Abbot Jeffery walked the walls around Redwall Abby. The old abbot smiled, it was a beautiful day. It was warm, spring morning with a gently breeze coming from the west. The old abbot looked forward to the feast that was being planned for that evening. It was a normal day but they hadn't had a feast for so long that he thought it would do the Redwallers some good to have a little merriment. Also the Long Patrol and the GUOSIM

Shrews were supposed to stop by for a few weeks. Skipper of the otters were also suppose to be coming. Suddenly there was a shout from outside.

"Oi, Jeffery ye great grub hoarder, will ye jolly well open the blinkin gates and let us in, wot wot."

The old mouse looked down on the Long Patrol hares and chuckled to himself.

"Just hold your horses a moment," The old mouse replied with a twinkle in his eye. "I've got to get to the gatehouse first."

Abbot Jeffery walked down to the gatehouse taking his good time. He slowly opened the gate and in came the Long Patrol hares. Jeffery ambled out to meet the leader of the hares, General Wildershank. General Wildershank was a tall older hare. It was well known all the battles he had been in, fighting random bands of vermin. All the Redwallers loved when the Long Patrol hares came to visit because they usually brought with them stories of what was happening in other parts of Mossflower.

"So General" Jeffery addressed Wildershank "Anything been happening in Mossflower that we need to know about?"

"Not much, wot" Wildershank commented thinking "Bit of a bickerin away south. The bloody rats of Malkariss are at it again. Attacking another band of vermin if I jolly well remember right wot wot"

"Nothing we should worry about then, right?" Sister Vera the infirmary

Keeper asked.

"No" General Wildershank replied "I don't see any jolly reason why they'd bother Redwall anytime soon wot. The rats of Malkariss usually don't leave their borders and the fox Lennox hasn't caused any trouble for twenty seasons. We'd jolly well march down there and get rid of the fox but he has a blinkin army down there and Glenda doesn't think it prudent to poke a jolly old bee hive wot wot."

Glenda was the Bagerlord who ruled Salasmandastron out on the coast and was supreme commander of the Long Patrol hares. Glenda, though a formidable opponent, was rather reluctant to send the Long Patrol into battle. This, on one hand, was a good thing, but it also meant that sometimes she didn't send them into battle when, in hindsight, she should have.

"So, Jeffery" The General said, "Where's the jolly scoff that Redwall is so blinkin famous for wot?"

"Coming" Jeffery replied "There's to be a feast tonight, but we're still waiting for the GUOSIM to show up."

It was early evening when the GUOSIM shrews knocked on Redwalls great oaken doors. Abbot Jeffery's granddaughter, Lily, was on the wall top when they arrived. The pretty little mousemaid announced the shrew's arrival with much enthusiasm. The gates were opened and in came the GUOSIM Shrews led by Log-a-log Bungo.

"Sorry we're late" Bungo said to the abbot "We had some trouble with Grugg and his gang coming here. Nothing to worry about of course, more of a nuisance then anything else."

Grugg was a weasel warlord, or that's what he called himself, who commanded a gang of twenty vermin. Grugg and his vermin roamed Mossflower causing what trouble they could. The GUOSIM ran into them from time to time but mostly they stayed away from any inhabited place.

"Well come and join the feast" Jeffery invited The GUOSIM