by Colin Dann
‘Just like Fox,’ said Badger. ‘Perhaps I should go and help him,’ he added. He scrambled down to the water’s edge.
‘Let me come too! I’m a good swimmer!’ cried Mole.
Then, suddenly, Hare shouted: ‘There they are!’
The heads of the rabbits and of Fox were at last visible. Fox was swimming behind them, trying his best to keep them on course; for even at this stage the rabbits were still in a state of alarm at finding themselves in deep water, and none of them was swimming in a straight line.
The weary Fox was paddling furiously to one rabbit, who was threatening to swim away from the group, only to see that, having put this animal straight, another, at the other end of the line, had started to swim back to the far bank.
Badger and the rest of the party who had successfully made the crossing, were absolutely amazed at the rabbits’ stupidity, and in their sympathy for the gallant Fox, began to shout angrily at them.
‘Where are you going? This is the way!’ shouted Weasel.
‘What are you turning round for?’ Vole called in his shrill voice.
A chorus of protests were directed at the jittery rabbits. Fox looked pleadingly at the animals on the bank, but the damage was done. At the sound of the shouting voices, the already nervous rabbits really panicked. Pandemonium broke loose as they all set off in different directions, colliding with each other, and pushing the young ones under the surface with their struggling bodies.
The despairing Fox swam into the midst of the mêlée, and tried to shepherd the frightened animals towards the bank.
Badger was still poised on the edge, in two minds whether to enter the water to assist Fox, wondering if one more animal in the river would only add to the rabbits’ confusion. He happened to look upstream, and what he saw made him shudder.
A huge mass of debris, containing twigs, leaves, grass and even whole branches, was drifting in the middle of the river, and bearing down directly on Fox and the rabbits. It was so large that Badger saw it when it was more than thirty yards off.
If Fox had been alone in the water he would have been in no danger, for the debris would be slowed down considerably by the slack water of the crossing-place, and he would have had ample time to reach safety. But Badger knew that Fox would never abandon the rabbits, and so, unless he acted quickly to save his friend, all the animals in the water would be carried away downstream, and perhaps drowned in the swifter currents.
‘Quick, friends! They’re in danger!’ he cried. ‘Every able body into the water. Each one of you must rescue one rabbit; I don’t care how. I’ll look after Fox. Be quick, lives are at stake!’
Badger dived into the river, just ahead of Weasel, Hare, Mole and the hedgehogs. Even Toad followed, determined to help if he could.
Each of them singled out one rabbit, and, with one eye on the approaching debris, either coaxed or forced the animal to the bank. Toad took one of the youngsters in charge, and eventually, by some means or another, all the animals were within striking distance of the river bank.
Only Fox and Badger were now left in danger. Fox had used all his strength and stamina in his heroic efforts to save the rabbits, and when Badger reached him in midstream, he was on the point of sinking with exhaustion. With Badger’s assistance, he was able to manage a painfully slow paddle.
The debris was about ten yards away. Badger noticed with relief that all the other animals were now safe on dry land. They seemed a long way away. He looked again at the approaching mass. With a feeling of horror he realized he and Fox could never reach the bank in time. Fox knew this too.
‘Badger, please,’ he begged, ‘leave me. You’ve still got time to save yourself. Go back to the others. They’ll need you . . .’ He could not manage any more words.
Badger did not reply, but steeled himself for the coming impact. He heard the alarmed voices of Tawny Owl and Weasel, and the various squeaks of the mice and voles, and of Mole. Then a cold, sodden mass struck him on his left side, and enveloped him completely.
He was pulled underwater, his legs and head entangled in the choking mass. He fought to free himself, but was dragged further and further down into the dark depths of the river.
16
A new leader
The animals on the bank watched with horror the drama taking place in the river. The sight of Fox, the leader of their expedition, and Badger, whom all, except perhaps Tawny Owl, acknowledged to be his deputy, in such grave danger of drowning, sent a shudder through every one. They could all see that the mound of floating debris was about to engulf both the swimmers; and there was nothing they could do about it.
