7

"And that," I told Skippy, "is the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight."

"Wow-ee zounds!" said Skippy. "Can you tell me another one, Mister Alan?"

"Not right now," I responded, putting a pot of water over the fire. "The adventurers are coming back, and they'll want breakfast. I'm trying to make this cave feel as homey as I can, you know?"

Sure enough, in just a few moments, there they were, Midge, Arthur, Will and three newcomers, crawling down the tunnel and takin' their places by the fire that Skippy and I started. Boy, I tell you, the old tales I was telling Skippy were pretty dull compared to the ones that Arthur started telling about last night's escapades.

He told us 'bout the prison break, and the chariot that lost the power to fly. He told us 'bout Little John chasin' Robin Hood through the forest trying to talk sense in him. By the time he was finished, I have to admit I was feeling a bit down.

"Things are bad," Will said, shakin' his jowls.

"What's going to happen to us?" asked the little kitten that came in with the rest…Timmy, I think his name was.

"Tomorrow's a new day," said Midge. "Sir Hiss here is going to show us how to break into the castle."

"Ahem…yes, I did say that," said Sir Hiss. "But I was hoping to TELL you how to get in, rather than SHOW you. You see, the Prince no longer cares for me…"

"That must just break your heart," said Arthur, helpin' himself to a bowl full of porridge. "Me and the Prince are bosom buddies. He keeps inviting me to dinner. 'Course, I think he means for me to be on the menu."

"The Prince and I are friends, too," said Will slowly. "We both like swords. He wants to hit me with a sword."

There was a short silence where none of us knew how to respond. Then Arthur burst out laughin'. "Will Scarlet, did you just try to make a joke? Oh, bless your heart, my good sir, I wish you would joke more often. You truly missed your calling when you became a swordsman…you should be a court jester!"

"Shut up," said Will, but his sturdy jaw betrayed a proud little smile.

"We should all rest after breakfast," said Midge. "If we're going to keep on striking the Prince at night, we'll have to sleep during the day."

"I'm not tired," said little Skippy. He waved around his small bow and arrow. "Midge, PLEASE can I go on this mission? I'm getting to be a better shot!"

"I don't think so, Skippy," said Midge. She looked at me and winked. "Besides, you need to stay here and guard this poor old rooster, see that he doesn't make himself too sad with all his songs. Keep asking him to play –"

She stopped mid-sentence as a large chunk of dirt fell from the cave ceiling and landed in her porridge. Then she wrinkled her nose. "Huh. That's funny."

But it wasn't too funny a second later when the cave started shakin' like we were inside a mighty drum. Great pieces of soil and rock started to shake themselves loose from the walls and ceiling, fillin' the air with dust. I had no idea what was happenin', but Will figured it out soon enough.

"Rhino guards above!" shouted Will. "They're trying to cause a cave in! Midge, can you dig us–"

"Not in time!" yelled Midge, and I knew from her voice that we were in trouble. "That's got to be twenty tons of rhino jumping up and down above us. We've got to make a run for it!"

We hustled towards the exit. As we filed up towards the tunnel, I noticed that the old aardvark was still sittin' and starin' into the dusty remains of our fire. I turned around and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Come on!" I said. "We've got to get out of here!"

The aardvark shook his head. "I ain't following heroes anymore. I did more running last night than I ever intend to do again. And if the roof above collapses…well, at least that'll save some poor soul the trouble of burying me."

Seeing that he was in earnest, I left him and crawled up the tunnel with the rest. It was a tricky business, crawlin' up a steep, eroding tunnel as the ground shook, but I managed it, and pulled myself through the hatch and into the sunlight, lookin' around wildly for a place to flee.

But there were none to be found. Instead, surrounding and covering our little hill were enemies as far as the eye could see. Hundreds of rhinos, crocodiles, wolves, elephants, hippos, vultures all starin' us down, weapons drawn.

Will Scarlet drew his sword. "Our last stand!"

"No," said Arthur, looking at Timmy and Skippy. "There are children with us."

"We yield!" called out Midge, throwing down her dirk. "We surrender!"

From behind a pair of hippos stepped Sketchy the Weasel. His eyes were bright with hatred and cruel enjoyment. "Traitors to the crown get no quarter," he snarled. "Open fire!"

There were a hundred sounds of snappin' and hummin'. Slowly, ever so slowly, I turned my head, trying to understand the noises I had heard.

Will had sat down heavily and I thought he was holding several sticks. Arthur, Midge, Skippy…all doing the same…Hiss tryin' to slither away but trapped by his own tail…the kitten fallin' over into the mud…and then I was aware of my own vision blurrin' and I swung my hand as if to swat away a fly and hit somethin' hard and was finally aware, after this eternal half-second of confusion, that my friends and I were all filled with arrows.

I am a vain creature for, as darkness overtook me, my last thoughts were not for my fallen comrades, nor for the death of liberty…but of my own song lyrics.

"Can't there be some happiness for me?"

"Not in Nottingham."