Chapter 1

"Bong… Bong!"
The great Joseph bell boomed.
"Bong… Bong!"
Sleepy Redwallers rose from their beds and went to their duties. Hugo to kitchens, Ambrose Spike to the cellars and all the dibbuns to the table. All, that is, except one, Furmil mouse. He was a naughty mouse who liked nothing more than trouble. He crept outside and looked behind him, good, no-one had seen him. He grew bolder. Walking half way round the Abbey he stopped when he reached the window sill of the Abbey kitchens. A fresh pastie was cooling on the edge.

Furmil grinned and as quick as a hare would eat such a delight he snatched it off the sill. Furmil relaxed, he sat against the wall under the window thinking how clever he was. He composed a letter out loud of what he thought he could say to the Abbot. "Oh Abbot , I didn't steal that lovely pastie on the window and since I have been such a clever and obedient mouse I deserve to be Abbot after you and to work in the kitchens with all that lovely food and to be able to tramp off into the big forest on adventures like Martin and …" "to have a nice warm bath right now!" Furmil spun round and hastily hid the pastie behind his back. It was Friar Hugo. Hugo turned to Skipper of Otters who was adding finishing touches to a Hotroot Soup he was preparing. "Hey Skipper, could you show this young mouse some nautical business in the bathrooms?". Skipper smiled and carried a screaming Furmil upstairs to the bathroom.

*
The dibbuns who were waiting at the table heard the screams. "Hurr, that'd boi Furramoil bein takin to ee barth!" said one. "I 'ope he is scrubbed wiv that big rough brush miz muvver badger always uses!" said another. And with that they resumed waiting while screams and splashes could be heard upstairs.