They saw Badger’s head disappear under the surface, while Fox caught a blow from one of the floating branches, and was carried away downstream, his feeble struggles being powerless to prevent it.
In one mass movement the animals raced along the bank to keep Fox in sight, while Tawny Owl and Kestrel flew directly over the river, following its course.
After some twenty yards or so the debris reached the swift-flowing water, and in no time Fox was hurled away out of sight of the animals, though the birds continued to follow overhead.
There was a large rock in the river at this point, and the debris broke into two pieces, half of it rushing past one side, and the other piece on the opposite side. A lot of the grass and leaves caught against the rock, and were trapped there.
The animals were about to retrace their steps along the bank, all of them in the depths of despair at the tragedy.
‘Stop!’ cried Toad. ‘There’s something amongst that mass of vegetation out there.’ His voice rose in a feverish excitement. ‘It . . . I think it’s . . . Badger! Yes, I can see him! Badger’s there!’
The animals held their breath. Sure enough, there in the thick of the swirling grass and weed, was the unmistakable striped head of Badger – motionless.
‘Is he . . . is he . . .?’ faltered Mole, in a shaking voice.
‘I’m afraid there’s little hope of his still being alive,’ said Weasel, and did his best to comfort Mole, who began to sob inconsolably.
‘Look! Look!’ shrieked one of the young rabbits. ‘He’s moving!’
‘Come on, Hare,’ said Hedgehog. ‘We must get him out.’
Without hesitation he jumped into the water and, using all his strength to combat the faster current, struck out for the rock. Hare and Weasel were not slow to follow his action.
To the smaller and weaker animals on the bank it seemed an age before Badger’s rescuers managed finally to reach the dead water behind the rock. Weasel tore savagely at the vegetation round Badger’s body to free him, and when he had cleared a space, he and Hedgehog got on either side of Badger’s head, and using their small bodies as props, kept it just clear of the water. Hare, the strongest of them, took up his position directly behind Badger, and as they began to swim for the shore, he pushed the helpless body along with a series of nudges from his shoulders.
At last, to the intense relief of Mole, all four reached the bank again. They had to push Badger to safety, as he was unable to stand.
He was a pitiful sight. His eyes were barely open, his coat matted with mud and rotting grass, while his sides heaved violently as his lungs gulped in air. Presently he coughed up about a pint of water.
The animals surrounded him, touching his aching body affectionately, while Mole leant his little black velvet head against one of Badger’s legs, and wept as though his heart would break.
‘Now, Mole,’ Adder reprimanded him. ‘Badger’s safe now. That’s enough of that.’
‘It won’t help him, you know,’ said Rabbit.
Weasel turned on him fiercely. ‘How dare you utter a word,’ he snarled. ‘You, and your cowardly kind, are to blame for this.’
Rabbit quailed before Weasel’s furious glare, and coughed uneasily.
‘Well, we all panic at times,’ he muttered uncomfortably, looking away. ‘We rabbits don’t like flowing water – we’re not good swimmers, you
know. You’re more fortunate . . . Ahem! I’m sure we’re all very sorry for the . . . um . . .’
‘Please,’ Badger managed to gasp. ‘Don’t let’s quarrel. We’re all . . . all safe now.’
Weasel looked at Hare, and Hedgehog exchanged glances with Toad. Badger was obviously unaware of the fate of Fox. Weasel made a little sign to them all that they should keep quiet about it for the present.
‘What you need more than anything is a good rest,’ he said to Badger kindly. ‘You’ll feel better after some sleep, and we’ll have something ready to eat when you wake up. Do you think you can manage a few steps to the clump of undergrowth just over there?’
With help from all his friends, Badger reached the shelter and fell into a deep sleep as soon as his head touched the ground.
The animals went off to look for food, and when they returned they found Tawny Owl waiting for them.
‘We lost him,’ he told them. ‘Kestrel’s snatching some sleep . . . I left him back there. He’s going to continue to search when it’s light . . . far better eyesight than mine.’
‘Surely Fox will be far away by then?’ said Hare.
‘Kestrel flies like a bullet,’ said Tawny Owl. ‘It’s not long to daylight; he’ll soon make up lost ground. I suppose . . . no news of Badger?’
