The group re-lit the fire and warmed themselves around it. The rain had slackened, but it was still chilly. Flopeer was moodily poking the fire with a long stick. Garble was sleeping curled
up next to him and Dral was conversing quietly with Captain Sapwood. They would leave soon after dawn and reach the abbey near nightfall.
"Good tucker there," remarked Sapwood. "Least so I've heard."
Dral nodded. "Aye, matey. Best in the lands. Wait'll ya taste the October Ale." The otter reached into the bag and pulled out a ripe apple. "Last o' the vittles I got."
Sargent Flopeer looked up. "Give it 'ere ol' chap." When Dral hesitated, Flopeer rolled his eyes. "I won't scoff it chum. Now toss it over!" Dral complied and the hare pocketed the apple. "Now get some snooze time. Long day tomorrow."
Sapwood and the otter looked at each other and then back at the exceptionally long eared hare. Finally Sapwood nodded.
"Righto Dral-thing. Let's get a little shut eye!"
About an hour before dawn, Reen shook the two otters awake. "Ya gonna sleep the day away, lads? Gotta make the best o' this jolly day!" Bluback groaned and sat up, Dral already busy unwinding the bandages on his paw.
Dral stood up and wandered off for more herbs to set on his wound, while Bluback was surprised to see food piled on the ground.
Flopeer, however, was busy entertaining the little mole. "Now pay attention m'lad and lemme show ya a bit o' magic." He looked up and winked at Bluback. "That's also how the all the food appeared. We had more but ol' Beachthingy scoffed it all down!"
Beachtree laughed, trying to be indignant. "Phwaw! As hif hol' Sarge Flopyears wasn't hawakened by his tummyclock and scoffed the first part hof the brekkers Hi found!"
Flopeer glared at Beachtree. "I say, bit of a bad show, ol' gel! I didn't scoff the half of it! That was the work of Cap'n Woodysap here!"
Sapwood nodded, a grin going from ear to ear. "Well I ain't tellin' any bally fibs, all the scoffin' was done by me!"
Everybeast couldn't help but laugh.
Finally, Flopeer turned back to Garble. "Right ho! Prepare to be astounded." As Garble sat
still, wide-eyed, Flopeer reached over and pulled the apple from the mole's ear. Garble stared at it in shock, then back at the hare.
"You'm really bee a magic beaster! How did 'ee gurt apple get in me liddle ear?"
"Magic," whispered Flopeer dramatically.
"Blow me down with a feather," chuckled, Tallonia. "I can do that very same thing! Move over ol' feller." She crouched in front of the astounded mole, pushing Flopeer away, and reached to Garbles other ear. This time, however, the hare pulled out a small dagger. "Hmph! 'Spose this is wot ya get fer not cleaning yer ears ya rotten little blighter."
The poor little mole's eyes almost popped out of his head. He reached one paw to one ear and his other paw to the other ear. "Boi okey, thers not nothin' naow!"
Dral returned, his paw bandaged once more. Something had over come him since the previous day. His normally jovious manner was gone. "Everybeast ready?"
Bluback munched a pawful of strawberries before packing the rest into the haversack. "Righty mates, off we go!"
Flopeer picked up the little mole, placing him on is shoulders. Then he picked up his lance and sling, the other hares following suit. They exited the woods and back onto the muddy road.
The rain was still coming down and after several minutes they were all ready soaked to the bone.
Suddenly Sapwood threw back his head and began singing at the top of his lungs.
"Oh I'm hare from a great big mountain!
Shoulder yer lance, chaps, load me sling!
Cause I'm a hare from a great big mountain!
And you jolly lot should hear me sing!
"Let the vermin come knockin', I dare ye!
Draw yer sword, lads, fill me quiver!
Let the vermin come knockin', I dare ye!
I'll slash an' bash, an' quake yer liver!
"Didn't no beast say, beware the hare?
Sharpen yer javelin, buckos, hone yer arrers!
Didn't no beast say, beware the hare?
Go recruit yer coffin' bearers!
"Well, ol' thing, it's yer very last mistake!
Shout out Eulalia, chums, that's what yer sung!
Well, ol' thing it's yer very last mistake!
Ya' climb up me mountain an' off yer slung!"
Sapwood turned to look behind him, smiling smugly. "Alright, lets see if anybeast can out do me."
Dral nudged Flopeer. "Why don't ya try, matey!"
