2

Things were a little hectic for a while after that. It took the Abbot a little while to try and convince the other Redwallers to allow a fox in their walls, and how he managed to do it is anyone's guess, lost to the records. But regardless, the Abbey happily welcomed the addition of Felix the fox, one of the first vermin boarders in history.

Felix grew up all right, though after a few seasons, they found he was still small. He was actually tall, but he was skinny and had little muscle on him. But though he was scrawny, he was anything but meek and unnoticeable.

"Felix! Wot are ya doin' out 'ere?"

Boora was a good friend of Felix's, him and Blanka. Boora was always telling the story of how he found him in a tempest and risked his brave little hare neck saving him when he was a babe, but the story got more and more inflated every time he told that story, so much so that Blanka had to set him straight every now and then.

Felix smiled, "What'd'ya mean 'Wot 'r I doin' out eer?'" he asked, using his bad imitation of Boora's drawl, "I'm enjoying the nice day. Summer's comin' up soon, everything's gettin' all nice and warm here."

"Yes, yes, a bally good day we're 'avin', wot, but you're missin' out on the blinkin' brekkist feast there 'avin' in the ol' mess. Chap can't very well enjoy a loverly lil' mornin' wi'out first gettin' some vittles in the ol' tum."

Felix chuckled, and then joined his friend in walking into the red sandstone building. "I get the feeling you can't enjoy anything without first gettin' some vittles in the ol' tum."

"Hey," Boora replied, pointing at him with his ear in an exaggerated motion, "I'd anyday be a hare wot loves ta eat, than a fox wot don't hardly eat a'tall. Ye need to get some meat on dem ol' bones of yours or you may end up floatin' way on the next lil' breeze wot, wot!"

The breakfast hall was filled, as always, by happy chattering animals. Pleasant conversation rang all around the table. Dibbuns were racing around the table, under it, popping their little heads from chair legs, and occasionally swiping something from the platters, while some of the Sisters tried to busy themselves trying to catch them.

Felix and Boora grabbed their choice of food and sat at the first vacant seats they could find. Felix got a good laugh from the hare, who was busy trying to carry several things at once, staggering and stumbling along. Felix frowned at what he had before him and took a bite of the scone he had taken. His mouth twitched slightly.

"Somethin' wrong with the scone? I can always do you a favor takin it off your hands for you, wot." Boora looked hopeful

"It ain't the scone," he said, "It's just that… well, I don't wanna say the food here ain't good…"

Melina, the mouse in charge of the meal, walked past at the moment he said "…The food here isn't good…" which got her spinning around to face him in an instant, "What was that ye said about the food? Coulda sworn ye were makin' some bad remarks an'…"

Felix held his paws in front of him, "No, I didn't say that! Well, not exactly, I was just gonna say how the food tasted funny an'… Oh, that's not much better. Back me up, Boora."

Sister Melina gave Boora an intimidating stare, "You got something to say too, Boora?"

Boora's ears drooped, "No' ma'am I wouldn't think o' sayin' nothing bad about this wonderful scoff, not on me life, wot."

"Who's side are you on here?" Felix demanded, then turned back to the sister, "What I meant was… was… that I think the food always tastes a little weird… wait, no… oooooooooooohh" he moaned, watching her becoming more and more livid as he babbled on. Before he could land himself in hotter water, though, the Abbot called for everyone's attention. The sister returned to her seat, but Felix could feel her staring at him.

"Now as you all know," Abbot Celix began, "The Summer's Day Festival will be coming up soon. Foremole Grei has arranged a little presentation for us, a two part play he wrote himself, and he needs volunteers to play the parts. Is anyone interested in helping out the…"

Boora reached over to Felix's chair and gave his rump a pinch. "Hey!" Felix jumped out of his seat.

"I'm glad you're so enthusiastic about this, Felix, but a simple 'I will' would have sufficed." Celix said, assuming that he had volunteered, "Anyone else?"

