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Moss and Thistle's Blanket Fort · Muggle Snuggle: A Boring Harry Potter Podcast to make you Sleep

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The rain began over the valley of Bramblewick not with
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: a sudden theatrical crash of thunder, but with the softest,
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: most polite whisper that an autumn afternoon could possibly muster.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: It started as a faint silver mist drifting through the
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: tops of the ancient hazel coppice, brushing against the yellowed
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: leaves of the elderberry bushes. and gently kissing the velvet
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: moss that lined the stone walls of briar-hearth tottage. Within
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: the span of a quiet hour, that misty breath had
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: deepened into a steady, rhythmic patter, tapping a thousand sleepy
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: melodies upon the diamond-paned leaded windows. Each drop was a tiny,
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: clear pearl sliding down the green-tinted glass, racing its fellows
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: toward the dark wooden sills where dried sprigs of lavender
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: and sweet woodrow filet resting in shallow terracotta dishes. Inside
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: the parlor, the air was warm and smelled delightfully of
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: dried orchard apples, beeswax polish, and the faint sweet perfume
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: of peat smoke.
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: Rising from the hearth. moss.
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: A young hedgehog whose quills were the rich color of
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: roasted chestnuts with creamy tips like fresh cream stood by
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: the south-facing window with his small black nose twitching in
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: rhythm with the falling rain. He was wearing his favorite
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: moss-green waistcoat, knitted for him by his grandmother from carded
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: wool and fastened with three polished hazelnut buttons. In his
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: front paws he held a long scroll of dry birch bark,
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: upon which he had spent much of the previous evening
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: sketching elaborate diagrams with a soft piece of drawing charcoal.
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: Moss was by nature a thinker, an architect of small comforts,
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: and a hedgehog who believed that every rainy afternoon was
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: a quiet invitation from the world to create something wonderful.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: Beside him, curled upon a braided wool rug with her
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: feet tucked neatly beneath a plum-colored flannel pinafore, was his
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: younger sister, Thistle. Thistle possessed quills of a slightly lighter,
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: warm honey-brown shade and eyes that held the lively sparkle
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: of polished river pebbles. At that very moment, she was
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: busy whiting a ball of dandelion yellow yarn. though her
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: gaze kept drifting toward the darkening window panes where the
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: rain was now drumming in earnest, filling the copper rain
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: barrels outside with a cheerful, gurgling chuckle.
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: Listen to that.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: Moss, Thistle said in a voice that was soft and round,
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: like the sound of acorns falling into deep moss. The
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: wind is turning from the east, and when the wind
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: comes from the east in Bramblewick, It means the clouds
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: have unpacked their heaviest gray blankets and intend to stay
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: until supper tomorrow. The lane will be nothing but puddles
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: by tea time. Moss turned from the glass, his velvet
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: ears swiveling forward with profound satisfaction. He unrolled the birchbark
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: scroll across the low walnut tea table, smoothing down its
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: curled edges with the flat of his small, gentle paws.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: Not just until supper tomorrow, Thistle, he replied, his voice
• 4:01
  Speaker 1: brimming with the quiet excitement of a hedgehog who has
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: thought out every detail of a magnificent enterprise. Old Barnaby
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: the Badger told me yesterday, down by the miller's pond,
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: that this is the great autumn drench. It is the
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: very storm we have waited for all year. Look here
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: upon the plan. Thistle leaned over the table, her little
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: snout almost touching the bark. Upon the surface, moss had
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: drawn neat, careful lines showing the parlor from above. Every
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: piece of furniture was clearly marked, the heavy wingback armchair
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: by the hearth, the four sturdy legs of the oval
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: dining table, the low oak bookcase with its five shelves
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: of botanical folios, and the corner where the tall grandfather
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: clock steadily ticked away the manse with its slow brass pendulum.
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: Connecting all of these familiar landmarks were swirling dotted lines
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: and neat little crosshatches labeled in tiny, elegant script. A fort,
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: Thistle whispered, her whiskers quivering with delight. Not merely a fort,
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: Moss corrected her gently, tilting his head with solemn dignity.
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: the grandest, most expansive, and most utterly impenetrable blanket fort
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: in the recorded history of Bramblewick. A sanctuary of warmth,
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: a kingdom of wool, flannel, and featherdown. Thistle clapped her
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: paws together softly, careful not to prickle her sleeves. Will
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: it have secret chambers? It will have an entrance colonnade,
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: three central pavilions, Two observation domes and a system of
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: cushioned tunnels leading all the way to the hearth, Moss announced,
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: pointing to each section on the Birch Park map. And
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: most importantly, Thistle, it will have a strict code of
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: domestic comfort. No cold drafts may enter. No sharp twigs
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: may be brought inside. and all hedgehog quills must be
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: smoothed down to their most relaxed angle before crossing the threshold.
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: Thistle looked around the cozy parlor, taking in the vast
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: expanse of floorboards, the tall wooden furniture, and the gray
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: light filtering through the window panes. Her eyes grew wide
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: with the sheer magnitude of the undertaking.
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: To cover all of that.
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: Space, brother- We shall need every blanket in Briar Hearth Cottage.
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: We shall need quilts that have not seen the light
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: of day since the Midwinter Festival. Precisely, said Moss, rolling
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: up his scroll with a resolute nod, which is why
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: our very first expedition must be the great gathering of quilts.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: The gathering of the blankets was an endeavor that required
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: both diplomatic tact and physical fortitude, for the linen stores
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: of Briar Hearth Cottage were vast, legendary, and spread across
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: three separate rooms. The siblings began in the parlor itself,
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: approaching the great cedar chest that rested beneath the tall
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: grandfather clock. The chest had been carved two generations ago
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: from fragrant cedarwood. its lid polished until it gleamed like
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: a dark pool of river water in late afternoon. When
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: moss and thistle together lifted the heavy lid the parlor
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: was immediately filled with the clean, spicy perfume of red cedar,
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: dried sprigs of wild lavender, and dried meadowsweet flowers that
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: had been tucked between the folds to keep away the silverfish.
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: Look at this one first. Thistle whispered reverently, reaching both
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: paws into the cedar depths. She lifted out the grand
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: heathered-down quilt, a textile of immense historical importance to the
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: Bramblewick hedgehog community. It had been pieced together over the
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: course of four long winters by their grandmother, Great Aunt Marigold.
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: and three of their great-aunts from the neighboring parish of Hazelbrook.
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: It was composed of hundreds of tiny hexagonal patches, each
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: no larger than a hazelnut shell, cut from scraps of
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: fine woven wool, soft-brushed flannel, and sturdy linen dyed with
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: natural woodland pigments. There were patches the pale yellow of
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: evening primrose petals, patches the deep green of damp moss
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: clinging to north-facing boulders. and patches of twilight blue dyed
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: with crushed elderberries. The underside was lined with an exceptionally
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: soft fleece of carded sheep's wool that felt like sinking
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: one's paws into a warm summer cloud. This shall be
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: the great central dome, Moss declared. helping his sister bear
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: the glorious weight of the quilt to the carpet. It
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: has the strength to span the wide gulf between the
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: dining table and the wingback chair, yet it is light
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: enough not to bow under its own dignity. Next from
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: the chest came two heavy Welsh fringe woolen blankets, woven
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: in a sturdy herringbone pattern of oatmeal and and russet brown.
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: These were working blankets, thick as hazel bark and utterly
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: impermeable to the chilled autumn draughts that loved to creep
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: beneath the cottage doors. Moss examined their selvages with an
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: appreciative eye. These will serve as the western ramparts, he said,
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: setting them aside in a neat, square stack. They will
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: face the draft from the hallway and turn it into
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: nothing more than a defeated sigh. Thistle delved deeper into
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: the chest, her whiskers twitching as she uncovered the lavender counterpane.
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: This was a.
