Beaver Towers

by Nigel Hinton

  Baby B felt a movement behind him and Rufus Rabbit pushed past him.

  ‘Up here!’ shouted the little rabbit. ‘He’s up here!’

  Oh no! Did Rufus Rabbit still think he was a traitor? Was he still under Retsnom’s power? If he was, then all the other animals would be too.

  ‘Baby B is up here,’ shouted Rufus again. ‘He’s the one who killed Retsnom.’

  The little rabbit grabbed hold of Baby B’s paw and held it up in the air.

  ‘Three cheers for Baby B!’ shouted Rufus. ‘Hip hip

  ‘Hooray!’

  The courtyard echoed with the cheers of each and every one of the animals and Baby B knew they were his friends again.

  ‘Yippee!’ he shouted. ‘You’ve stopped being hippotrized!’

  Everyone began laughing and hugging each other and jumping around with happiness.

  Rufus Rabbit got so excited jumping up and down that he nearly fell off the ledge again, so Baby B took hold of him and led him back inside. They ran through the castle and down into the courtyard.

  Ann and Nick were waiting for Baby B by the steps and all the animals started cheering again when they saw the three young heroes together. Baby B’s mother and father ran up and kissed him and hugged him and it was wonderful to feel how much they loved him.

  ‘Oh, Baby B,’ said Mrs Badger, coming up to him. ‘Bless my soul, I just don’t know what to say. To think that I called you a traitor and … oh dear, it’s so terrible …’

  She pulled a hanky from her apron and burst into tears.

  ‘We’re sorry too,’ called Loco and Chez.

  ‘So am I,’ said Mick, giving Ann and Nick a little hedgehoggy kiss on their snouts.

  ‘We’re all sorry,’ Mr Stripe said. ‘That wretched Retsnom made us all lose our heads.’

  ‘You see, Mrs Badger,’ Baby B said, putting his arms round her neck. ‘You couldn’t helping it. You just losted your head.’

  Mrs Badger had to chuckle. She wiped the tears from her eyes and gave Baby B a big hug.

  At that very moment, a flash of lightning zigzagged across the sky and a crash of thunder shook the courtyard.

  ‘The Prince of Darkness!’ Mr Stripe shouted. ‘We’ve forgotten all about him. Quick!’

  Mr Stripe ran up the steps to the top of the castle wall and everyone followed. They looked out across the forest towards the sea.

  The first glow of day was touching the horizon but the sky was still very dark.

  Then they saw it.

  A huge cloud, darker than the night, was racing towards the island. Lightning flashed from its base and thunder boomed from its heart.

  The cloud sped closer and they began to feel the wind that howled around it. The trees of the forest bent and swayed. Millions of leaves were ripped from their branches and sent swirling up into the sky.

  Lightning lit up the cloud again and the animals saw the face. One moment there was just boiling, twisting vapour, the next moment it was the face of the beast. A wild, terrible beast.

  The Prince of Darkness.

  His red serpent-eyes opened and the animals stepped back in terror.

  Then they heard Mr Stripe’s voice above the roar of the storm.

  ‘Hold paws!’ he cried. ‘Hold paws! He thinks we are still in Retsnom’s power. He thinks we are scared and that we hate each other. Show him that he is the one we hate. Hold paws and show him!’

  Mr Stripe grabbed hold of Mrs Badger’s paw. She took took hold of Nick’s paw. Nick took hold of Baby B’s paw. Baby B took hold of Rufus Rabbit’s paw.

  All the way down the line, the animals took each other’s paws and held them up.

  The red serpent-eyes blinked in shock.

  Those cruel eyes grew wide again and a dreadful roar rolled out of the cloud.

  But the animals stood firm.

  No one ran away. They held paws and faced the beast.

  The eyes snapped shut.

  The face faded away.

  The wind stopped howling.

  The first ray of the morning sun shot up into the sky and pierced through the cloud. Bright golden light shone through the centre of the shadowy mists, melting it to nothing.

  The animals stood there, paw in paw, until the night had gone and Beaver Towers was bathed in warm sunlight.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Two weeks later, Baby B set out from Beaver Towers for a walk.

