Skipper paused, a cheese and mushroom flan halfway to his mouth. "Only beasts I'd be worried about, beggin' yore pardon, marm, are those foolish enough to try an' stop 'em returnin' to our Abbey. Huh, I'd sure enough feel sorry for those!"
Columbine topped the otter's beaker up with October Ale. "I suppose you're right, Skip, but my Gonff attracts trouble no matter where he is. I think he enjoys it."
Abbess Germaine patted the mousewife's paw. "That's why he has two good friendsMartin, who has never been defeated by anybeast, and Dinny, full of caution and sensible mole logic. Don't fret yourself over those three, my dear, they could overcome anything!"
Bella winked at Skipper to lighten the evening's end and take Columbine's mind off worries about Gonff and his friends.
"Getting late, Skip. Come on, you haven't sung tonight. Send us all off to our beds with one of your funny ditties."
The burly otter was only too willing to oblige.
"Good night, sleep tight!
Don't forget t'close the door,
Good night, sleep tight!
Use the bed an' not the floor,
Good night, sleep tight!
Now don't let me hear you snore,
Good night, sleep tight!
An' don't sleepwalk anymore.
Blow out the candle,
Turn down the bed,
Stop yore yawnin', sleepyhead.
Good night, sleep tight!
Up the wooden stairs y'creep,
Good night, sleep tight!
Put on yore nightie, go t'sleep,
Good night, sleep tight!
Stop that talkin' in yore dreams,
Good night, sleep tight!
Don't rip y'sheets to smithereens,
If a nightmare starts t'show,
An' you wake me up, oho,
Out the window you will go . . . good night!"
Leaving the pondside, they trooped slowly back to the AbbeyBella in the lead carrying the sleeping Gonflet, Columbine linking paws with the ottermaids, Ferdy and Coggs pulling the trolley in which the Abbess slumbered, followed by all the other beasts. Skipper brought up the rear of the procession, singing as quietly as his big gruff voice would allow. Everybeast joined in, keeping their voices low, the catchy melody acting as a gentle march, echoing softly over moonlit Abbey lawns.
As they entered the main Abbey door, a vagrant breeze ruffled Bella's fur. She shuddered lightly and whispered to Columbine, "Bit of a chill in the air just then."
Gonflet, who was supposed to be fast asleep, opened one eye and grinned cheekily.
"Soon be's h'autumn now, miz Bell!"
Chapter 36
The Honeysuckle skimmed southward like a playful swallow, Log a Log Furmo proudly showing off her prowess as a skiff to the four creatures from the Arfship. Martin sat in the prow, enjoying the sun, seaspray and breeze, with his faithful friend Gonff alongside him. Together they listened to Trimp attempting to chide Chugger for his lack of respect to the elders.
"I'll not tell you again, Chugg, please stop calling our friends old granpas'tis not very good manners!"
"Tchah! You don't know noffink. They good ole granpas for Chugg. We makin' lorra skillyduffs for 'em!"
Folgrim and Dinny had been appointed assistant cooks, helping Chugger to cook skilly'n'duff. They were on his side.
"Maister Chugg bain't doin' no 'arm, missie, bain't that so, zurr Fol?"
"Aye, let the liddle tyke be, miss. He ain't never 'ad a granpa. Haharr, now he's got four of 'em!"
Trimp appealed to Vurg and his friends. "Please forgive Chugger. I hope he hasn't offended you."
"There, there, don't fret, young gel, wot! He can call us blather-faced bloaters as long as he keeps feedin' us. Jolly little rip, ain't he, Vurg?"
"Aye, an' seein' as we've got no families of our own, 'tis nice t'be chosen as grandsires by him. Ahoy there, cap'n Chugg. Is our skilly'n'duff ready yet?"
The small squirrel gave his concoction a final stir and licked the ladle. Nodding brusquely, he issued orders.
"Skillyduff cookered now. Mista Fol, Mista Din, give ole granpas some first. Miz Trimp, you serve a rest o' my crew!"