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: Lighter coverlet of brushed cotton, dyed to the delicate shade
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: of wild thistles just before they go to seed, and
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: bordered with a hand-crocheted lace that resembled spiderwebs beaded with
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: morning dew. For the inner ceiling, thistle murmured, stroking the
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: velvety nap of the cloth, when one lies on one's
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: back and looks upward. It should feel like staring into
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: a peaceful evening sky just before the stars begin to blink.
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: An excellent architectural choice, Moss agreed, noting it down on
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: his birch bark sheet. Leaving the cedar chest empty and
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: yawning with cedar-scented air, the two hedgehogs set off on
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: tiptoe down the hallway toward the linen press at the
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: top of the stair landings. The stair treads of Briar
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: Hearth Cottage were broad, solid slabs of seasoned elm that
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: never creaked, but Moss and Thistle walked with the quiet
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: reverence of explorers entering an ancient treasure vault. The linen
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: press was an enormous cupboard of dark pearwood, reaching all
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: the way from the floor to the whitewashed ceiling beams.
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: When Moss turned the small brass key— the doors swung
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: outward on oiled hinges, revealing shelf upon shelf of neatly
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: folded domestic wonders. Here lay the summer blankets of light
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: waffle-weave cotton in soft buttercup yellow, the thick winter eiderdown stuffed.
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: with down collected from the nesting grounds of the wild
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: geese across the marsh, and long, narrow travel rugs woven
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: in traditional bramblewick plaids of forest green and chestnut brown.
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: There were also piles of smooth linen sheets that had
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: been washed with lavender soap and dried on the sweet
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: grass meadow during the bright days of midsummer, holding within
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: their fibers the clean, Dry sunshine of July, we shall
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: take the golden waffle weave for the eastern wall, Moss decided.
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: Lifting down the.
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: Folded rectangle with careful balance. The weave is loose enough
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: to permit a faint amber twilight to filter through so
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: that the fort does not become entirely dark while the
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: afternoon still lingers outside. And the goose feather eiderdown, Thistle insisted,
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: her paws sinking four inches into its billowy plum-colored velvet casing.
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: The eiderdown must be the foundation floor of the inner sanctuary.
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: No hedgehog can truly contemplate the grandeur of existence while
• 13:40
  Speaker 1: sitting upon an unyielding floorboard. Agreed, Moss said. The floor
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: is the foundation of tranquility. Without a soft foundation, even
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: the most ambitious dome is merely an exercise in vanity.
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: Carrying the blankets back down the elm staircase required seven
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: distinct journeys, each undertaken with meticulous care, so that no
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: fringe dragged upon the runners and no pristine corner gathered dust.
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: Moss carried the heavier woolens, balancing them across his broad,
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: sturdy shoulders while holding his quills perfectly flat so as
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: not to snag the delicate threads. Thistle followed behind with
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: the lighter cottons and the cloud-like eiderdown, her little face
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: flushed with the warm, happy exertion of purposeful labor. By
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: the time the seventh journey was completed, the parlor looked
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: like an enchanted landscape of textile hills and valleys. Piles
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: of russet, heather, moss green, buttercup, and twilight lavender fabrics
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: rose like gentle rolling dunes across the floorboards. the room
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: had already grown quieter, for the immense quantity of soft
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: wool and down-absorbed every sound, turning the crackle of the
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: hearth-fire into a gentle, rhythmic whisper and making their own
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: hedge-hike footsteps as silent as falling snowflakes now. Moss said,
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: standing before the mountain of bedding with his hands tucked
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: into the pockets of his green waistcoat, We must gather
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: our engineering apparatus. A blanket fort of historical proportions cannot
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: rely upon mere hope and balance. It requires tension, counterweights,
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: and unyielding fasteners. Thistle immediately trotted over to the corner
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: bureau where the household notions basket was kept. This was
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: a deep, woven wicker basket lined with red and white
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: ginnom cloth. filled to the brim with the small, useful
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: implements that kept Briar Hearth Cottage in perfect repair. She
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: carried it over to the center of the room and
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: tipped its contents gently onto an unoccupied patch of rug.
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: King tumbled dozens of hand-carved wooden clothes pegs, each fashioned
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: from smooth ash.
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: Wood or split hazel.
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: Whittled by their grandfather during long winter evenings by the stove.
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: Some were spring-loaded with small brass wire coils that snapped
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: shut with a decisive, satisfying click. Others were traditional round-headed
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: wooden pegs with a narrow slit down the center, polished
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: to a silky smoothness with beeswax until they smelled like honey.
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: Beside the pegs lay several rolls of cotton ribbon tape
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: in forest green and cream, half a dozen large brass
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: safety pins with rounded guards to protect tender paws, and
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: four lengths of soft, braided dew twine that had once
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: bound sheaves of dried lavender. These ashwood pegs are the
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: finest in the valley, Moss observed. picking up one and
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: testing the strength of its split hazel fork. They will
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: grip two thicknesses of heavy Welsh wool without slipping, yet
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: their grain is so smooth they will leave no mark
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: upon the grandmother's quilt. And what of the counterweights? Thistle asked,
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: looking toward the high backs of the chairs. When the
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: Grand Heatherdown quilt spans the great gap, its weight will
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: try to pull the corners inward. We cannot have the
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: roof collapsing while we are inside discussing matters of importance.
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: Moss smiled a knowing, scholarly smile. He walked over to
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: the low oak bouquets and ran his gentle paw along
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: the spines of the heaviest volumes in their collection. We
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: shall requisition the great botanical compendiums, he announced. Together they
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: carefully slid the mighty books from their lower shelves. First
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: came the comprehensive flora of the Bramblewick Valley, bound in
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: thick green buckram that weighed as much as a fat pumpkin,
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: then fungi, lichens, and mosses of the shaded copsis bound
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: in heavy brown calfskin with brass corners, followed.
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: By the history of hedgerow.
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: Engineering in three volumes, and finally the great atlas of
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: meadow streams and waterways, a massive folio whose marbled papers
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: were as broad as a cabbage leaf. These volumes possess
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: both gravity and wisdom, Moss remarked as they transported the
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: heavy books across the carpet. They will anchor our primary guidelines.
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: With absolute steadfastness.
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: Nothing short of an earthquake could dislodge the comprehensive flora
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: of the Bramblewick Valley from its station. They placed the
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: books at strategic points around the perimeter, two by the
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: stout legs of the dining table, one beside the heavy
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: claw foot of the wingback armchair, and one near the
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: corner of the low tea table. The stage was now
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: fully prepared. the materials were assembled, the fasteners were sorted
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: into little piles of split hazel and brass springs, and outside,
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: the rain was settling into a long, dark blissful deluge
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: that promised hours of uninterrupted peace The actual raising of
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: the first blanket was a moment of breathless ceremony.
• 20:23
  Speaker 2: Moss and thistle.
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: Stood at opposite ends of the grand, heathered-down quilt, holding
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: the heavy corners with both paws. The plan required this
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: great patchwork expanse to form the main central vault, suspended
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: between the tall back of the wingback chair and the
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: flat surface of the dining table. On the count of three...
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: Moss instructed in a hushed, steady voice.
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: One, two, three.
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: With a coordinated heave of their small, strong hedgehog arms,
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: they lifted the quilt high into the air. The heavy
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: fabric billowed outward, capturing a great pocket of warm parlor
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: air beneath its weave like the main cell of a
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: proud river barge. For a second it hung suspended in
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: the amber firelight, its hundreds of hexagonal patches glowing with
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: muted colors, the primrose yellows, the elderberry blues, the deep
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: forest greens. Then, with a soft, rustling sigh, it descended
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: across the wooden furniture. Moss immediately scrambled up onto the
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: seat of.
• 21:38
  Speaker 2: The wingback chair.
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: His soft moccasins making no sound upon the velvet upholstery.
