especially t’you, my big strong pal!
Together they entered the kitchens, with the Abbot, clad in a fresh robe of clean linen, shuffling behind. Friar Gooch and Furrel met them, with much hugging, kissing, back-slapping and paw shaking as they exchanged greetings for the jolly occasion.
Summer is here, joy and happiness to all!
The Father Abbot’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. And what, pray, is in that delightful-looking keg?
Skipper placed it on the table. Curdle took out his little screw tap and knocked it into the bung keg. Sister Vernal appeared with Malbun and Crikulus in tow. They carried a tray full of delicate rock-crystal beakers, tiny things, which tinkled as they touched.
Before Gurdle could answer the Abbot’s question, old Crikulus chuckled.
Wild-cherry-an’-redcurrant cordial, made on the final day of last summer. Good beast, Gurdle, I knew you’d bring it up from the cellars today!
The Cellarhog looked slightly nonplussed that anybeast should know what his surprise offering was to be. He grumbled. Aye, brought it up’ere, just like I do on the first day of every summer season.
Abbot Apodemus placed a paw carefully around Gur-dle’s spiky shoulders, smiling fondly. What would Red-wall do without you, my old friend? I’m sure this will be the nicest wild-cherry-and-redcurrant cordial ever tasted in our beloved Abbey!
The Cellarhog blushed to his spiketips as he busied himself pouring the sparkling cerise-hued liquid into the glasses. Kindly said, Father Abbot, Well,’ere’s long life an’ good fortune to us all!
Memm Flackery came hurtling in and relieved Gurdle of two glasses, which she quaffed instantly. A jolly loud hoorah for summer, wot? Joy an’
happiness to all you bounders, who never woke me t’say this was bein’
served.
I say, Gurdy old lad, this is absolutely toodle pip, well done, sah.
Congrats!
Foremole Urrm scuttled in and seized the last glass as Memm was about to reach for it. Yurr gudd’ealth, zurr an’ marms, ee summer bee’s yurr!
Friar Gooch bowed to the Abbot. Brekkist in the orchard I think, eh, Father?
Apodemus beamed. Why certainly, Friar, where else on such a day? I can’t think of a more pleasant place!
Memm Flackery interrupted. Only after you’ve sat in Great Hall an’ dealt with those dastardly Dibbuns who are on Abbot’s Report, sah, wot!
The Abbot’s face fell. He disliked dealing out sentences, particularly to Dibbuns. Skipper saw this and provided an instant solution to the problem.
Wot a mis’rable thing on the first day o’ summer. Bring’em up t’the orchard, pore riddle tykes. I was a Dibbun meself, y’know, we all were once.
The Harenurse cast a jaundiced eye upon the otter chief. Perish the thought, you a Dibbun? She shuddered.
Everybeast laughed at the indignant expression on Skipper’s face.
Seizing his otter friend’s paw, the Abbot hurried him off to the orchard gladly.
Thanks for getting me out of that task, you sensible ex-Dibbun. My my, but you have grown, haven’t you?
Beneath shady fruit trees, mottled by sunshine and shadow, Redwallers chattered merrily as they breakfasted at the long trestle tables and forms, which had been set up in the orchard by Log a Log and his Guosim shrews, who were enjoying a prolonged stay at Redwall.
Freshly scrubbed and wearing clean smocks, the Dibbuns were shepherded by Memm into their Abbot’s presence. Adopting an attitude of mock severity, Apodemus sat back, looking over the top of his spectacles at the two lines of apprehensive infants. He shook his head several times.
What in the name of fur’n’whiskers am I to do with you, eh? Dearie me, what have you got to say for yourselves?
Turfee the mousebabe stared hard at the ground. Rug-gum’n’Bikkle sez you gonna chop off us tails. It not fair! Roobil be a molebabe anim gotta likkle tail, but I bee’s a mousebabe wiv a long tail. Not fair, Farver Habbit/’
Apodemus weighed this statement, scratching his whiskers. Hmm, I take your point. What would you do with these villains, Skipper?
Brandishing his javelin and scowling savagely, the big otter confronted the trembling miscreants. Do with’em, sir! Do with’em! Why, I’d make the rogues dance twice round these tables singin’ Honeybee Soup. That’s wot I’d do, an’ serve’em right for their’orrible crimes!
The sentence was greeted with wild applause from the Dibbuns. Foremole Urrm took out a small moleedion and twiddled the opening bars of the jig, which was a great favourite with Abbeybabes. Ruggum and Bikkle deserted their seats and joined the little ones, prancing up and down.
Sister Vernal looked at them quizzically. You two aren’t on Abbot’s Report. You don’t have to do what Skipper asked!
Grinning from ear to ear, Ruggum replied, Hurr hurr, you’m troi an’
stop uz, marm!
Away the babes went, like a miniature whirlwind, jigging, hopping, leaping and singing wildly:
Mix honey with honey an’ honey in honey, Get a big pot here an’ pour it on thick, Honey, fine honey, so golden an’ sunny, We’ll stir it all up with a green willow stick.
Nod your head wag your tail,
Sup it from pan or pail,
Join up our paws an’ go round in a loop, Buzz like the bees do to flowers an’ trees, But fetch me a bowl of good Bumblebee Soup.
Oh bumblebee, don’t stumble or tumble, Come out of the flowers now, back to your hives, Fly back to your home, sir, an’ fill up each comb there, For granma’s an’ granpa’s an’ babies an’ wives.
Striped all with fluffy down,
Golden an’ furry brown,
Bow to your partner an’ yell a great whoop, Now form a square, an’ you may find it there, A bowl of your favourite Bumblebee Soup!
Right back to the first verse the little creatures went, paws joined as they whizzed around the orchard at an alarming rate.
Memm shook her head in despair. Will you just look at that villain Roobil!
I’ve tried to teach him the flippin’ words a dozen or more times. But will he pay attention, wot wot? Indeed he won’t. Rumpitty turn, that’s all he’ll sing, the little bounder. Listen to him. Rumpitty turn, rumpitty turn, rumpitty bloomin’ turn!
Foremole Urrm nodded admiringly as Roobil vaulted over his lap and shot off around the pear trees. Burr hoo, but ee doo’ave a foine turn o’
paw, marm. Thurr goes ee mole choild arfter moi own’eart, burr aye!
Malbun Grimp agreed wholeheartedly with him. Aye, I don’t think I’d be worrying about learnin’ words if I could dance half as good as Roobil!
Crikulus, who was sitting on the other side of Malbun, looked rather gloomy all of a sudden. He murmured to his companions, I don’t expect it’ll rain or storm tonight. That’s put the block on us goin’ out to search for Brock-hall.
Malbun pondered his words for a few moments before replying. You could be right there. But I don’t intend let-tin’ the weather, or lack of it, get in our way. All we needto do is to keep out of the way of those crows. Suppose I was to ask Log a Log and one of those big otters from Skipper ‘s crew to come with us. Surely a Guosim Chieftain and that hefty young otter Churk could get us through quietly, without upsetting those birds. Log a Log’s an expert tracker, and Churk is well versed in woodland waysÑI like her.
Crikulus nodded, keeping his eyes on the dancing Dib-buns. Good idea, Malbun, but don’t let anybeast save Log a Log and Churk know. No point in havin’ them all wor-ryin’ about us. We’ll slip off after supper, the four of us, eh?