The animals had forgotten that Tawny Owl was still ignorant of Badger’s rescue. They all started talking at once.
Tawny Owl was both pleased and relieved to hear that Badger was restored to them, but there was, nevertheless, a certain reserve in his reply that was probably only recognized by Adder.
‘When Badger wakes,’ said Weasel gloomily, ‘someone will have to tell him about Fox.’
The animals looked at each other. There were no volunteers for the task.
‘Don’t despair,’ said Tawny Owl. ‘Let’s keep our spirits up, at least until Kestrel returns. He may have some good news for us.’
‘What will we do if it’s bad news?’ asked Mole.
‘Carry on,’ said Toad. ‘We must.’
‘Without Fox?’
‘If we have to – and we ought to face the possibility of it.’
‘Of course. What else can we do?’ said Tawny Owl. ‘We’ll manage – Badger and I – somehow.’
A crafty grin spread over Adder’s face. Without intention, Tawny Owl found his eyes turning towards the snake’s, and when their glances met he turned away again uncomfortably.
‘I’m sure we’ll all play our part,’ Weasel remarked, a little huffily. ‘I don’t believe Fox ever named a deputy.’
Adder’s grin became wider. ‘It seems,’ he drawled, ‘that we have several pretenders to the throne.’
‘Badger will lead us,’ declared the loyal Mole stoutly. ‘Fox has already relied on him once or twice to lead us in his absence.’
‘Well,’ said Tawny Owl, looking at his feet, ‘I really don’t know if Badger will be quite fit enough. Not at once, I mean,’ he added hastily.
‘How can you all stand there arguing about who is to be the new leader?’ demanded Toad. ‘Surely you’re forgetting something? Our first concern is for news of Fox. He may even now be on his way back to us.’
‘Well said, Toad.’ Hare remarked. ‘He’s only been out of our sight a matter of hours. What would he think if he could hear us?’
‘I suggest we all retire straight away,’ said Hedgehog, to change the subject. ‘Kestrel will soon wake us on his return.’
‘How will he know where we are?’ asked the short-sighted Mole.
‘You obviously don’t know the expression “eyes like a hawk”,’ said Tawny Owl. ‘He’ll spot us a mile off.’
The animals began to make a move to join Badger.
‘Aren’t you sleepy?’ they asked Owl.
‘I’ll join you later,’ he replied. ‘I’ve a spot of hunting to do.’
The animals woke of their own accord during the following day. From the position of the sun, Adder, an expert in such matters, judged it to be about noon. Only Badger remained sleeping, and as Tawny Owl was nowhere in evidence, they decided he, too, must still be dozing in one of the nearby willow trees.
They immediately began to discuss the plight of Fox but none of them could feel very hopeful about his return.
Toad decided to go for a swim while they were waiting for Kestrel. Out of bravado, Mole said he would accompany him.
‘You’d better come with me to the slacker water,’ said Toad, and they set off along the bank.
When they reached the spot where they had made the crossing, Mole asked, ‘Will it be safe here in the daylight?’
‘Yes, if we stay near the bank,’ answered Toad, ‘We’re both small enough not to be noticed.’
They went in together, and splashed around happily. Toad began to enjoy himself, frequently diving out of sight, and then surprising Mole by surfacing right in front of him.
‘I wish I could do that,’ said Mole enviously.
‘I’ll show you if you like,’ said Toad. ‘Now, watch me.’
He performed two small dives, and Mole tried to copy him but without success.
Toad dived again, and was gone for some minutes. Mole was just beginning to feel worried, when Toad reappeared with an alarmed look on his face.
‘Quick, get to the bank,’ he said urgently, and Mole obeyed without hesitation.
When they had pulled themselves clear, Toad blew out a long breath. ‘Phew! That was close,’ he said. ‘Look!’
Mole peered into the clear water, and saw a huge pike, about three feet long, skimming about with its cruel mouth jutting forward as it sought for food.
‘It didn’t see me; I hid behind some weed,’ explained Toad. ‘Thank goodness it was not around last night.’