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: Working with swift, deliberate precision, he pulled the upper edge
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: of the quilt over the chair's tall, rolled crest. He
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: folded the fabric back upon itself to create a sturdy
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: double seam, then reached into his waistcoat pocket for three
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: of the large spring-loaded ashwood pegs. Snap, snap, snap. The
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: wooden teeth bit down firmly through the wool, locking the
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: fabric to the sturdy upholstery with unwavering grip. Across the room,
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: Thistle had scurried beneath the dining table. She took the
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: opposite edge of the quilt, drew it taut across the
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: polished oak tabletop, and anchored it firmly beneath the mighty
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: weight of the comprehensive flora of the Bramblewick Valley. To
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: make doubly certain of its security, she drove two split
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: hazel pegs into the decorative apron of the table, wedging
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: them with practice skill. When both hedgehogs stepped back to
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: inspect their handiwork, they let out a collective breath of awe.
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: The quilt hung suspended between the chair and the table
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: in a graceful, sweeping catenary curve. Beneath its sheltering canopy—
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: A vast, shadowy cavern had appeared, a vaulted space seven
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: hedgehogs wide and three hedgehogs high, completely shielded from the
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: wider room. Inside, the light took on a warm, golden-amber hue,
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: filtered through the colorful patches and catching the soft reflections
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: of the hearth. The main vault stands, Thistle whispered, her
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: eyes shining in the newly minted twilight of the interior.
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: It does indeed, Moss replied, adjusting his waistcoat with quiet satisfaction.
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: The tension is uniform, the seams are secure. and the
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: draft from the western window has been entirely banished from
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: the centre sector. But this is merely our foundation, sister.
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: Now we must raise the side pavilions. Next came the
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: two heavy Welsh fringe woollen blankets. These were brought to
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: the flanks of the central vault to form the protective
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: exterior walls. Moss secured the northern flap to the turned
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: spindles of the rocking chair, looping two lengths of braided
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: cotton ribbon through the fringe and knotting them into neat,
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: handsome bows that could be untied with a single tug
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: when the afternoon was over. The southern wall was draped
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: over the back of the low sofa, creating a sloped
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: rampart that descended all the way to the carpet. To
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: prevent any sagging along the wide spans, Thistle introduced a
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: brilliant architectural innovation of her own devising. She retrieved their
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: father's second-best walking cane, a smooth, straight stick of peeled
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: ash with a rounded horn handle. and wedged it vertically
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: beneath the center of the Welsh blanket, padding its top
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: with a thick wool mitten so that the blunt wood
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: would not strain the fibers of the weave. The walking
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: stick acted as a proud center temple, elevating the woolen
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: ceiling into a lovely pointed pavilion that resembled the royal
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: pavilion of an ancient woodland king. Look at that line,
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: Thistle whispered. stepping back into the shadows to admire the curve.
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: It has the dignity of a cathedral and the coziness
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: of an owl's hollow. It is structurally sound, Moss confirmed,
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: tapping the tension of the guy line.
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: With his claw.
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: The ash pole distributes the downward thrust directly into the carpet,
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: relieving 30% of the stress from the ash pegs at
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: the perimeter. We now possess a fully enclosed central salon
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: entirely protected from the outer elements. With the primary canopies
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: firmly in place, the two hedgehogs turn their attention towards
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: sealing the seams and eliminating every stray sliver of chill
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: that might attempt to infiltrate their masterpiece. They have blanket fort,
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: as any knowledgeable Bramblewook elder would tell you, is only
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: as warm as its most neglected corner. Even the tiniest
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: aperture between two overlapping quilts could permit a cool ribbon
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: of autumn air to snake inside, disturbing the delicate microclimate
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: of peace that they were laboring to establish. Moss took
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: a handful of the smaller split hazel pegs and began
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: a thorough inspection of the perimeter. Wherever the grand heatherdown
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: quilt met the heavy Welsh wool, He overlapped the fabrics
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: by a full four inches, folding the edges together in
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: a neat seamstress's roll before securing them with a peg
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: placed every six inches along the seam. The wooden pegs
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: stood like a row of friendly little sentinels along the roofline,
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: their pale ash wood contrasting handsomely with the dark russet
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: and forest green textiles. Meanwhile, Thistle undertook the crucial task
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: of draping the eastern facade with the golden waffle-weave blanket.
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: This blanket was tasked with an essential aesthetic function. It
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: formed the grand entrance portal, facing toward the center of
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: the parlor, where the warmth of the hearth was at
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: its most generous. Instead of letting it hang straight down
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: like an ordinary curtain, Thistle used two lengths of forest
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: green velvet ribbon to loop the edges back against the
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: table legs, creating a pair of elegant, scalloped draperies that
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: framed the entranceway like the stage curtains of an opera house.
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: Come inside and see how it feels from within, Thistle
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: called softly. her voice already taking on the hushed, reverent
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: cadence that the fort seemed naturally to inspire. Moss ducked
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: his head, dropped onto all four paws, and crawled beneath
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: the velvet-draped portal. As soon as his whiskers crossed the threshold,
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: the world of Briarhur Tottage seemed to fall away into
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: a distant, pleasant memory. The temperature inside the fort was
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: at least five degrees warmer than the parlor outside, held
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: captive by the thick woolen walls. The air had a rich,
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: comforting fragrance composed of fresh wool, cedar shavings, sweet lavender,
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: and the faint, mouthwatering aroma of toasted oats that drifted
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: in from the kitchen down the hall. The light inside
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: was extraordinary, Because the outer blankets were thick and the
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: inner layers were soft and colorful, the daylight from the
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: rainy afternoon could not enter directly. Instead, it filtered through
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: the weave as a soft, dreamlike amber glow. Every hexagonal
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: patch of the grandma quilt above their heads seemed to
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: radiate its own gentle luminescence. The primrose patches cast pools
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: of warm butter-colored light, the moss-green patches.
• 29:51
  Speaker 2: Created cool, soothing glades of.
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: Emerald shade, and the elderberry patches glowed like the deep,
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: restful sky of late twilight. It is magnificent, Moss whispered,
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: sitting back upon his haunches and allowing his quills to
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: settle into a state of total, blissful relaxation. There is
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: not a draft to be felt. Not a single drop
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: of rain can touch us, and the ceiling is high
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: enough that we may converse without brushing our quills against
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: the weave. And yet, Thistle said, looking around the cavernous
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: interior with an appraising, ambitious gleam in her eye, we
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: have only completed the main hall. Moss, a great castle
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: cannot simply be one enormous room. If this is truly
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: to be the biggest blanket fort in Bramblewick history, it
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: must have depth It must have mystery. It must have
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: passageways that wander into the unknown. Moss looked at his sister,
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: his black eyes shining with matching enthusiasm. He drew the
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: birchbark scroll from his pocket and tapped the dotted lines
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: that snaked away from the central hall toward the distant.
• 31:15
  Speaker 2: Corners of the room.
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: You speak of the cushion tunnels, he murmured. I speak
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: of the cushion tunnels, Thistle confirmed with a solemn nod,
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: and the Hartside Pass. The afternoon was young, brother. The
• 31:34
  Speaker 1: rain is only growing heavier, and our real engineering has
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: only just begun. Inside the vaulted expanse of the main pavilion,
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: the afternoon assumed a quality of timeless, golden tranquility. The
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: patter of raindrops against the cottage roof had become a
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: continuous murmuring hum, gentle as the spinning of a distaff
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: in an attic room. Moss sat upon a folded corner
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: of the Welsh blanket, his paws resting upon his knees
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: while his keen, dark, I surveyed the landscape of the
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: parlor beyond their draped entrance. Though the central hall was magnificent,
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: a cavern of soft colors and fragrant cedar air, the vast,
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: uncharted territory between the dining table and the far stone
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: hearth remained open and exposed to the cool floorboard drafts.
