"The boid got invited to a sledding party, Doc," Bugs told Lord Cayvear when they returned to his cave. "He won't bother ya no more."

Cayvear fluttered up and down excitedly. "Thank you, thank you! Against that owl we were totally helpless, totally helpless."

Speedy offered some good advice. "What you ought to do, senor, is put a big wooden door across the entrance to your mountain and make a bunch of small holes in it. Then if any more birds try to roost, you can poke some sharp sticks up through the little holes and push them off."

"Okay, we will do that."

"I guess we'll sleep here the rest of the night and be off in the morning," said Martin. "Thanks for all your hospitality."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the morning they said goodbye to the bats and left. They went out through the tunnel and started walking down the mountain. The going proved not too difficult. They dug their paws into the loose scree and shale, half walking, half sliding.

"Does anyone remember the next part o' the rhyme?" Bugs asked.

Gonff quoted from memory.

"Beyond this, much is lost in mist,

But here and there I see

The treachery of muddy gray,

Tis no place for the free."

"That don't sound good," said Bugs.

"Well, I see the mist right enough," said Martin. "It's right below us." Sure enough, at the bottom of the mountain was a bed of thick white mist as far as the eye could see.

"We'd best keep our wits about us down there," Speedy warned.

It was midday when they finally reached the bottom. The mist was dense and high above their heads. It blocked out the sky, leaving the travelers in a world of swirling fog. Dark squelchy moss and slimy weeds carpeted the ground, dotted with wide areas of evil smelling fungus. Here and there small rivulets of water ran, as if trying to find a way out of this oppressive region.

Bugs gazed into the mist. "Say, is that somethin' movin' over there?"

They stopped to look. Speedy rubbed his eyes. "It might be. Then again, it might be the mist playing tricks. If you let your imagination run away with you, all sorts of shapes start popping up."

They leaned against a large humped rock to take their noon meal. Bugs broke off some bread. "I've got a funny feelin'. Have any of you ever had that feelin'? You know… that you was bein' watched?"

"Aye, I have that feeling myself-" Martin was interrupted as a net fell over his head! Then nets went over Bugs, Gonff, and Speedy's heads too! They were trapped!

Six huge toads leaped out from behind the rock. One toad poked a trident at them. "Krryoik glogflugg glumbatt. Caught four here!"

"I am Martin the Warrior," Martin called out. "These are my friends. Why have you done this to us? We mean you no harm. We are only travelers passing through. Turn us loose, please."

The toads turned to each other. They made unintelligible croaking noises, seeming to find the whole business highly amusing. Their leader jabbed warningly at the captives. "Krrrglug, yuk yuk! Quiet now, furmouse. Dampwatch say come now. Quickly, quickly, quickly!"

"Hey, that's my catchphrase!" Speedy squirmed with rage. "You're a bad toad, you are! No me gusta, I don't like you."

The prisoners were dragged unceremoniously along the muddy ground. The toads brought them to a huge fungus carved into the likeness of a high throne. A big green toad with a crown was sitting on it. Many other toads surrounded him. Whipscale the lizard and Deathcoil the snake were also in the crowd.

Dampwatch spread his webbed claw membranes. "Krrplok! See here, one hare, three mouses, Marshgreen say what?"

The toad king hopped down to the ground and looked the captives over. "Krrklok! Good find, Dampwatch. Furmouse make happy Marshgreen."

Martin decided that politeness was at an end. "See here Marshgreen, or whatever they call you. You've no right to treat us like this!"

"Yeah, let us go, ya filthy ole swamphopper!" Bugs shouted.

"Go boil your fat green bottom!" Gonff yelled.

Speedy shouted something in Spanish. The toads didn't understand it, but it sounded rude.

Marshgreen inflated his throat until it swelled like a balloon. His eyes bulged like button mushrooms.

"Splakkafrott! Shut mouths. Cheeky beasts. Take them, throw in Screamhole."

The company of toads waddled and hopped excitedly, brandishing their tridents. "Krrplakoggle! Screamhole, throw in Screamhole!"

The toads dragged Martin and his friends to a big hole in the ground. Marshgreen stepped up to the edge. "Krrpook! Snakefish feed well, Marshgreen bring you furmouses!"

All the toads chanted together, "Snakefish, mighty one, stay in Screamhole, eat up furmouses, leave alone toads!" Then they threw Martin and the others into the Screamhole.