Mole shuddered. ‘Perhaps we’d better get back?’ he said.
‘This very minute,’ agreed Toad.
When they arrived back at the camp, the two animals found Badger awake, and surrounded by his friends. They were told that he had woken refreshed, and had made a reasonable meal of roots and grubs. He had told everyone that he felt a great deal better, and of course had enquired about Fox. Tawny Owl had volunteered the information of Fox’s disappearance, trying to sound as hopeful about his return as he was able to.
Badger was now describing his own experience in the river. ‘As I was drawn under the water, deeper and deeper,’ he said, ‘all I could think of was that if I drowned Mole would have to find someone else to carry him.’
‘How kind you are,’ said Mole, nestling close to the fatherly Badger, ‘to think of others when you yourself were in such danger.’
‘Well, you know,’ Badger went on, ‘I really thought I was going to drown. I was literally bowled along by the pace of the water, and my limbs were fettered by that ghastly mass of vegetation. My lungs were bursting. Then there was a sort of jolt, and everything became still. The hateful weed seemed to be pulled away from me, and I felt myself floating upwards. The next instant my head broke the surface, and I was gulping in air as fast as I could.’
‘That was when we saw you,’ said Hedgehog.
‘Not quite then,’ replied Badger. ‘I remember striking the surface, but nothing after that. I must have passed out. I do recall feeling rather light-headed. Then . . . nothing.’
‘We found you by that large rock,’ Weasel pointed out.
‘Exactly,’ said Badger, with some excitement. ‘That rock was my saviour. The weed caught against it, thus freeing me. I don’t mind telling you, it was a near thing.’
While Badger had been talking, Rabbit had been shifting his gaze from the face of one animal to another, and then back again. Never once did he look at Badger. Finally, when Badger stopped speaking, he shuffled forward sheepishly.
‘I . . . er . . . that is, on behalf of all,’ he began, ‘that is, all the rabbits. I mean . . .’ He stopped, looking very confused. Nobody spoke. He struggled on. ‘What I was trying to say,’ he mumbled, ‘was . . . um . . . we all hope you’ll f
orgive us, Badger, for being such nuisances yesterday. We . . . er . . .’
Badger relieved him. ‘It’s all forgotten,’ he promised graciously. ‘We all have our weaknesses. We’ll say no more about it.’
Rabbit’s expression changed to one of gratitude. He smiled at Badger, and Badger smiled back.
‘I wonder how long Kestrel will be,’ said Mole.
‘Patience,’ admonished Tawny Owl. ‘He won’t come before he has something to tell us.’
As the minutes passed, and then the hours, all the animals stopped talking. Instead they sat together, scanning the sky. Some of them fell asleep as they waited.
At long last their patience was rewarded. Hare spotted Kestrel, just a speck in the blue, speeding towards them.
‘It must be Kestrel,’ he declared. ‘Only he flies so fast.’
They craned their necks. Kestrel hovered and, as swift as an arrow, swooped in to land. When he saw their expectant faces turned eagerly towards him, his heart sank.
‘It’s bad news,’ he forced himself to say.
‘I managed to find him,’ he told them, ‘soon after dawn. I kept him in sight for a long way. He was still floating on the surface, half clinging to the driftwood. There was a weir. But Fox came through it, still on top of his wood, although the debris had broken up. After that the river broadened. There were boats – small ones and pleasure steamers. Somehow Fox’s little pile avoided them all. Then it floated under a bridge. I waited on the other side, but he never came out. All I saw was a small boat, a motor one, but no pieces of driftwood, and no Fox. I waited and waited, but he didn’t reappear.’
‘Lost!’ whispered the animals in horror.
‘I even flew under the bridge, and I looked everywhere,’ said Kestrel. ‘He was not there.’
There was an awful hush. None of the animals dared speak. Mole wept silently against Badger’s side. Rabbit looked ghastly. He stumbled away, with his relatives following, and sank to the ground in misery.
‘I can’t believe he’s gone,’ Badger whispered. ‘Surely, Kestrel, you’re mistaken? He couldn’t just have disappeared?’