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: A proper kingdom, Moss observed. speaking with that calm, deliberate
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: cadence that always signaled a new wave of architectural inspiration,
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: cannot simply exist as an isolated island of luxury. If
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: one must travel across three yards of bare, draughty linoleum
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: merely to warm one's paws by the hearth, The entire
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: integrity of the sanctuary is compromised. We must construct a
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: network of covered avenues. Thistle, who had been lying on
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: her stomach with her chin propped on two front paws
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: while watching the firelight flicker through the waffle-weave curtain, sat
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: bolt upright. Her quills, normally relaxed into a smooth brown cape,
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: gave a brief energetic rustle of enthusiasm. You mean cushion tunnels? Moss.
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: True subterranean passageways, like the secret corridors beneath the roots
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: of the old beach on Weathervane Hill. Precisely, Moss said,
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: unrolling his birch bark scroll once more and smoothing it
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: against the carpet with a gentle stroke of his paw.
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: A grand thoroughfare extending from this very threshold. Curving gracefully
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: around the perimeter of the low bookshelf, threading the narrow
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: channel between the rocking chair and the wood box, and
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: terminating in a private observation redoubt directly adjacent to the
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: stone hearth, I proposed to call it the Hearthside Pass.
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: Thistle let out a quiet squeak of admiration. The Hearthside Pass.
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: It sounds like the name of an ancient pilgrimage road
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: in the High Woodland Chronicles. But to build walls that
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: can support a roof of linen without toppling over onto
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: unsuspecting hedgehogs, we shall require every cushion in Briar Hearth Cottage.
• 34:48
  Speaker 2: We must strip the.
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: Armchairs, the settee, and mother's embroidery basket of every soft
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: object they possess. Then let the second phase of our
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: grand undertaking commence, Moss declared, rising to his feet and
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: smoothing down his moss-green waistcoat. We shall harvest the cushions.
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: The gathering of the cushions was a task that demanded
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: both muscle and discernment, for not all cushions were created equal.
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: A hedgehog architect had to understand the differing densities, resiliences,
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: and structural integrities of household upholster before committing them to
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: the engineering of a load-bearing tunnel. They began with the
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: great family settee, an expansive piece of Victorian mahogany upholstered
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: in dark bottle green velvet with deep diamond-tufted buttons. The
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: base cushions of this settee were massive, rectangular slabs filled
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: with horsehair and tightly carded wool. They were heavy, firm,
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: and possessed squared edges that could stand upright on their
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: sides without wobbling. Moss took the Norden cushion while Thistle
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: seized the Southern, and with a series of coordinated shuffles, grunts,
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: and polite hedgehog encouragements, They wrestled the heavy green slabs
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: off the settee frame and down to the floorboards. Star thump.
• 36:31
  Speaker 2: Thump.
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: They landed with a deep, muffled sound that sent a faint,
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: pleasant puff of dried lavender dust into the warm air.
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: These will serve as our foundation walls, Moss explained, running
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: his paw along the sturdy, piped edge of the velvet slab.
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: They possessed the density of dress granite. Nothing short of
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: a playful hound could knock them flat. We shall place
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: them on their edges, parallel to one another, leaving a
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: channel exactly two hedgehog spans in width. Next came the
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: bolsters from the daybed in the study. These were long,
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: cylindrical pillows covered in a durable golden-brown corduroy filled with
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: clean dried flax seed and duck feathers. Because they were round,
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: they could not serve as upright walls, but Thistle, whose
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: practical intuition often rivaled her brother's theoretical mathematics, immediately discovered
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: their true utility. We can use the bolsters as floor curbs,
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: she demonstrated, rolling one into place along the outer margin
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: of the proposed tunnel.
• 37:47
  Speaker 2: When one is.
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: Crawling through the dark in the middle of a grand expedition,
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: one's paws can easily stray into the skirting boards. A
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: bolster curb guides the traveler along the true path like
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: the grassy verges of a country lane. Brilliant, Moss acknowledged,
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: noting the innovation upon his mental ledger, a safety barrier
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: of corduroy and flax. It adds both dignity and navigational
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: certainty to the route. To complete their structural harvest, they
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: requisitioned the four needlepoint pillows from the rocking chairs. These
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: were smaller, square cushions, each embroidered by their mother during
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: long winter evenings with scenes of woodland life. One depicted
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: a field mouse gathering hazelnuts, Another showed three bumblebees hovering.
• 38:45
  Speaker 2: Over a clover blossom.
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: A third displayed a family of robins nesting in a
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: tea kettle, and the fourth featured a fat toad sitting
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: serenely upon a spotted mushroom. These pillows were filled with
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: soft goose down and possessed a luxurious, billowy squashingness that
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: made them entirely unsuitable for walls, but absolutely indispensable for
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: architraves and keystones. The actual construction of the first leg
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: of the tunnel, stretching from the grand pavilion to the
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: corner of the low bookcase, began with the placement of
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: the bottle-green velvet base slabs. Moss knelt upon the carpet,
• 39:38
  Speaker 1: holding a twelve-inch wooden measuring rod carved from seasoned rowan wood,
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: which had belonged to their grandfather. two spans and three
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: claw widths, moss measured carefully, marking the carpet with two
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: dried pine needles. That provides ample room for a hedgehog
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: to trundle at a leisurely pace with quills fully relaxed,
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: while still preserving that intimate, subterranean closeness which makes a
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: tunnel feel truly secure. They tilted the two heavy sofa
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: cushions onto their long edges, propping them with absolute vertical precision.
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: To prevent them from tipping outward under the weight of
• 40:20
  Speaker 1: the roof, Thistle buntressed the exterior bases with stacks of
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: their father's leather-bound gardening almanacs. Once the wall stood firm
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: and unyielding, the question of the ceiling presented itself. If
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: we place a heavy woolen blanket atop these walls, Thistle
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: pointed out, Resting her front paws on the top edge
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: of the green velvet, the downward weight will cause the
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: walls to bow inward, pinching the channel. We need a
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: roof that floats like a spider silk. Moss nodded with
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: scholarly gravity. For the roof of the straightaway, we shall
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: employ the collection of antique linen tea towels from the
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: side drawer of the sideboard. They possess tensile strength without burden,
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: They fetched six long, pristine linen towels, woven from pure
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: flax in a cheerful pattern of white and faded indigo checks.
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: Working in tandem, they laid the towels across the top
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: of the two standing cushions, overlapping their hemmed margins by
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: three inches. Pilock the linen to the velvet. They did
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: not use pegs, which would have pierced the fabric but
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: instead rested the soft, needle-point pillows directly across the joints.
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: The weight of the embroidered bumblebees and field mice was
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: just sufficient to pin the linen in place, creating a
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: series of graceful, gently sagging ceiling canopies that hung like
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: the canvas awnings of an oriental bazaar. Now for the
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: trial run, Thistle announced, her whiskers twitching with excitement. A
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: new tunnel must be inaugurated by its chief surveyor. Without
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: waiting for her brother's permission, Thistle dropped onto all four paws,
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: ducked her head, and scurried into the mouth of the
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: newly created passage. From the outside, Moss could hear only
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: the soft Rhythmic swish of her plum-colored pinafore against the
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: velvet walls and the occasional satisfied murmur of a hedgehog
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: who has found her true element.
• 42:47
  Speaker 2: How was the clearance, Thistle?
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: Moss called down the length of the tunnel, bending down
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: to peer into the shadowed entrance. Magnificent, her muffled voice
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: echoed back, sounding hollow and wonderfully mysterious. as though she
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: were speaking from the depths of an ancient badger set.
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: The linen ceiling just brushes the very tips of my quills.