Flopeer smiled slyly at the otter. "Ah, don't ya worry ya great water walloper! I've just gotta give otherbeasts a chance 'for I give 'em a good show!"
Tallonia grinned. "Righto Sappy!" She cleared her throat and then began the
poem.
"Once I chanced upon a jolly ol' frog,
And it invited me in for tea!
I said 'Old chum, I challenge you to a scoff!'
The bally thing thought he could beat me!
"I scoffed scones an' tarts,
Soup an' bilberries, Cordial an' pies,
Truffles an' cherries!"
"I scoffed turnips an' walnuts,
Carrots an' cider,
White cheese an' plumcake,
What a rotten ol' blighter!
"The blinkin' think just kept on scoffin'
But he ran out a room.
So while I kept at the tucker
The filthy scoundrel went Boom!"
She shouted the last word so loud Flopeer nearly died of shock. Bluback laughed and pounded Flopeer's back as the hare gasped for breath. Beachtree was laughing so hard Sapwood was suddenly worried he'd lose two close friends right into the mud.
"I say, steady on old gel! Bob me tail, Tallonia! That was luvely!" They got the rest of their laughing out of themselves and then Reen suddenly stopped.
"The ol' tum is talkin'!" He winked at Tallonia. "What say we have a good old scoff-off as soon as we reach this Redwall place."
Tallonia giggled. "Well, for right now, I think it's about lunch time." The new friends could hardly believe they'd already been traveling half the day. They quickly got into the woods. They found a slightly dry area and sat down, breaking out the last of the supplies. After a quick bite and a small nap, they were back on their paws and onto the muddy road. Bluback turned to talk to Beachtree but found her to be absorbed in her own thoughts.
"Alright hold thing," she said suddenly to Tallonia. "Here's my try at a jolly poem."
"Willy nilly, nilly willy,
listen up hol' chap!
Willy nilly, nilly willy,
Open up yer jolly trap!
Willy nilly, nilly willy,
Hi'm a singin' hare!
Willy nilly, nilly willy,
Faster than you dare!
Willy nilly, nilly willy,
Aye, Hi can scoff too!
Willy nilly, nilly willy,
But, Hi c'n sing till Hi'm blue!
Willy nilly, nilly willy,
I'll sing till Hi see red!
Willy nilly, nilly willy,
Or until yer dead!"
The hare sang so fast, the rest of the group stopped and stared openmouthed at Beachtree.
"Mercy me," exclaimed Reen, as breathlessly as if he had done the song. "C'n ya still breathe ol' gel?"
Beachtree smiled modestly, blushing a deep red from the applause, hardly out of breath at all, as Flopeer swung a paw around the hare's shoulder, Garble pounding her head.
"Boi okey, marm! That bee wunnerful! How did 'ee doo that? Did 'ee coom up wi' it?" Beachtree shook her head.
"No Garwotsits. Learned the jolly song from a group of hedgehog chaps an' chapesses. They'd dance to it, doncha know!" She reached into Bluback's haversack and pulled out a flask of old water, taking a deep swig. Then, she pulled a wry face, spitting it out, and showering the otter in front of her. "Phwaw, bleck!" She wiped her mouth with a paw. "First thing Hi'm doin' when we reach jolly old Habbey is Hi'm gonna have some cordial. Can't stand another bloomin' second of this moldy, ol' water."
Sapwood closed his eyes momentarily as he walked along. "I'd like a luvely turnover, with gray gravy, leek, carrots and mushrooms. Wot about you two riverdogs?"
Bluback and Dral grinned at each other. "Well that ain't 'ard matey! It would 'ave to be shrimp an' 'otroot soup!"
"Good eggs," exclaimed Flopeer. "An' wots that old chap?"
Once more, the two otters grinned at each other. "Righto hares. 'Ere's the first diddy me an' me mate Dral, learned."
"When I was just a liddle beast,
I was so small an' weak,
I'd often fall flat on me tail,
An' I could 'ardly speak.
I scare could totter round the floor,
Me whiskers used to droop,
'Til granma made a great big pot,
Of good ol' 'otroot soup!
An' now I'm brisker than a bee,
More fitter than a mole,
Most everyday, I 'ear granma say,
'Give 'im another bowl.'
I'll live a thousand seasons,
Grow strong as any tree,
Give me a spoon an' fetch it soon,
Good 'otroot soup for me!"
Amidst the applauding, Dral shook a paw. "Careful though, messmates; it's the 'otest soup
yer ever gonna clap yer eyes on!"