wasted.’
They crouched and observed, unnoticed by the guards. Soon two other Greys came and relieved these. Both of the new guards stayed near the entrance hole.
‘Does anyone know if there are any other openings in the tree?’ Meadowsweet asked hopefully.
‘There izn’t any otherz,’ Wood Anemone whispered back. ‘Uz knowz that tree well. Uz uzed to keep uz nutz there wuntz.’
Meadowsweet was looking at the many big holes in the ground around the base of the tree, remembering when she and her parents had lived in rabbit holes three summers before. ‘Follow me,’ she said, ‘quietly.’
They approached the warren from the side away from the guards and slipped unseen into the first entrance they came to. It seemed very dark inside, then as their eyes became accustomed to the dim light they were able to look around. Meadowsweet was especially interested in the roots which showed through the roofs of the tunnels.
‘Most hollow trees are hollow right to the ground,’ she told her companions. ‘If this one is, then we may be able to dig up through the soil from below.’
‘Thiz wun isn’t,’ said Wood Anemone. It’z vull of punkwood.’
‘Yes, but that’s soft, we can dig through that easily.’ Then, looking at Wood Anemone, she said, ‘What’s that on your belly?’
They all looked. Her belly fur and right paw were glowing in the darkness,
‘It muzd be zum of that rotten wood uz all zaw lazd night. Uz muzd have got zum on uz fur.’ She brushed it violently.
‘Wait,’ Meadowsweet told her. ‘The Sun has heard our prayer. We asked to be enlightened, it looks as if you have been. Come with me, all of you.’
An hour later they were back, travelling on the ground, avoiding the human visitors near the pool and each bringing as much of the damp rotten wood as they could carry. Inside the warren they made a heap which glowed brightly, giving off enough light to show their faces clearly.
‘We may take some time to complete the rescue,’ Meadowsweet said. ‘Wood Anemone, will you take Rosebay and Willowherb and collect all the food you can carry and bring it in here. Watch out for Greys. Bluebell and I will try and see if we can follow the roots back to the tree.
Each squirrel is free
To choose its own ‘root’ through Life
Guided by Kernels.
It gives a whole new meaning to that.’
Meadowsweet heard the others chuckling and saw Rosebay nudge Willowherb. Two jokes in as many hours – she had never been known to tell even one. The twins followed their mother out into the open, still smiling.
Bluebell took a large piece of rotten wood and held the glowing mass up near the tunnel roof. She could clearly see the roots and tried to judge which was the thicker end. Mother and daughter followed the twisting tunnels, stopping frequently to study the root shapes.
‘Meadowsweet-Ma,’ Bluebell said suddenly, ‘how will we find our way back?’
Meadowsweet stepped to one side and Bluebell could see her smiling over the bundle of rotten wood she was holding. Back down the passage in the darkness that they had just followed, a line of glowing dots shone in the darkness. Meadowsweet broke off another piece and dropped it on the floor of the tunnel.
‘I think the roots are getting smaller again,’ Bluebell said. ‘We must have passed under the tree.’
They circled round and round in various tunnels until they were sure that they were at the most likely place. Meadowsweet reached up and scratched at the roof. A shower of dry soil and powdered wood enveloped her.
‘This is it,’ she said. ‘We’ll leave a marker here and get the others.’
They laid out the shape of one of Marguerite’ss on the ground with the last of the wood they had carried with them, and followed the glowing fragments back to the entrance. The other three had already returned with food which they shared out and ate. Each squirrel then took a piece of shining wood and followed the markers to where
They crouched and observed, unnoticed by the guards. Soon two other Greys came and relieved these. Both of the new guards stayed near the entrance hole.
‘Does anyone know if there are any other openings in the tree?’ Meadowsweet asked hopefully.
‘There izn’t any otherz,’ Wood Anemone whispered back. ‘Uz knowz that tree well. Uz uzed to keep uz nutz there wuntz.’
Meadowsweet was looking at the many big holes in the ground around the base of the tree, remembering when she and her parents had lived in rabbit holes three summers before. ‘Follow me,’ she said, ‘quietly.’
They approached the warren from the side away from the guards and slipped unseen into the first entrance they came to. It seemed very dark inside, then as their eyes became accustomed to the dim light they were able to look around. Meadowsweet was especially interested in the roots which showed through the roofs of the tunnels.
‘Most hollow trees are hollow right to the ground,’ she told her companions. ‘If this one is, then we may be able to dig up through the soil from below.’
‘Thiz wun isn’t,’ said Wood Anemone. It’z vull of punkwood.’
‘Yes, but that’s soft, we can dig through that easily.’ Then, looking at Wood Anemone, she said, ‘What’s that on your belly?’
They all looked. Her belly fur and right paw were glowing in the darkness,
‘It muzd be zum of that rotten wood uz all zaw lazd night. Uz muzd have got zum on uz fur.’ She brushed it violently.
‘Wait,’ Meadowsweet told her. ‘The Sun has heard our prayer. We asked to be enlightened, it looks as if you have been. Come with me, all of you.’
An hour later they were back, travelling on the ground, avoiding the human visitors near the pool and each bringing as much of the damp rotten wood as they could carry. Inside the warren they made a heap which glowed brightly, giving off enough light to show their faces clearly.
‘We may take some time to complete the rescue,’ Meadowsweet said. ‘Wood Anemone, will you take Rosebay and Willowherb and collect all the food you can carry and bring it in here. Watch out for Greys. Bluebell and I will try and see if we can follow the roots back to the tree.
Each squirrel is free
To choose its own ‘root’ through Life
Guided by Kernels.
It gives a whole new meaning to that.’
Meadowsweet heard the others chuckling and saw Rosebay nudge Willowherb. Two jokes in as many hours – she had never been known to tell even one. The twins followed their mother out into the open, still smiling.
Bluebell took a large piece of rotten wood and held the glowing mass up near the tunnel roof. She could clearly see the roots and tried to judge which was the thicker end. Mother and daughter followed the twisting tunnels, stopping frequently to study the root shapes.
‘Meadowsweet-Ma,’ Bluebell said suddenly, ‘how will we find our way back?’
Meadowsweet stepped to one side and Bluebell could see her smiling over the bundle of rotten wood she was holding. Back down the passage in the darkness that they had just followed, a line of glowing dots shone in the darkness. Meadowsweet broke off another piece and dropped it on the floor of the tunnel.
‘I think the roots are getting smaller again,’ Bluebell said. ‘We must have passed under the tree.’
They circled round and round in various tunnels until they were sure that they were at the most likely place. Meadowsweet reached up and scratched at the roof. A shower of dry soil and powdered wood enveloped her.
‘This is it,’ she said. ‘We’ll leave a marker here and get the others.’
They laid out the shape of one of Marguerite’ss on the ground with the last of the wood they had carried with them, and followed the glowing fragments back to the entrance. The other three had already returned with food which they shared out and ate. Each squirrel then took a piece of shining wood and followed the markers to where
Similar Books