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: Like the gentle stroking of a mother's paw, the light
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: through the indigo checks is dim and silvery, like twilight
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: under a canopy of broad hazel leaves and moss. The
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: acoustics are sensational. Sing a note into the entrance. Things
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: cleared his throat, leaned close to the opening, and produced
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: a low, resonant hedgehog hum, the traditional woodland hum used
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: by hedgehogs when digging for truffles in the damp autumn
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: leaf mold. The sound rolled down the narrow corridor of
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: velvet and flax, deepening as it went, until it vibrated
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: through the floorboards and filled the entire tunnel with their rich,
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: soothing drone. From within, Thistle joined the hum with a higher,
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: cheerful trill, and for several lovely moments, the two siblings
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: created a harmonious chord of domestic contentment that seemed to
• 44:23
  Speaker 1: settle into the very grain of the oak furniture. It
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: is a triumph of acoustic architecture, Moss declared as Thistle's
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: cheerful face reappeared at the far end of the passage,
• 44:36
  Speaker 1: her nose dusted with a speck of lavender lint. The
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: sound is contained, mellowed, and returned to the listener with
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: three times its original sweetness. But now comes the true
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: test of our engineering, the turn around the corner toward
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: the fireplace. The hearthside pass, as Moss had christened it,
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: was by far the most challenging segment of the entire network.
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: At the corner of the low bookcase, The floor plan
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: required the tunnel to make a sharp 90 degree turn
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: toward the south, entering the warm, radiant zone influenced by
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: the open hearth. Here, the floorboards were warmed from below
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: by the heat of the hearthstone, but the area was
• 45:25
  Speaker 1: also subject to occasional gusts of draft that swirled around
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: the chimney breast whenever the wind outside howled through the
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: chimney pots. Furthermore, there was the critical question of thermal safety.
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: A blanket fort, composed of flammable wool, dry linen, and featherdown,
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: could not approach too closely to the open flames of
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: the grate. A strict, inviolable boundary was required. We shall
• 45:59
  Speaker 1: establish the hearthstone boundary line, Moss decreed, Laying down his
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: rowan wood measuring rod with unwavering authority, no fabric of
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: any kind may approach within four feet of the iron
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: fire basket, and between our tuttle and the hearth, we
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: shall erect a permanent defensive breastwork. For this vital protective role,
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: they enlisted the services of Barnaby, the family draft excluder.
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: Barnaby was a three-foot-long sausage dog fashioned from heavy, close-wolven
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: brown wool stuffed with clean washed river sand and dried
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: sweet lavender. He had rested at the foot of the
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: parlor door for as long as either hedgehog could remember,
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: guarding the threshold against winter chills with stoic loyalty. Together
• 46:50
  Speaker 1: moss and thistle lifted the heavy, sand-filled hound and laid
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: him parallel to the stone hearth exactly three feet from
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: the brass fender. Barnaby formed a solid, unyielding barricade of
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: sand and wool that blocked any stray embers that might
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: theoretically pop from the grate, while also preventing the cool
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: floor drafts from sweeping beneath the fort walls. Barnaby stands watch,
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: Thistle said, patting the stuffed hound affectionately on his embroidered
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: black nose. Now we may build the warm corridor in
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: perfect safety. and construct the turn around the bookcase. They
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: had to solve the problem of curved walls using rectangular cushions.
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: Moss achieved this through an ingenious masonry technique he had
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: read about in the history of hedgerow engineering. By placing
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: two cylindrical bolsters end to end at an angle and
• 48:02
  Speaker 1: wedging a needlepoint pillow into the apex of the bend,
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: they created an arched corner that turned the corner as
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: smoothly as a winding woodland brook.
• 48:16
  Speaker 2: For the roof of.
• 48:17
  Speaker 1: The Hartside Pass, they chose a magnificent piece of textile art,
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: an antique crochet shawl belonging to their mother, worked from
• 48:27
  Speaker 1: fine unbleached wool in a pattern known across Bramblewick as
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: the honeycomb and primrose. Because the crochet work was open
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: and lacy, full of tiny hexagonal eyelets, it allowed the
• 48:40
  Speaker 1: radiant warmth of the peat fire to penetrate directly into
• 48:44
  Speaker 1: the tunnel while filtering the orange firelight into intricate dancing
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: patterns of shadow and gold upon the floor. When the
• 48:53
  Speaker 1: shawl was draped over.
• 48:54
  Speaker 2: The curved bolster walls.
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: And secured with four polished ash pegs, the Hartside Pass
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: was complete. It connected the cool, quiet depths of the
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: Grand Pavilion to the bright, warm ambiance of the fireplace,
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: forming a transitional avenue of incomparable luxury. Thistle was the
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: first to crawl the entire length of the pass, As
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: she entered the curved section, the temperature rose noticeably, surrounding
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: her in a dry, gentle heat that smelled of burning applewood, sweet,
• 49:35
  Speaker 1: dried lavender, and warm woolen yarn. Through the eyelets of
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: the crochet roof, she could see the golden flames leaping
• 49:43
  Speaker 1: in the hearth, their amber light casting dappled ripples across
• 49:48
  Speaker 1: her brown quills. Moss, you must come see this immediately,
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: she called back in a hushed, reverent whisper. It is
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: like calling through an enchanted forest where the trees are
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: woven of honey and the ground is warmed by summer sun.
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: Moss dropped to his paws and followed her through the tunnel.
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: Moving through the narrow passage, feeling the firm support of
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: the velvet walls on either side and the comforting, rhythmic
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: warmth radiating from above, a deep sense of peaceful accomplishment
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: settled over his hedgehog heart. Outside, the rain was now
• 50:32
  Speaker 1: drumming furiously against the window panes, fierce autumnal downpour that
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: lashed the garden hedges and stripped the last yellow leaves
• 50:42
  Speaker 1: from the hazel trees. Yet here, inside the Hartside Pass,
• 50:47
  Speaker 1: there was only warmth, silence, and the soft, steady ticking
• 50:53
  Speaker 1: of the distant grandfather clock. At the very end of
• 50:56
  Speaker 1: the pass, where the tunnel terminated beside the wing of
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: the armchair, they constructed a small, circular alcove, which they
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: named the Firelight Redoubt. They lined its floor with a
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: folded sheepskin mat, so soft and thick that a hedgehog's
• 51:13
  Speaker 1: feet disappeared entirely into the creamy fleece. They sat together
• 51:18
  Speaker 1: in the redoubt for several quiet minutes, watching the flames
• 51:22
  Speaker 1: flicker through the crochet lace, listening to the muffled.
• 51:26
  Speaker 2: Fury of the storm outside.
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: We have built something truly historic, Moss, Thistle whispered, leading
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: her head against his shoulder. No hedgehogs in all of
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: Bramblewick have ever possessed such a passage. It is indeed historic.
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: Moss agreed softly. The structure is sound, the passes are secure,
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: and the warmth is supreme. But as I sit here, sister,
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: a profound truth makes itself known to my senses. Thistle
• 52:02
  Speaker 1: tilted her head, her whiskers twitching. And what truth is that?
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: Moss placed a paw upon his stomach, which at that
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: exact moment emitted a small, clear, rumbling gurgle. An empire
• 52:17
  Speaker 1: of blankets and cushions cannot endure upon engineering alone. It
• 52:23
  Speaker 1: requires provisions, it requires fuel. In short, Thistle, we have
• 52:27
  Speaker 1: reached the hour when a blanket fort must establish its kitchen.
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: The establishment of a dedicated culinary commissary within the boundaries
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: of the Blanket Fort was not merely a matter of
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: sibling indulgence. It was a recognized tenant of ancient Bramblewick
• 52:52
  Speaker 1: fortification lore. As Moss was fond of reciting from the
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: second chapter of the history of hedgerow engineering, an architect
• 53:01
  Speaker 1: who ignores the belly will soon find his ramparts abandoned
• 53:05
  Speaker 1: to apathy. If a fortress was to withstand a long
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: afternoon of torrential autumn rain, its inhabitants required provisions capable
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: of sustaining both bodily heat and moral resolve. A grand
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: shelter without the scent of warm baking was merely an
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: empty shell of woven threads. The location must be chosen
• 53:27
  Speaker 1: with immense strategic care, Moss explained as they retreated from
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: the firelight redoubt back toward the grand pavilion. We cannot
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: house the kitchen in the main sleeping chamber, for stray
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: crumbs within the bed linens are an affront to civilized
• 53:43
  Speaker 1: hedgehog rest. Ones in a bed have a notorious habit
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: of finding their way between one's quills and the middle
• 53:55
  Speaker 1: of a dream, causing unnecessary tossing and turning, nor can
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: we place it too close to the drafty northern entrance.