Boora took the opportunity to rise from his seat, "If me good chap's willin' to do it, I guess I can't refuse then, wot." He sat again and gave Felix the most sincere smile, made all the more humorous by the foodstuffs stuck in his teeth. Several more people rose up, and the Foremole took their names.

"We's be 'avin a meetin on the h'Abbey groun's affer brekkist. Oi 'opes yew all cin mak'et."

Felix gave a casual look to his friend, "You could've asked, ya know."

"I don't believe I'm followin' ye, ol' chap. Pass the pudden, I'm farmished, wot wot wot!"

The meeting brought a bigger turnout than at the table. Elders, Dibbuns, and everyone in between showed up and were all distributed parts.

"This's noit gurt, s'noit." Grei looked over the list, "Ee don' 'ave enough of the ladies for moi play. Oi need one more likkle mouse maid."

Sister Zonita, who had just got the part of someone named Germaine, asked, "Can't you do the play without her?"

Foremole Grei shook his head, "She 'as a loine 'r too n' oi can't rewoite it."

Melina took one dangerous glare at Felix than whispered into the Foremole's ear. "Yes, that'd woik. Thankee Ziztur, Hurr hurr." They both looked to the fox.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? Sister? What did you say to her?" Sister Melina grinned evilly as she pulled a squirrelmaid to her.

"See if you can't find a dress in his size." She said, and the maid giggled and trotted off.

"Oh no!" he refused, "No, no flippin' way! I ain't gonna, nu-uh!"

Well, after near a half of an hour of arguing, wrestling, and more than a few words the elders didn't approve of, Felix was led back out to the courtyard, grumbling. He looked to Boora and said, "If you laugh, you'll be eating your ears." Boora had one paw clapped over his mouth and he nodded, trying as hard as he could not to laugh.

"Foremole, is the dress really nessacary?" he pleaded.

"Yuzz, mizzter Felicks," The mole responded apologetically, "Shee's an h'Abbeybabe, n' she 'as ta ware the h'Abbey dresses."

"And the bow?" He bit back, pointing to the blue ribbon on his head.

"That was my suggestion." Melina chimed in, "I must say, you look quite flattering in a dress. It just works for you so." She laughed, quite satisfied with her revenge

Behind Felix Boora was nodding his assent, stopping when he turned around and resuming again once the fox's eyes were facing forward.

"Ee'nough foolin' round," The Foremole rambled, "Let's's woik on yoor loines."

They practiced the play, everyone in costume. By the time they got around to Felix's line, he wanted to get out of there.

"MasterMartintheverminarebreakingthroughthegateimscaredpleasehelpus." He muttered in quick succession, then nearly ran to the safety of the Abbey.

"Come on!" Sister Melina said, blocking him from leaving, "What was that? Give it some feeling! What kinda girl are you supposed to be?"

The fox sighed, and then yelled in an exaggerated high voice. "Oh! Help me! I am so scared that the big bad vermin will come and get me!" he dropped back to his normal voice, "Can I get out of this stupid dress now?"

"Bwahahahahaha!" Boora could hold it in no longer; he began rolling on the ground laughing. "He's such a blinkin' natural! Hohohohohohoho! Oh me poor ribs!"

"That's it, you crazy rabbit!" He bounded towards him, "When I get my paws on you, I'll…" His foot paw caught the edge of the skirt and he went sprawling face first into the dust. He stood, and Sister Melina demonstrated by picking up the front of her dress, laughing the whole time. Felix mimicked the action and began the chase, "Get over here Boora!"

The hare made a fine show of running him all over the place, goading him on with a little diddy he made up as he went.

"Watch out fer the Felix, kids

Ee'l make your life a livin' hell

'Specially when ee's in a dress

He's quite a nasty femme fatalle

So Run! So Flee! Blinkin' retreat!

Move your tiny lil' paws

Cause if he get ya, this he do

He make ye wear a dress to, Haw!"