Bagg tossed a strawberry into the air. It missed his mouth and bounced off his nose as he remarked airily, "Oh the pink Waterbogle. We've been carried off twice this summer by him, haven't we, Runn?"
Runn giggled. "Teeheehee! I'll say we have. We told him so many whoppers he said he's not carrying us off anymore."
From the direction of the damson and plum trees Simeon's voice interrupted.
"Saxtus! Dandin! Brother Hubert wants you for your Redwall history and recording lessons. He is not getting any younger, and someday we will need a new recorder; traditions must be upheld. Come on, young scamps, I know you're there!"
The two young mice dropped flat in the strawberry patch, Dandin holding a paw to his lips.
"Shush! It's Simeon. Lie lowhe might go away."
The steady pawsteps of the blind herbalist came nearer. Simeon called again.
"Come on, you two. I know you're hiding in the strawberry patch."
Saxtus tugged Bagg's tail and winked at the young
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otter. Bagg winked back as he called out, "It's Bagg and Runn, Simeon. We're the only ones here."
Simeon appeared, chuckling. "I'm going to count to three, and if you two otters and that nephew of Quill's aren't off to the Abbey kitchen to help with the chores, I'll tell Mother Mellus to come and fetch you with a hazel twig. As for Saxtus and Dandin, unless you want me to give you an extra lecture on the value of nightshade and campion as herbs, you'll come out now and stop lying there trying to breathe lightly. I may not have eyesight but my ears and nose have never deceived me yet."
Saxtus and Dandin stood up ruefully, wiping away dew from their novices' habits. Wordlessly they followed Simeon to the gatehouse at the entrance to the outer walls. Simeon strode boldly ahead, a smile hovering about his lips.
"Hmm, pity the strawberry trees got blown away in the storm. You could have climbed up one and hidden in its branches."
Brother Hubert sat at his desk in the gatehouse. Though Redwall Abbey was of no great age, he was surrounded by old books, parchments and scrolls. Dust was everywhere. It settled in layers on furniture and shelf alike, providing a fine patina to the tomes and volumes piled willy-nilly, coating the yellowed parchments and writing materials, lazily drifting in a slow swirl around the morning sunlight shafts flooding through the window. Hubert Kept his head bent to the task of recording the Abbey's daily life, the long feathered quill pen waving back and forth as he wrote. Saxtus and Dandin stood in front of him, listening to the scratch of quill on parchment, keeping a respectful silence until Brother Hubert spoke to them. Looking over the top of his spectacles, Hubert blinked severely. "What is punctuality?"
Saxtus spoke out. "The respect we show other creatures by being on time."
"Hmm, you two young Brothers have more respect for strawberries than you do for me, is that not right?"
Saxtus and Dandin stood in silence. Brother Hubert put aside his pen.
"Tell me in turn our Abbey charter. Dandin, you may begin."
Dandin swallowed hard, looked at the ceiling for inspiration, shuffled his paws and began hesitantly.
"Er, to be Brothers and Sisters of peace and goodwill, er, living together in harmony under the protection of Redwall Abbey, er, er, forsaking all unnecessary forms of violence, not only to Mossflower, its trees, grasses, flowers and insects, but to all living creatures ..."
Brother Hubert nodded at Saxtus to continue. He did so with much more confidence and less hesitancy than Dandin.
"To help and comfort the dispossessed, harbor orphans and waifs, offer shelter to all creatures alike, give clothing, warmth and food to any beast or creature that is deemed in need of such. To educate and learn, particularly in the healing arts, comfort the sick, nurse the injured and help the wounded ..."
Dandin received Brother Hubert's nod to continue from Saxtus.
"Er, er, help the wounded. . . . Er, lessee now, er. . . . Oh yes! To take our food from the earth and replenish the land by caring for it, er, husbanding crops and living in harmony with the, er, seasons always. To honor and protect our friends and brethren, only raising paw to do battle when our life at Redwall is threatened by treachery and the shadow of war; at these times every Redwall creature should show courage, fortitude and obedience to the Father Abbot. Albeit the taking of another life must always be justified and never carried out in a wanton manner." Brother Hubert came out from behind his desk.
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"Well done, Saxtus, and very clearly spoken. As for you, young Dandin, you stammer and hesitate, you seem to have difficulty in rememberingexcept, that is, until you come to the part that deals with treachery, war and battle."
Dandin looked down at the floor, gnawing at the side hairs of his paw.
Brother Hubert leaned back against the desk, took a beaker of cordial, blew some dust from its rim and took a sip before continuing.
"Right, Saxtus. Tell me what has been going on in Great Hall for three seasons now."
Saxtus stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Going on ... Great Hall . . . er, er. Oh, is it the making of some cloth picture? Is that what you mean, Brother Hubert?"
Brother Hubert polished his spectacles upon his habit sleeve.
"I don't know, are you asking me or telling me? My my, what a pair of little puddenheads. See if you can tell him, Dandin."
This time it was Dandin's turn to brighten up.
"In Great Hall for the past three seasons, actually it's three and a half, the Brothers and Sisters, also many woodlanders, are combining their skills to make a wonderful tapestry. This will depict our founder, Martin the Warrior, showing how he battled with villainous vermin, foxes, rats, stoats, ferrets and weasels, even a huge wildcat like that awful Tsarmina. Martin the Warrior wasn't bothered by those evil beasts, oho no; he got his famous sword and buckled on his bright armor, took up his shield and drove them from Mossflower country. Wham! Blatt! He whirled his deadly blade, the rats screamed, the foxes dived into hiding. Swishl Chop\ Martin was right after them and he whirled his sword an-"
"Enough, enough, you bloodthirsty young scamp. How do you know all this?"
Dandin smiled. A reckless light burned in his bright eyes.
"Because the father of my father's father was Gonff the Prince of Mousethieves, Martin the Warrior's famous companion. He could steal the nose from under your eyes while you were watching and he was a great ballad-maker."
Brother Hubert nodded wisely. "Yes indeed, an unusual fellow, by all accountsthief, rogue, warrior, questor, but all for the good of other creatures. He married the lovely Columbine, if my memory serves me rightly, so he could not have been too bad a creature. Never let me catch you stealing, young Dandin. Wait, there was something I meant to tell you. Ah yes, I have it here somewhere."
He began rummaging among piles of old records until the dust flew, finally coming up with a small object. By this time all three were coughing and spluttering amid the dust. Hubert shepherded them outside into the cool shadow of the ramparts before he presented Dandin with the item. It was a small flute, beautifully made from a piece of straight applewood, bored out by a red-hot iron rod and wonderfully carved, and it had an ornamental letter "G" near the mouthpiece.
"I was looking through some ancient records," Brother Hubert explained. "They said that the family of Gonff lived down at old Saint Ninian's church for six generations. Before Gonff moved away from Redwall Abbey, however, he was presented with a flute by Abbess Germaine, our first Abbey Mother. But apparently Gonff thought it was far too splendid and fancy for himhe preferred a reed flute so he left this behind. I think this is the flute; it carries his initial and looks very old. I'm sure it belongs rightly to you, Dandin. Do you think you can play it?"