A mouse in an advanced stage of the Roypules disease sat on the ground of the community of creatures with the disease. He could no longer sing well or imitate other creatures' voices, the disease having made his voice hoarse and raspy. He no longer danced, the illness having sapped his strength for such activities. His entire body was covered in the rash now, except for the occasional tuft of white fur. His clothes had been mended multiple times. Even so, his dark eyes still twinkled with merriment.
Things had changed in the village of illness since Gonff had arrived. Creatures were more cheerful than they had been. There wasn't as much of an aura of gloom as there had been. Everybeast credited this to Gonff because, unlike the other residents, the illness had never dampened the Mousethief's spirits. He was still the same cheerful, impudent Gonff he had always been. In the evening he would often play his flute while everybeast sang (most of them off key because of their raspy voices, but nobeast cared). They called him their joy, which caused him to create a new title for himself: the Prince of Joy Makers. This caused quite a bit of amusement among the residents.
They were also better off. This was because Gonff would venture out of the village and put his thieving skills to work. Nobeast knew where he went; all they knew was he always came back with bulging sacks of food slung over one shoulder.
One evening after one such return, Gonff was talking with an otter. "You always seem so cheerful," the otter was saying wistfully.
"It's not easy," Gonff said. "There's not a day that doesn't go by that I don't think about my family and wonder how they are."
"I think we all do," the otter said.
"There are some days I wish I could be cured so I could see my wife again," Gonff said. "But then I think about all my mateys here. How could I abandon 'em like that?"
"You're a better beast than me, mate," the otter said. "If I knew how to be cured, I'd do it without thought of anybeast else." He paused and then said. "There's talk of a creature who can heal any disease."
"Really?" Gonff said. "What's his name?"
"Jesus of Noonvale," the otter replied.
"I've seen him a couple times," Gonff said, nodding. "I never met him or talked to him, but I know he was close to my matey Martin and some of the others at Redwall."
"Martin the Warrior of Redwall Abbey?" the otter asked.
"You've heard of him?" Gonff asked.
"Who hasn't?" the otter asked in response.
Later, Gonff sat alone and thought. He remembered all the miracles he'd heard about Jesus having performed. I bet he could heal me, he thought. I just bet he could. And after I'm cured, I would bring him back here to cure all my mateys and then bring everybeast to Redwall. If only he would want to...He shook himself What am I doing just sitting around here, then? I better go see if I can find him! He stood up, adjusted his clothing as best he could and donned a long cloak with a hood. All creatures in the village of sickness wore such cloaks when venturing out into Mossflower Wood to keep from frightening woodlanders with their appearance. Pulling up the hood, Gonff left the village. Making sure to stay hidden from any other creatures he spotted, he made his way through the woods.
He could see Redwall through the trees when, suddenly, he heard voices. Ducking down quickly to hide, he peeked through the bushes to see who was coming along the path. It was a fairly large group. Gonff figured there were about fifteen all together. And at the front of the group, seasons be praised, strode a familiar white figure dressed in a dark red robe.
Gonff jumped to his footpaws and then went hurtling out of the woods towards the path. A recent storm had blown off a tree branch, and Gonff tripped over it and fell onto the path inches from the travelers.
The group stopped. Some of the creatures even backed up at the sight of the bundle of rags and white furless limbs sprawled on the path. Gonff didn't notice anybeast but Jesus. He adjusted himself so he was on his knees. "Make me," he rasped. He cleared his throat and looked up at Jesus, concentrating on speaking as clearly as he could. "If you want to, you can make me well."
Gonff had never realized what a piercing gaze Jesus had. It seemed like he could see everything about him. Straight into his heart. Then, suddenly, Jesus smiled. He reached out a paw and touched Gonff on his head under his hood. "Okay," he said. "You're well."
It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck him and went through his entire body at the touch of Jesus' paw. He closed his eyes until the feeling faded. When he opened them again, he looked down at his paws and held them up. He saw the fur, grown back as thick and brown as it had always been. He wriggled his claws. Pushing back his hood, he felt his face to find the transformation had occurred there, too. He was well! He looked up at Jesus' beaming face and grinned back. "He's healed!" Somebeast shouted. "He's healed!"
Gonff turned in the direction of the voice with a cheeky grin. "I knew that!" he exclaimed. Everybeast chuckled.
Just at that moment, he heard the one voice he had longed to hear the most during his illness. "Gonff!" He stood and turned to face Redwall where he saw Columbine. She was laughing and crying at the same time as she turned and ran off along the battlements towards the stairs.
"Columbine," he whispered, standing, tears of joy filling his own eyes. He turned to Jesus, who grinned and turned Gonff towards the main gate before giving him a slight push.
Columbine had already burst through the main gate and was running towards him. Gonff ran to her and they met halfway. They held each other, laughing and crying as they sank to their knees in the grass beside the path.
"I can't believe it," Columbine whispered, leaning against him. "I thought I'd never see you again."
"So did I, Columbine," Gonff whispered back. "I thought that for so long." Then he placed his paw under her chin and turned her to face him. She grinned, knowing what he had in mind, and pulled him to her for a kiss. Everybeast cheered and clapped.
After a few minutes, Gonff and Columbine stood up, his arm around her waist and hers around his. He turned to Jesus. "I know I just asked you to heal me, but could I ask you for another favor?"
Jesus chuckled, "All right," he said.
"Because of being sick, I lived in this village in a clearing in the woods," Gonff said, "And I was wondering if you'd go back there with me and cure all of them, too."
Jesus grinned and gave Gonff a friendly slap on the back. "Lead on!" he said.
"You're not going anywhere without me," Columbine said.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Gonff said, giving her a squeeze.
Back at the village, one creature turned to another "Have you seen Gonff?"
"No," the second one replied. "He's probably gone off on one of his expeditions to get food. He'll be back in his own sweet time."
Just then the sound of flute music came drifting into the clearing. The first creature lifted his head. "Hear that?" he asked. Everybeast paused to listen to the music. "I wonder where it's coming from."
Just then a mouse burst into the village. Even though he was dressed like a resident, there was no sign of a rash anywhere on his body. He danced around the clearing, playing a merry tune on his flute. They watched him, curious about who this mouse was. He looked familiar...
Just then, he stopped and looked at them. He gave them a cheeky grin and wink. "What'sa matter, mateys?" he asked. "Don't recognize your Prince of Joy Makers?"
"Gonff!" everybeast exclaimed.
"What happened to you?" a squirrel asked.
"Why, Jesus happened," Gonff said. "He healed me. As a matter of fact," he turned and waved towards the surrounding woods. Jesus came out. "Anybeast fancy gettin' healed?"
All of the creatures of the village of illness raced over to Jesus, pushing and shoving each other in their eagerness. He chuckled at them. "No need to go pushing and shoving each other like that," he said. With that, he started healing them. Some were touched by Jesus and some touched him themselves. All were healed after contact with the white mouse.
Once everybeast was healed, they all ran off, leaping, shouting, and cheering as they headed for their homes and families.
Gonff watched them with a smile and then turned to Jesus. "Thank you," he said. "If there's anything I can ever give you in return, name it an' it's yours."
Jesus smiled at the Mousethief. "Your friendship," he said.
Gonff laughed. "Matey," he said, "You didn't even have to ask."