That night in Great Hall, ponies, mice, squirrels, hares, and many other creatures jostled and chattered to each other around a long table. They were having a special feast in honor of their Equestrian guests. Several animals who lived in the surrounding woodlands had come to the feast as well.

A great big fish lay in the middle of the table. "I caught that myself in our Abbey pond this morning," Matthias whispered to Twilight Sparkle.

The Abbot stood to say the grace.

"Fur and whisker, hoof and claw,

All who enter by our door.

Nuts and herbs, leaves and fruits,

Berries, tubers, plants and roots.

Silver fish, your life we take

Only for a meal to make."

This was followed by a loud and grateful "Amen."

The Redwallers were very proud of their cuisine, and pressed many new dishes upon the ponies. "Yurr, you'm sample some o' ee deeper 'n' ever pie, zurr Applejack," a mole said.

"Okay, as soon as Ah git mah muzzle free of this trife," Applejack said.

"D'you like chestnut 'n' celery cheese, Princess Twilight Sparkle?" a big badger named Constance asked Twilight. "Just try a piece atop of your vegetable flan."

Twilight tasted it. "Mm! It was worth walking all this way for. You can just call me Twilight, by the way. Rarity, what's that you're eating?"

"Bilberry scone with meadowcream- very civilized indeed."

Basil Stag Hare was sharing a giant sandwich with Rainbow Dash. "Righto, Rainbow me old Dash, load in the cheese an' salad. Now you start at this side of the loaf and I'll start at the other side. That's the ticket- meet you in the middle, wot?"

An otter named Winifred sat next to Pinkie Pie. "Try some of our shrimp an' hotroot soup, matey."

"Looks good to me," said Pinkie.

Matthias nudged her. "Careful, it's very hot." But Pinkie had already taken a big gulp.

"AUGH! MY TONGUE! MY THROAT! MY STOMACH!" She grabbed the nearest mug and drank it down, but unfortunately it was full of hot mulled cider. "WATER! WATER! WATER! AUGH!"

Winifred laughed. After a bit Pinkie started laughing too.

"Are you okay, Pinkie Pie?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'll be all right. Yeah, I'll be all right," Pinkie said. "I gotta get a stunt double," she muttered.

After dinner, Matthias volunteered to escort home some mice who lived at the nearby church, St. Ninian's. Then Pinkie Pie said she wanted to come along too.

Pinkie hitched herself up to an old cart and the mice climbed into it. "Would you like to sit next to me, Cornflower?" Matthias asked a pretty girl mouse.

"I most certainly would!" she replied.

Pinkie Pie turned her head around towards Matthias. "Ooh! Do you like her?" she whispered. Matthias quickly waved at her to be quiet.

They started down the road. They had just reached the gateposts which marked the driveway to St. Ninian's when Pinkie stopped. "What's the matter?" asked Matthias.

"My knee's getting pinchy," said Pinkie. "That means something scary is about to happen!"

Now they could hear hoofbeats coming down the road. "That sounds like another pony and cart coming down the road," said Cornflower.

Pinkie Pie frowned. "What would another pony be doing in Mossflower?"

Just then Derpy came zooming around the corner, pulling the cart full of rats behind her. Cluny the Scourge was standing at the front, brandishing his tail like a whip. He saw the other cart in the road. "Get out of the way!" he yelled. "Can't you see I'm trying to speed?"

But Pinkie Pie didn't have time to get out of the way. Derpy had to swerve to avoid her and crashed into the gatepost. Her cart smashed to pieces and rats went flying everywhere.

"Let's get outta here!" Pinkie cried. She turned around and ran back toward Redwall.

Matthias looked back over his shoulder. Cluny was standing in the road behind them, shaking his fist. But he didn't bother to chase after them. Most of the other rats were lying on the ground, dazed from the crash. Derpy had flown away.

"My Pinkie senses told me those were very bad and evil rats," Pinkie said when they were a safe distance away.

"I've seen those rats before," said Matthias. "They were the same ones that burned down my home and killed my family when I was a Dibbun, before I came to Redwall."

"Well, we better get back to the Abbey and warn everybeast then," said Pinkie.