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: lest our warm milk grow cold before the first sip.
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: We require an adjoining buttery with sturdy walls and an
• 54:11
  Speaker 1: impermeable ceiling. Thistle pointed toward the circular rosewood tea table
• 54:17
  Speaker 1: that stood in the sheltered alcove between the bay window
• 54:21
  Speaker 1: and the grandfather clock. Beneath the tea table, moss. It
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: is perfectly secluded, yet directly accessible from the main hall
• 54:30
  Speaker 1: via short spur tunnel. And look, the table top will
• 54:38
  Speaker 1: provide a solid, flat ceiling of polished rosewood, so there
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: is zero danger of a sagging quilt knocking over a
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: pitcher of cream or a.
• 54:48
  Speaker 2: Bowl of fresh fruit.
• 54:50
  Speaker 1: An impeccable sight, Moss agreed, nodding with genuine professional aberration
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: as he examined the solid-turned pedestal and the three curved
• 55:00
  Speaker 1: feet of the rosewood table. The tea table alcove shall
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: become our kitchen commissary. To enclose this culinary haven, they
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: retrieved a vintage linen tablecloth dyed to a warm, gentle
• 55:14
  Speaker 1: apricot hue with the boiled skins of yellow garden onions
• 55:19
  Speaker 1: and dried chamomile blossoms. The cloth was heavy and smooth,
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: embroidered around its hem by their great-aunt with a delicate
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: garland of wild hazelnuts, trailing ivy, and plump bramble leaves.
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: They draped it over the circular rosewood table, letting its
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: generous folds cascade downward to meet the carpet on all
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: sides except the southwest corner, where they pinned back a
• 55:51
  Speaker 1: single flap with a polished hazel peg to serve as
• 55:55
  Speaker 1: the kitchen door. Inside, the alcove was round, intimate, and
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: bathed in a restful, peachy light that felt like the
• 56:03
  Speaker 1: warmth of a late summer dawn breaking over a sleepy meadow.
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: To furnish the space, Thistle brought two overturned wickers sewing
• 56:13
  Speaker 1: baskets to serve as dining pedestals, covering their woven bases
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: with small starch napkins of red and white cotton check.
• 56:23
  Speaker 1: Moss contributed two low wooden stools carved from solid alderwood,
• 56:28
  Speaker 1: each cushioned with a folded square of carded sheep's fleece
• 56:32
  Speaker 1: to ensure that sitting down felt as soft as resting
• 56:35
  Speaker 1: upon a mossy bank. The kitchen structure is established, Thistle announced,
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: her stomach emitting a second, more assertive rumble that echoed
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: cheerfully against the apricot linen. Now, brother, we must execute
• 56:55
  Speaker 1: the expedition.
• 56:56
  Speaker 2: Of the tarts. The journey from the blanket fort to
• 57:09
  Speaker 2: the real... Stone-floored.
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: Kitchen of Briar Hearth Cottage was an enterprise requiring stealth, agility,
• 57:17
  Speaker 1: and the greatest respect for domestic protocol. While their mother,
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: Mother Brambleboro, had given her full maternal blessing to their
• 57:27
  Speaker 1: rainy day construction, hedgehogs were by nature creatures of tidy
• 57:31
  Speaker 1: habits and tracking bits of carpet lint or loose wool
• 57:35
  Speaker 1: into the scullery was strictly frowned upon by the household authorities.
• 57:40
  Speaker 1: Moss and thistle emerged from the apricot portal, dusted the
• 57:45
  Speaker 1: stray fluff from their knees, and crept on velvet paws
• 57:49
  Speaker 1: down the long, dim hallway. The air grew progressively cooler
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: as they left the parlor behind, but as they neared
• 57:58
  Speaker 1: the heavy oak door of the kitchen, it was replaced
• 58:01
  Speaker 1: by a wave of glorious, intoxicating warmth that made both
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: of their small black noses twitch in uncontrollable ecstasy. Mother
• 58:15
  Speaker 1: Brambleboro had clearly been engaged in serious autumn baking since
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: the early hours of the morning. The kitchen was fragrant
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: with the scents of toasted cinnamon bark, crushed cloves, freshly
• 58:30
  Speaker 1: ground wheat flour, sweet churned butter, and the unmistakable deep
• 58:36
  Speaker 1: aroma of simmering wild bramble berries harvested from the southern
• 58:41
  Speaker 1: hedge before the rains arrived. Upon the broad flower-dusted pine
• 58:46
  Speaker 1: work table stood a round wire cooling rack, and resting
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: upon that rack were six freshly baked jam tarts, their
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: fluted pastry crusts golden and flaky as autumn beach leaves.
• 59:00
  Speaker 1: In the center of each tart lay a generous pool
• 59:03
  Speaker 1: of dark, glossy brambleberry jam sweetened with clover honey and
• 59:09
  Speaker 1: thickened with a pinch of arrowroot, its surface still shimmering
• 59:13
  Speaker 1: with a rich, jewel-like crimson sheen. Beside the cooling rock,
• 59:23
  Speaker 1: keeping warm on the iron trivet at the edge of
• 59:25
  Speaker 1: the range, was a round earthenware pitcher wrapped in a thick,
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: hand-knitted tea cozy of.
• 59:33
  Speaker 2: Mustard yellow wool.
• 59:35
  Speaker 1: A folded sheet of cream-colored writing paper was propped against
• 59:39
  Speaker 1: the pitcher, bearing their mother's neat, curving script. For the
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: master architects of the Grand Parlor Fort, eat while warm,
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: mind the crumbs, and do not forget to share. Mother
• 59:52
  Speaker 1: is the greatest soul in all of Bramblewick. Thistle whispered,
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: her eyes shouting with profound devotion as she inhaled the
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 1: sweet steam. Her logistical foresight is unmatched in the annals
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: of domestic history, Moss agreed, bowing slightly toward the empty
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: kitchen hearth in respectful gratitude. They set about preparing their
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 1: cargo for transport with the meticulous care of diamond merchants.
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 1: they selected a shallow, rectangular tray woven from peeled willowes,
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: lining its base with a clean, folded tea towel to
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: prevent any slipping or sliding on the journey. Moss carefully
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 1: transferred four of the warm tarts onto the tray using
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 1: a broad wooden pastry paddle, leaving two on the rack
• 1:00:47
  Speaker 1: for their parents' evening tea. Beside the tarts, They placed
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 1: two small glazed earthenware cups with sturdy loop handles, and
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: Thistle gently poured the steaming liquid from the pitcher into
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 1: a smaller, lidded ceramic jug so that not a single
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 1: drop would spill during the transit. The liquid was rich,
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: creamy oat milk, simmered slowly with crushed nutmeg, a curl
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 1: of vanilla bean, and three generous spoonfuls of wild flowery honey,
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: Transporting a tray laden with piping hot brambleberry tarts and
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: steaming spiced milk through 30 feet of cushioned tunnels and
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 1: blanket archways was perhaps the most delicate engineering challenge of
• 1:01:45
  Speaker 1: the entire afternoon. It required a hedgehog to maintain perfect
• 1:01:50
  Speaker 1: horizontal equilibrium while crawling upon all four paws through spaces
• 1:01:55
  Speaker 1: barely wide enough for a pair of twitching whiskers. We
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: shall proceed in relays, Moss decreed, standing at the threshold
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 1: of the Grand Pavilion and adjusting his spectacles of concentration.
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 1: I shall crawl backward into the passage, maintaining two points
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: of contact with the floorboards at all times. You shall
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 1: push the willow tray forward by its.
