kiss on Gonff's forehead she said, "Gonff, don't you ever forget that hog or not, you're one of the flowers in my posy too."