Expect No Good From the Evil
Behind the walls of Redwall Abbey, stronghold of Mossflower and symbol of peace, a squirrelmaid was picking apples in the orchard. It was a pleasantly warm day, and Dibbuns were playing by the pond while otters fished and swapped stories of days long gone by. The squirrelmaid listened half-heartedly as she picked apples. Soon, her basket was quite full so she climbed down from the tree.
As she turned to walk into the Abbey, she heard someone calling to her from a nearby wallgate. She glanced over and saw a harmless looking stoat wearing a ragged tunic waving to her from the gate. "Good mornin'." He greeted. "I saw yew pickin' dem appless an' they looked good. So I wuz wonderin' if I could haf one o' dem apples?"
The squirrelmaid looked down at her basket. It was full and there were always more apples in the trees. Besides, the stoat looked harmless and hungry. She had been taught in Abbey school to help all creatures who needed it. That included vermin, right? She looked cautiously at the stoat again. He wasn't carrying any weapons and he did look hungry...
"Of course." The squirrelmaid selected a large apple from her basket. It was one of the biggest, juicy, red, and shiny.
She handed the apple to the eager stoat. He snatched it away and gleefully took a bite out of the apple. He ate it, smacking loudly as the squirrelmaid watched and waited for the stoat to thank her for her kindness. Instead of thanking her, the stoat belched loudly and walked away.
"Hey!" The squirrelmaid shouted as she picked up her basket again. She stormed back to the Abbey, muttering under her breath the whole way.
"What's the matter, marm?" Asked one of the otters fishing in the pond as the squirrelmaid stormed past him.
"I gave that stoat over by the gate an apple, but he didn't thank me." She complained. "After all, I didn't have to feed him..."
The otter shook his head and smiled at the squirrelmaid. "Marm, come have a seat an' let me tell you a story…"
One cold winter's day, many seasons ago, in the time of Abbess Song, the Skipper of Otters was walking through the forest. It was never said where he was coming from, but he was on his way back to Redwall Abbey to be the rest of the otters and enjoy some hotroot soup. It was a very cold day, and a bitter wind was blowing. Skipper walked faster. It was too cold for any sensible beast to be outside. He was approaching the main gate of the Abbey when he saw the dark outline of somebeast lying in the snow. Catious, Skipper walked towards it to have a look. When he came closer, he saw it was a small ferret that for all appearances looked dead.
Here he was faced with a dilemma. Now it was always frowned upon to bring strange vermin into the Abbey, but Skipper knew Abbess Song or any of the other elders wouldn't approve of leaving anybeast outside in this weather, vermin or not. A life was a life. And he couldn't leave anybeast out to die, even if it was a vermin who no doubt led a life of questionable morale. Besides, he could handle one measly ferret if it got out of line.
So with a sigh, Skipper grabbed the ferret by the feet and dragged him through the main gate and into the Abbey. It was later in night, and the Dibbuns were asleep, except for the one or two particularly stubborn ones who were still adamantly refusing to go to sleep. The elders were gathered around the hearth before the fire, sipping hot tea and cordial when Skipper burst in through the doors in a gust of wind and snow.
They all made way for him as he dragged the frozen ferret indoors. Cregga, the blind badger mother, helped him set the ferret on the hearth.
"Sorry, marm." Skipper said to the Abbess, "But I couldn't leave anybeast out in that weather."
They gathered around the ferret and watched him slowly come to life as the fire warmed him. The ferret grunted and moved himself into a sitting position.
"You're in Redwall Abbey. This otter saved your life, you should be grateful." One of the mice by the fire said to the ferret.
The mouse offered the ferret a scone and a flask of warm cordial. Instead of taking it, the ferret growled and reached for his knife.
There was a loud thunk as Skipper hit the ferret in between the eyes with his paws. The vermin dropped to the hearth like a stone. The otter shook his head at the mouse who had offered the food and drink.
"No gratitude from the wicked."
That was one shorter, but they're fables. They aren't meant to be three thousand words long. They're short, sweet, and to the point. I need a suggestion for another character, please. It's hard trying to think of them.