by Bob Brooks
Stoddard was in the front yard, modifying a halter, when the owl landed near him.
“Hi, Bart, good to see you again. What brings you here this grand evening?” asked Stoddard.
“Good to see you also,” replied Bartholomew. “I came to talk with you and Sean about an interesting procurement project.”
Stoddard laughed and said, “All of your procurement projects are interesting. Sean has gone on a quick egg hunt. At least, I hope it’s quick. What’s your project about?”
“We are building a water distribution system at Petunia’s cottage. We need about two hundred feet of one-inch diameter pipe. Each section of pipe can be as long as you can carry, but one section should be two feet long. We need connectors for each section and four elbows. We also need a small hand-pump to which the pipe will connect. With those parts, we can build a system to pump water from the pond to Petunia’s garden. It could be a difficult hunt, but I have a couple of ideas that should make your search easier.” (If you are wondering, the swans can count.)
“Very interesting,” said Stoddard. “We can start looking tomorrow morning.”
“That would be wonderful,” said Bartholomew, and he told Stoddard his ideas about where to locate everything.
“I’m sorry, but I must be going now,” said Bartholomew after they had discussed all of the details.
“The boat is taking most of my time, and there is still a lot to do. Please say hello to Sean for me. I’m sorry I missed him. Oh, when you get the parts, please deliver them to Petunia’s cottage, and send me a message. I appreciate your help, as always.”
“Yes. We’ll be most happy to. See you again soon, I hope,” Stoddard said.
After a quick hug Bartholomew flew off to his home. He spent the rest of the evening working on boat details.
When Petunia went to check on her sesame seeds the following morning, the result was the same. The ants had taken the seeds and left the dish turned right-side up. We have an arrangement, she believed.
Following breakfast and cleaning, today would be another day in the garden. There were a lot of strawberries ready to be picked. She didn’t know when the swans would find the pipe and pump, so she might as well continue her normal routine. Seely arrived to open the bakery counter, and Petunia went out to the garden. It seemed as if the strawberry plants had grown another two inches overnight. She hoped the residents would like strawberry pie this year.
She had been picking strawberries for about one-half hour when she thought she noticed some movement out of the corner of her right eye. She turned and looked but didn’t see anything immediately. Then, about ten feet away at the base of a strawberry plant, she noticed a large gathering of ants. That was curious, she thought and continued to watch.
The ant gathering broke into two smaller groups. The first group of about twenty-five began to climb the plant. Ants don’t eat strawberries. What are they up to? What are they up to, indeed?
Resting on the top leaf were two bugs enjoying their breakfast of strawberry leaves. As the ants climbed higher, the bugs quickly dropped breakfast and jumped off of the plant. The ants were now on every leaf. The second group of ants took over the next plant in the same way. More ants appeared, split into groups of about twenty-five, and each group climbed a plant. Any bugs, who were on a plant, quickly jumped for their lives or flew away. Petunia could not believe what she was seeing and was flabbergasted. It took a while, but eventually the ants were protecting about a hundred plants. After bugs were driven from a plant, most ants left that plant. Two remained as guards. She was watching a highly trained and effective army in action. If the weasels had been there, they would have been very impressed.
Petunia was amazed. She had a new weapon against the bugs. Apparently, it was the ants’ way of saying thank you for the sesame seeds. She wanted to hug each one of them, but that wasn’t possible. At least she would double the amount of seeds she left each evening. She would also be more careful where she stepped. This would be a day to remember, and it wasn’t over yet. After she retired, the swans delivered about twenty pieces of small pipe, fittings, elbows, and a pump. They set everything next to the trough.
Early the next day, Britt Bluebird flew to Bartholomew’s treehouse and informed him of the late-night delivery. He was delighted that the swans had been so successful, so quickly. He then sent messages to Finn, Melrose and Merwin asking them to meet him at Petunia’s cottage at 10 bongs.
Everyone converged upon the cottage at the requested time. Finn brought with him Colin, Conner and Craig Chipmunk. They were also good diggers. Petunia was pleased to see everyone and served a light breakfast. She told them about the ants, and they were as amazed as she.
After breakfast, plan B of the water project began. Bartholomew marked a line from the pond to the trough. Finn had the moles and chipmunks begin digging the new two-foot deep trench. Finn, again, was the dirt mover. Digging the trench proved to be much easier than the tunnel. By late afternoon it was complete, and water from the pond ran up the trench about half way to the trough.
While the trench was being dug, Bartholomew worked on the water pump. It was old and rusty and needed attention. Happily, Petunia had a lot of odds and ends in her storage shed. Bartholomew used some sandpaper and oil to free up the pump’s moving parts. Then, he bolted it securely to the trough. Its spigot pointed inward. The pump was ready.
