The Siege of White Deer Park by Colin Dann Read Free Book Online Page A

to Badger’s set now and then. I know you offered.’
    ‘I will. I meant what I said, Weasel. I feel sorry for him and he’s always been such a kindly creature.’
    ‘Good. Well, I’ll leave you. Oh, and remember, if hestarts to talk about ‘The Old Days’ – which you know nothing about – just agree with him. That’s all he expects, really.’
    Mossy watched Weasel’s pencil-slim body make its retreat and sighed. ‘Ah well,’ he murmured, ‘I suppose it’s not much to ask.’
    Tawny Owl had managed to disengage himself from the attentions of the other birds and was now trying to doze, away from interference, in a hollow tree. But since all of his friends knew this favourite place, the exasperated owl was disturbed again by Weasel.
    ‘I just dropped in to tell you I’ve seen Badger,’ Weasel explained.
    Much irritated, Tawny Owl snapped, ‘Is that all you’ve woken me up for? How kind of you!’
    ‘No, no, there’s something you should know. I’m passing the message to everyone.’ He went on to describe the scene in Badger’s set involving Mole’s offspring.
    ‘Humph! So his mind’s addled,’ was Owl’s comment on Badger. ‘I might have known – the way he kept on about the strange animal being like a cat!’
    Weasel refrained from pointing out that it looked as if Badger was correct in that. He contented himself with saying, ‘I don’t think his mind’s addled at all. He’s playing a sort of game with this young mole and I think we all ought to play along with him.’
    ‘Pooh!’ scoffed Tawny Owl. ‘I‘m past playing games. Badger ought to see sense. At his age too!’
    ‘That’s just it, Owl, “at his age”. He’s very old. I really don’t think we’ll have him around much longer. So why can’t we humour him? I’m sure Fox and Vixen won’t mind.’
    ‘Oh, I can’t be bothered with all that nonsense,’ said Tawny Owl. ‘Haven’t we got more important things tothink about?’ He ruffled his feathers, re-settled his wings and closed both his eyes in a very determined sort of way. Weasel knew that he was dismissed.
    As he had expected, Fox and Vixen and, indeed, all of his other friends whom Weasel managed to find, were agreeable to keeping up the pretence for Badger’s sake. They were upset by the idea of Badger being in his dotage, and they tried to push to the backs of their minds the thought that it might not be long before they were without him.
    Weasel’s message did not get to Adder or Toad that day. But Whistler found Toad in the early evening and quickly told him of his important news, as well as that of Badger.
    ‘And I have some news for you ,’ Toad said, ‘while we’re on the subject of the Beast. One of the frogs told me and he had been told by another and that one by another and so on. You know how fast news can travel through the Reserve. The upshot is that, despite the Warden’s patrols, another deer has been killed.’

Adder could see nothing of his attacker. He was unable to turn to look behind, and the pressure was so great on his body that he thought his bones might break. There were no animals in the Park who ate snake and so Adder was in no doubt that he was trapped either by a human foot, or, more likely, by the very creature he had intended himself to surprise. There was a momentary easing of the pressure and Adder at once tried to turn. As soon as he moved, a huge paw swung round and patted at his head. Luckily for him the claws were retracted.
    For the first time in his life Adder was really scared. He was scared in a way that he would not have been if thebeast who was attacking him had been one he understood – such as a fox or a hawk. Fear of the unknown coursed through his sluggish blood. He felt he had no hope of escape. Then, abruptly, the great weight bearing down on his back was removed.
    For a moment Adder’s fear kept him frozen into immobility. He awaited the great blow that would crush the life out of him. But his paralysis