  The air was cool and crisp. Winter was coming. There was already snow on the top of the tallest mountain. Soon there would be all the fun of snow-balls and sliding and telling stories round the fire at night.

  He strolled through the forest. The trees were bare since the storm but they were all healthy, even the ones that Retsnom had made ill. He stopped at the first stream he came to and he took a sip of the water. Sweet and clean again – like the water in the wells.

  The bubbling stream looked so inviting that Baby B couldn’t resist dipping his paws in it. Then it seemed like a good idea to see how big a splash he could make by slapping the water with his tail. It was a very big splash indeed. In fact it was so big that the legs of his dungarees were soaking wet.

  After that, there didn’t seem much point in trying to stay dry so he jumped straight into the stream and started swimming.

  The stream led to the River Busy and the river flowed right out to the sea, so he kept on swimming until he came to the salty waves. He swam along the shore, racing with shoals of fish and surfing in the waves.

  Then he ran ashore and started to search for treasure in the sand. When he couldn’t stuff any more coloured pebbles and shells into the bulging pockets of his dungarees, he sat down on a rock and watched the waves.

  He was still watching them an hour later when he saw a sail in the distance. He stood up to get a better view. The little boat was skimming fast across the waves and as it got closer Baby B let out a big shout of joy.

  ‘Grandpa! Flipip!’

  Mr Edgar and Philip stood up and waved. Then, as soon as the boat glided gently on to the sand, they jumped ashore and took turns in hugging the little beaver.

  ‘Drat me! You’re a sight for sore eyes, you little scamp!’ Mr Edgar said. ‘Now tell us what’s been going on here while we’ve been away.’

  Philip lifted Baby B up on to his shoulders and the little beaver started his story as they walked along. His excited voice rang out among the trees as they crossed the forest and he was still chattering away when they reached the castle.

  ‘By Jove! It sounds as if we’re lucky to find the old place still standing,’ Mr Edgar said as they crossed the drawbridge. ‘Oh, it’s so good to be home.’

  Mrs Badger was the first to see them arrive and her cries of joy brought everyone running to the courtyard.

  In no time at all a ‘Welcome Home’ party had started in the Great Hall. There was singing and dancing and plenty of delicious food. And everybody laughed and had such good fun that the party was still going on when night-time came.

  Baby B was allowed to stay up late, but his eyes got sleepier and sleepier and at last he asked Philip to take him upstairs to bed. He undressed quickly and popped under the covers and Philip sat on the bed and read to him.

  They had just finished the story when Mr Edgar came into the room. He kissed Baby B on the top of his head and made sure he was well tucked-up.

  ‘Well, you young rascal,’ Mr Edgar said, ‘You certainly got yourself in a bit of a pickle, didn’t you? But all’s well that ends well.’

  ‘Grandpa …’ Baby B said.

  ‘What is it, lad?’

  ‘Is you and Flipip going away again?’

  ‘Got no plans to leave, no,’ Mr Edgar said. ‘Our mission was a success and young Philip has learned enough for the moment.’

  ‘Good,’ Baby B said. ‘I like it bestest when you are the ones who have to be growed up and riskonstable. I just want to be Baby B like before.’

  ‘Had a few too many adventures for the moment, have you?’ Mr Edgar said
, stroking his grandson’s cheek.

  Baby B nodded.

  ‘Well, don’t worry your noddle. You’re quite safe. Philip and I can look after things now.’

  Baby B smiled and snuggled down to sleep. Mr Edgar and Philip got up and went to the door.

  ‘You’ve left my light on,’ Baby B called.

  ‘I thought you might want it,’ Philip said.

  ‘Crumbs, Flipip!’ Baby B said, sitting up in bed. ‘I’m not a hinfant!’

  He leaned over, blew out the night light, and then snuggled back down under the covers.

  ‘Night, night, young ‘un,’ Mr Edgar said, going out of the door.

  ‘Night, Grandpa. Night, Flipip.’

  ‘Night, Baby B,’ said Philip. ‘Sleep tight.’

  ‘I will,’ Baby B said sleepily.

  And he did.