The next step was pipe assembly. The animals attached a short section of vertical pipe to the pump inlet. Then, they connected about seventy-five feet of pipe sections and rolled the finished piece into the trench. One end was joined to the pipe that came from the pump. They connected another seventy-five foot length of pipe and rolled it into the water-filled part of the trench. Where it entered the pond, it was two feet underwater. Finally, the two long pipes were joined together. Done!
The new water system was now ready for testing. Everyone gathered at the pump.
Bartholomew said, “Petunia, would you like the honor of turning on the first water distribution system in Ballymore?”
“Thank you, but I think Finn should have that honor,” she said.
The pump lever was too high for Finn to reach, so Bartholomew placed a short stool next to the pump. Finn smiled and jumped up onto it.
“Just keep pumping the lever up and down until water comes out. It might take a while,” said Bartholomew.
Finn began pumping the lever. Nothing happened for about thirty seconds. Then, some gurgling was heard. Then, some spurts of water shot from the spigot. Finally, a strong flow of cool water gushed from the spigot and splashed into the trough. Initially, there was some mud in the water, but it quickly cleared. The animals cheered. The mood was jubilant. The project was a wonderful success.
After a few minutes of congratulations, Bartholomew said that they needed to make sure there were no leaks. They found none, and the trench was quickly filled. Bartholomew placed some markers along it in case repairs were needed in the future.
Petunia invited everyone in for a celebration dinner. The satisfied animals left at sunset with full stomachs.
Before she went to bed, Petunia went back to the pump and filled the trough to overflowing. She laughed with glee. She felt like a child again as the water splashed over the edges.
CHAPTER FOUR
Midsummer's Eve
The next morning, Petunia went to her porch again to check on the ants. This was becoming a habit. The dish was right-side up, as usual, but there was something in it. She bent down and picked up a small, dirty envelope. It looked very old. The envelope had lettering on it:
To: Residents of Ballymore
Petunia couldn’t read, but she knew the letters meant something and that the letter was important. She forgot about breakfast and cleaning and water and ants. She rushed off to Bartholomew’s as fast as she could go.
When Petunia got to his treehouse, she was out of breath and needed to rest briefly. Then, she walked up the narrow steps that circled the large tree tr
unk. Bartholomew heard her coming and opened his door.
“Petunia, what a surprise! I did not expect to see you again so soon,” he said. “Come in, please.”
“Hello Bartholomew. I’ve just found something that I think is important.”
She gave him the letter and told him the story. They sat down at the dining table, and he examined it. The envelope seemed to be sealed with wax.
“When did you find this?” he asked.
“Only about thirty minutes ago.”
He got a stick from the wood basket and pushed it into the fireplace. The end of it ignited immediately. He blew out the flame and placed the hot end very close to the wax. In a few seconds the wax began to drip onto the table. Using a knife, he gently lifted the flap of the envelope. He carefully removed the letter, unfolded it, and placed it on the table. It was obviously very old but still readable. He began to read aloud,
My Dear Ballymore Residents,
I am writing this brief letter in the year 1801. My intent is that it not be found for many years. I have had the privilege of serving the residents of Ballymore for over thirty years as their councillor and advisor. I am old now, and will soon be called home to my final resting place.
Before I leave, I feel a need to communicate with you, the future residents of Ballymore. Thus this letter. Ballymore is a special and rare place. We have learned the value of caring for each other as a family, but those traditions are always threatened by change. I fear that the values that we share may be lost in the future. I beseech you to understand and cherish what we have.
There is an ancient Biblical Law that, if followed, ensures a more worthwhile life for each of us.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
That is the essence of Ballymore. Do not forsake it.
So, I leave you with this letter and a puzzle. Many of us contributed to the creation of it, and it is my hope that all of the current residents will participate in solving it. The solution to the puzzle will lead you to a gift from all of us.
In the highest cave in The Hills, three feet below a flat rock, ten feet from the entrance: a box.
Your Humble Servant,
Cyrus Owl
Midsummer’s Eve, 1801
Bartholomew stared at the letter.
“What does it mean, Bartholomew?”
“You have found something very important. Cyrus Owl and the residents who lived here in 1801 have left this letter and a gift for us to find. This is amazing! However, I need some time to think it over. I would appreciate it if you do not mention the letter to anyone else.”
“I won’t,” she answered. “Do you think we’ll be able to find the gift?”
“Yes, I think we will, but The Hills are a long way away. Also, it is likely that this is only the first step in finding the gift. Amazing!” he said again.
He paused.
“You still look a little out of breath. Can I offer you some tea?”
“I’m just so excited. Yes, thank you. That would be nice. This is quite unbelievable isn’t it?” she said.
“Yes, it is, and I think it will be very important for Ballymore,” he replied.
“Well, I’ll leave everything for you to decide. I know you’ll do what’s right.”
“Thank you, Petunia.”