Martin and Gonff had difficulty keeping straight faces as they accepted their bowls from Trimp. The hedgehog maid was quietly seething. "Bushtailed little villain, who does he think he is? Issuing orders to me as if I were some sort of lackey!"
Martin blew upon his spoon as he tasted the food. "Mmm, he does make great skilly'n'duff, though. What d'you think, Gonff?"
"Never tasted better, matey. D'you reckon Chugg'd adopt us as ole granpas?"
"No, we're a bit young for that. Why don't we apply to be uncles, like Folgrim and Dinny."
Trimp stamped off to serve the Guosim shrews, muttering, "I don't know, everybeast aboard this boat has got that cheeky-faced villain spoiled rotten!"
Chugger's latest order interrupted her rebellious musing.
"Find more bowls for the sh'ews, miz Trimp!"
Trimp turned on Chugger, paws akimbo, shouting shrilly, "Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir! Perhaps you'd like me to scrub the decks and polish the oars!"
Chugger's reply left her speechless. "No no, do that later, jus' stop shoutin' for now. My ole granpas're gonna take naps. Hush y'noise now!"
It was some days later, and the weather was getting noticeably warmer. Furmo steered the Honeysuckle closer inshore, hallooing the creatures standing paw deep in the shallows.
"Dunespike, old mate, how are ye?"
Splashing about joyfully, the fat old Dunehog Chieftain hailed the boat. "Sure an' I'm all the better for yore askin', Furmo. Come ashore now an' rest yer ould fur!"
Willing paws helped haul the Honeysuckle above the tideline. Murfo and a gang of young male hedgehogs fell over each other assisting Trimp ashore.
"Faith an' fortunes, missie, but yore lookin' grand, grand. Prettier'n ever, though I says so meself!"
Trimp grabbed an oar and vaulted over them onto the sand. "Aye, and still well able to take care of myself, thank ye!"
Martin seized Dunespike's paw and pumped it heartily. "Greetings, Chief, you're looking very well!"
"True, true, I'm gettin' younger by the day, plump as a pear an' brisk as a bumblebee. Well now, c'mon up t'the dwellin' an' loosen off yore belt. We've been watchin' out each day for a glimpse of y'grand little boat. Sure an' the cooks are roastin' the paws off themselves to make ye a grand ould supper. I think we'll even be able to fill Gonff's belly tonight. How are ye doodlin' there, Mousethief?"
Gonff fell into the Dunehogs' speech mode. "Sure an' if'n I look half as grand as yerself, then I'm twice the mouse I used to be, sir!"
Linking paws and chattering away happily, crew and Dunehogs made their way into the sandhills and entered the cunningly disguised dwelling house. Beau and his friends were quite impressed by it all, and the hare expressed his admiration to all the young hedgehogs, while shielding Trimp from them.
"I say, what a super wheeze, a jolly great place like this inside a sand dune, wot! Well done, you chaps, top marks!"
One of the young males was winking slyly at Trimp. "Sure an' I'd forgotten how pretty ye are. A hog'd travel ten rough country leagues an' not see the likes o' ye. I'll wager y'could charm the stars out o' the skies with just a flutter of those eyelashes!"
Beau pretended to think the Dunehog was talking to him. He tweaked the creature's ear sharply.
"Mind y'manners, sir, we haven't even been introduced, wot. Though you seem jolly perceptive for a hedgehog. Mind you, I do strike quite a handsome impression on most creatures."
The Honeysuckle's crew found that the Dunehog hospitality was not lacking. For supper they dined on a fine leek and potato soup, followed by mushroom, radish and seafood stew, with an enormous fruit trifle for dessert. After that they sat about drinking cordials and Seafoam Ale while they were entertained by a Spine-tussling exhibition, some lively Dunehog reels and jigs, and various poems, recitations and ballads. Trimp sat with a group of hogmaids and they all flirted outrageously with the young males, who danced and Spinetussled to vie for their attention. Martin sat with Dunespike and Furmo, watching them with amusement.