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 2: Handles, inch by inch.
• 1:02:22
  Speaker 1: Keeping it level against the corduroy bolsters. If either of
• 1:02:27
  Speaker 1: us senses the slightest tilt, we must call an immediate,
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: mandatory halt. Thistle nodded solemnly, understanding the immense gravity of
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 1: the operation.
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 2: Understood, Moss.
• 1:02:45
  Speaker 1: Not a single drop of spiced milk shall be spilled
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 1: upon the Persian carpet, and not a flake of golden
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: crust shall be lost to the dark corners of the tunnel.
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: The operation began with hushed solemnity. Moss entered the mouth
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 1: of the tunnel in reverse, his hind paws feeling their
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: way along the smooth woolen floor while his eyes remained
• 1:03:09
  Speaker 1: locked on the willow tray. Thistle crawled behind, guiding the
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 1: tray forward across the soft nap of the carpet with steady,
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: gentle pushes. The warm, Buttery aroma of the fresh tarts
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 1: filled the enclosed space of the tunnel, mingling with the
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 1: scent of the velvet walls and creating an atmosphere so
• 1:03:31
  Speaker 1: intensely delicious that both hedgehogs found themselves swallowing with eager
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: anticipation at every breath. At the difficult bend of the
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 1: Hartside Pass, where the tunnel curved around the low bookcase,
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 1: they encountered their greatest test. The turn was sharp, and
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: the corner bolster had shifted slightly inward during Thistle's earlier
• 1:03:58
  Speaker 1: trial run. Halt, Moss whispered, his voice steady despite the tension.
• 1:04:05
  Speaker 1: The port flank is narrowing by two claw widths. Adjust
• 1:04:10
  Speaker 1: the tray toward the starboard bolster, Thistle, and keep the
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: ceramic jug perfectly centered. Thistle eased the tray to the
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 1: right with gentle precision. The woodle willow slid smoothly across
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 1: the wool, clearing the projecting corner with half an inch
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: to spare. With a collective sigh of relief, they rounded
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 1: the bend, navigated the remaining stretch of the straightaway, and
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: pushed the tray through the pinned-back flap of the kitchen commissary.
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: Cargo arrived in flawless condition, Thistle declared, tumbling into the
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 1: peachy interior of the tea table alcove and flopping onto
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: her stomach with a breathless, triumphant giggle. The buttery is stocked,
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 1: the lines held firm, and the tarts are still steaming.
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 1: Moss carefully lifted the tray. and placed it upon the
• 1:05:09
  Speaker 1: two overturned wicker baskets. The arrangement was perfection itself. The
• 1:05:15
  Speaker 1: golden-brown tarts rested upon their linen napkins like precious crown jewels,
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: their dark brambleberry centers gleaming in the warm apricot light.
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 1: The ceramic jug emitted a thin, curry-wift of fragrant steam
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 1: that carried the sweet comfort of nutmeg, toasted oats, and
• 1:05:35
  Speaker 1: vanilla into every fold of the small room. The siblings
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: settled themselves upon their sheepskin-cushioned alderwood stools, tucking their hind
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 1: feet beneath them and smoothing their gingham napkins across their
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 1: laps with great dignity. Outside, Beyond the thick woolen walls
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 1: and the sturdy stone cottage facade, the rain seemed to
• 1:06:09
  Speaker 1: redouble its fury. A gust of wind rattled the high
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 1: chimney cowl and sent a cascade of water splashing from
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 1: the guttering onto the flax stones below. But inside the
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: kitchen commissary, surrounded by layers of warm fabric, the storm
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 1: felt like a distant fairy tale told in another season.
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: To the grandest blanket fort in Bramblewick history, Thistle said,
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: raising her little earthenware cup with two steady paws and
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 1: a radiant smile. To the architects, the quilters, and the
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 1: bakers of Briar Hearth, Moss responded, clinking his cup against
• 1:06:50
  Speaker 1: hers with a gentle, resonant clink. They drank together in slow,
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 1: appreciative sips, The spiced oat milk was silky, thick, and
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: wonderfully warm, sliding down their throats with the gentle heat
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 1: of hearth-warmed clover honey. The subtle notes of nutmeg and
• 1:07:14
  Speaker 1: vanilla bloomed across their tongues, chasing away the last lingering
• 1:07:19
  Speaker 1: chill of the damp afternoon and sending a deep, golden
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 1: glow spreading outward through their chests all the way to
• 1:07:27
  Speaker 1: the tips of their toes and the roots of their quills.
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 1: Then came the moment of the tarts. Thistle took the
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 1: first bite of hers, closing her eyes as the delicate
• 1:07:38
  Speaker 1: pastry gave way with a soft, buttery crunch.
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 2: The crust was.
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 1: Light, airy, and rich with fresh churned cream, crumbling into
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 1: melt in the mouth flakes that tasted of golden wheat
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 1: fields baking under an August sun. And then came the jam, sweet,
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: tart and bursting with the wild concentrated essence of late
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 1: summer bramble patches. It was warm and velvety, with just
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 1: enough tartness from the wild currants to make the tongue
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 1: dance before settling into the rounded, mellow sweetness of pure
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 1: clover honey.
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 2: Oh, moss! Thistle sighed.
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: A crumb of golden pastry clinging to her lower whisker.
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 1: If I were a queen with a crown of woven roanberries,
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 1: I would declare that every afternoon in Bramblewick must be rainy,
• 1:08:39
  Speaker 1: and every Hathog must eat brambleberry tarts inside an apricot
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: blanket fort forever and ever. A delightful sentiment, sister. Moss replied,
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 1: dabbing his mouth with the corner of his napkin after
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 1: savoring his own half of the first tart. Though if
• 1:08:58
  Speaker 1: it rained forever, our hazel copses would become bogs, our
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 1: moss would rot upon the stone walls, and we would
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 1: soon run entirely out of stone-ground flour. However, your sentiment
• 1:09:12
  Speaker 1: touches upon a vital governance issue. As masters of this
• 1:09:21
  Speaker 1: newly created territory, we must establish our laws. Before the
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: afternoon slips away, he reached into his waistcoat pocket and
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: drew forth a clean, dry dock leaf preserved from the
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 1: summer harvest, along with a small vial of homemade elderberry
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: ink and a sharpened raven feather quill. We shall convene
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 1: the Golden Crumb Council, Moss announced. dipping the noob of
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 1: the quill into the purple ink. Every great establishment in
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 1: Bramblewick history, from the Miller's Guild to the Elderberry Society,
• 1:09:58
  Speaker 1: possesses a written charter. We must set down the laws
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: of Briar Hearth Fort while our minds are clear, our
• 1:10:06
  Speaker 1: bellies are contented, and.
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 2: Our ink is wet.
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 1: Cecil leaned forward across the wicker basket table, her eyes
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 1: bright with constitutional enthusiasm and her paws resting lightly upon
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: the red and white check-knap bin. Article 1 must be
• 1:10:35
  Speaker 1: about the hospitality of the realm.
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 2: Any peaceful woodland.
• 1:10:39
  Speaker 1: Creature who arrives with dry feet and polite manners shall
• 1:10:43
  Speaker 1: be granted passage through the cushioned tunnels. provided they wipe
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: their paws three times upon Barnaby the draft excluder and
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 1: state their business in a gentle whisper. Moss wrote with flourishing,
• 1:10:58
  Speaker 1: deliberate strokes, his raven quill scratching softly against the dried
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: surface of the dock leaf, Article 1, Universal Hospitality for
• 1:11:10
  Speaker 1: Paws of Good Intent and Clean Souls. And what of
• 1:11:14
  Speaker 1: Article 2? Moss inquired, glancing up from the leaf with
• 1:11:19
  Speaker 1: scholarly gravity, we must address the preservation of domestic order
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 1: within the narrow tunnels Article 2, Fissel declared, pointing a
• 1:11:34
  Speaker 1: pastry-crumbed claw for emphasis, must state that tickling is utterly
• 1:11:39
  Speaker 1: forbidden within all subterranean channels. When a hedgehog is crawling
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 1: through a narrow velvet corridor, an unexpected tickle on the
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: hind paws can cause a sudden, involuntary quill flare, which
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 1: could snag the linen ceiling, dislodge the needlepoint keystones, and
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 1: bring down the entire hearthside pass in a heap of
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 1: dusty upholstery. Moss shuddered at the terrible mental image of
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 1: a quill flare inside the crochet tunnel, an indispensable regulation
• 1:12:14
  Speaker 1: of the highest order, he agreed solemnly. Article 2. Absolute
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 1: prohibition of hind-paw tickling within all structural corridors. Article 3.