After the tea she returned to her garden, and Bartholomew continued to ponder the letter. He knew Ballymore had existed for a long time but didn’t know how long. He was impressed with the caring and foresight that Cyrus Owl had shown. It felt good to make this connection with the distant past. It also felt mysterious. He decided to tell everyone about the letter at the Midsummer’s Eve celebration. Shortly thereafter, he would begin to organize the puzzle hunt. There is never a dull moment, he thought.
Reginald Rabbit was responsible for making the sails for the boat. Bartholomew had given him detailed sketches. There were three sails, one mainsail and two foresails. The largest was about fifteen feet high. He ordered a lightweight canvas material, and it had already been delivered. The widest piece that the swans could carry was three feet. Reginald would have to cut and sew the material together to create the large sizes needed. That was not an unusual practice in sail-making, but it was the first time he would be doing it.
A special heavy duty thread was to be used. His sewing machines were not powerful enough to handle the thread, so the sewing would have to be done by paw (hand).
Rhonda was in charge of the dyeing. She gathered the ingredients necessary to make a large quantity of dark red dye. It was primarily cranberry juice.
It was early June, and the weather was perfect for working outdoors. Reginald spread the canvas pieces on the ground near the flower garden. He made three separate groups. Then, with a pencil and measuring tape, he outlined the shapes of the sails on the canvas.
Shortly after he began, a bumblebee flew by and landed on a fence post not far from Reginald. Three more bees followed the first. They lined up on the post, left to right, and looked at the canvas pieces. Reginald knew something about bees and noticed that the four bees were queens. In all likelihood, they were from Rhonda’s garden.
Reginald acknowledged them but continued working. Every now and then, the bees would leave the fence post and hover over a piece of canvas for a while. They certainly were showing interest in the project.
At the end of the day, the bees left and flew back to their nests. They returned the following days and continued to watch as the sail-making progressed. Reginald thought that was interesting but had no idea what their purpose was. As we shall see later, the bees did have a purpose in mind.
Reginald continued cutting and sewing. Rhonda helped, also. After three days the sails were finished and ready for dyeing. This operation required the whole Rabbit family and more. The neighboring Squirrel family (Sedgewick, Sofie, Shane, and Seely) was recruited to help.
First, the sails needed to be stretched out flat on the ground. The mainsail looked something like a large tilted rectangle. The other two were smaller triangles. The nine animals surrounded one of the triangular sails, grabbed its edges, and pulled. Then, Reginald pulled one corner over a peg he had pushed in the ground. The other two corners were also pegged. Everyone took a small paint brush and soaked the sail with the dark red dye. That went pretty well. They did the same to the mainsail.
Then, they began dyeing the remaining triangular sail. As they were finishing, Rhonda saw that one edge was not flat on the ground. She asked the squirrels if they could straighten it. The four squirrels lined up and yanked on the edge. It moved a little. “Just a little more, please,” Rhonda requested. One more yank. Splang! Flap!
The far corner slipped off its peg and flew towards them. It didn’t reach them, but the dye did. Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat! Four bewildered, cranberry-colored squirrels stood there dripping dark red. The rabbits tried not to laugh.
Then, Shane licked his lips and yelled, “Hey, this stuff tastes good.”
The others licked their lips and completely agreed. A lot of licking followed. It was the most delicious bath the children had ever had. Their parents felt the same but wouldn’t admit it. After licking, the squirrels were still pretty sticky, so they went down to the water and took a quick dip. With some shaking and more licking, they were “bright eyed and bushy tailed” again.
While the squirrels were cleaning up, Reginald repegged the loose sail, and the rabbits put more dye on it.
“I think we’re done for today,” Reginald said. “Let’s let them dry, and we’ll do the other sides tomorrow.”
The following day, the group assembled again and completed the dyeing. All went well, but Shane was hoping for another cranberry bath. The sails dried beautifully and were very impressive. Reginald sent a message to the ducks that the sails were ready for transport to the cove.
The following morning, the ducks arrived with the raft. Together, the ducks and rabbits were able to carry and load the sails. The raft was just big enough. The duc
ks pushed off from the dock and headed across the pond with their important cargo.
Bartholomew and the beavers were on the deck when the sails were delivered. They were very pleased. This was going to be the most beautiful boat in the world. The mast and sails had been the main parts that remained to be completed. With the sails finished, they could be assembled with beams and rigging.
The beavers helped the ducks unload the sails and placed them in a safe location. Morris Muskrat’s cottage was only a short distance away, and he came down with tea and pastries for everyone. After the snack the ducks left as they had other pickups and deliveries to make.
The dead trees had provided some very good wood for the boat. However, the mast required the best possible piece, and the straightest tree was saved for that honor. After two days of cutting and sanding, the new mast was ready for installation, perfectly straight and twenty feet long. It tapered from a six-inch diameter at the base to four inches at the top. It would be a delicate job moving the mast into position and securing it to the boat.