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: Moss contributed shall govern the containment of crumbs Thing pastry
• 1:12:35
  Speaker 1: consumption must be confined strictly to the kitchen commissary or
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 1: the firelight redoubt. Any crumbs found in the central sleeping
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 1: quarters must be collected immediately with a soft bristle brush
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: and deposited on the parlor windowsill for the morning robins.
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 1: Article 3. The Strict Containment and Orderly Evacuation of Pastry
• 1:12:58
  Speaker 1: Crumbs Moss wrote, his ink drying to a lovely shade
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: of twilight purple upon the green veins of the leaf.
• 1:13:07
  Speaker 1: They finished their tarts in companionable silence, savoring every sweet,
• 1:13:13
  Speaker 1: buttery morsel until only a scattering of golden crumbs remained
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 1: upon the wicker pedestals. They drank the last drops of
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 1: the spiced oat milk, draining their cups to the sweet,
• 1:13:26
  Speaker 1: honeyed dregs. as the warmth of the food settled deep
• 1:13:30
  Speaker 1: into their bellies, a profound, heavy stillness began to seep
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 1: into their limbs. The brisk energy that had carried them
• 1:13:43
  Speaker 1: through the gathering of the blankets, the hauling of the cushions,
• 1:13:48
  Speaker 1: and the delicate transport of the tray was gently giving
• 1:13:51
  Speaker 1: way to a softer, slower tide of profound contentment. Thistle
• 1:13:57
  Speaker 1: leaned back against her alderwood stool, letting out a long,
• 1:14:01
  Speaker 1: luxurious sigh. Her eyelids felt strangely heavy, as though tiny
• 1:14:07
  Speaker 1: weights of selfed goose down had been laid upon them
• 1:14:10
  Speaker 1: by an invisible nursemaid. Moss, she whispered, her voice dropping
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 1: into a sleepy murmur. What is Article 4 of the Charter?
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 1: Moss looked at his sister, noticing the gentle drooping of
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 1: her whiskers, and the slow, rhythmic rise and fall of
• 1:14:29
  Speaker 1: her chest. He smiled, his own eyes feeling delightfully heavy
• 1:14:35
  Speaker 1: behind his spectacles of thought. He dipped the raven quill
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 1: into the elderberry ink one final time, ready to set
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 1: down the crown of their woodland jurisprudence. Kitakoramor, my dear sister.
• 1:14:53
  Speaker 1: Moss whispered in a tone as soft as falling thistle fluff,
• 1:14:58
  Speaker 1: is the supreme law of the entire realm. It is
• 1:15:02
  Speaker 1: the rule that crowns our afternoon's labor, and without which
• 1:15:06
  Speaker 1: no blanket fort can truly fulfill its destiny. It is
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 1: the law that demands we close our eyes. As the
• 1:15:22
  Speaker 1: tall grandfather clock in the corner of the parlor chimed
• 1:15:26
  Speaker 1: four measured, mellow notes that resonated through the floorboards like
• 1:15:31
  Speaker 1: the hum of a distant cello, the gray light beyond
• 1:15:35
  Speaker 1: the leaded diamond window panes began its slow, inevitable surrender
• 1:15:40
  Speaker 1: to the indigo shadows of early autumn twilight. The storm
• 1:15:45
  Speaker 1: outside had exhausted its initial boisterous temper. The wild, Lashen
• 1:15:52
  Speaker 1: gusts that had whipped the high hazel boughs and scent-yellowed
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 1: birch leaves swirling in frantic circles across the garden flagstones
• 1:16:00
  Speaker 1: had gentled into a study, whispering drizzle, a soft, seamless
• 1:16:05
  Speaker 1: curtain of rain that wrapped Briar Hearth Cottage in a
• 1:16:09
  Speaker 1: cocoon of quiet seclusion. Across the valley of Bramblewick, other
• 1:16:14
  Speaker 1: woodland folk were similarly retreating behind bolted doors and shuttered windows.
• 1:16:24
  Speaker 1: from the crest of weather-vane hill down to the misty
• 1:16:28
  Speaker 1: banks of the mill-stream pale ribbons of sweet wood-smoke rose
• 1:16:33
  Speaker 1: straight and true into the calm damp air from a
• 1:16:36
  Speaker 1: dozen stone chimneys Down in the village lane, Mrs. Thimbleberry
• 1:16:41
  Speaker 1: the Dorouse had surely drawn her thick red velvet curtains,
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: and old Uncle Barnaby the Badger had no doubt laid
• 1:16:50
  Speaker 1: aside his clockmaker's loop banking the coals of his forge
• 1:16:54
  Speaker 1: for the night. In the garden outside Briar Hearth, the
• 1:16:58
  Speaker 1: drenched elderberries hung heavy upon their stems, glistening like clusters
• 1:17:03
  Speaker 1: of polished black pearls.
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 2: In the dusk.
• 1:17:06
  Speaker 1: While the swollen rain barrels gave off a continuous, contented
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 1: gurgle as they filled to their brims with pure skywater.
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 1: Inside the kitchen commissary beneath the rosewood tea table, the
• 1:17:20
  Speaker 1: purple elderberry ink upon the dried dockleaf charter had dried
• 1:17:25
  Speaker 1: to a rich, dusky violet. Moss held the dried leaf
• 1:17:33
  Speaker 1: in both paws, his breath rising in a tiny, contented
• 1:17:38
  Speaker 1: sigh as he brought the raven quill down upon the
• 1:17:41
  Speaker 1: green parchment for the final, crowning inscription of their afternoon.
• 1:17:46
  Speaker 1: Article 4, Moss read aloud, his voice dropping into a
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: register as warm, deep, and gentle as carted sheep's wool.
• 1:17:56
  Speaker 1: The Supreme Ordinance of Briarhardsfort. Naps are mandatory. Upon the
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 1: completion of construction and the consumption of provisions, all active
• 1:18:06
  Speaker 1: labor within the realm must cease immediately. No further architectural
• 1:18:12
  Speaker 1: alterations may be undertaken, no debates regarding floor plans may
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 1: be conducted, and no hedgehog may remain awake under the
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: frivolous pretext of standing guard.
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 2: The blankets of Bramblewick.
• 1:18:25
  Speaker 1: Were gathered for rest, and to rest they must return us.
• 1:18:30
  Speaker 1: Thistle nodded in solemn agreement, her head bobbing slowly up
• 1:18:35
  Speaker 1: and down, her dark eyes already heavy with that dreamy,
• 1:18:40
  Speaker 1: golden glaze that precedes deep slumber. She leaned her shoulder
• 1:18:49
  Speaker 1: against the soft corduroy of the bolster curb, her paws
• 1:18:53
  Speaker 1: resting loosely in her lap. It is the wisest law
• 1:18:57
  Speaker 1: ever enacted in the history of the hedgerow, she murmured,
• 1:19:01
  Speaker 1: her words slurring slightly around the edges like warm clover
• 1:19:06
  Speaker 1: honey dripping from a wooden spoon. Our grandfather always said
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 1: that a hedgehog who tries to resist a rainy day
• 1:19:13
  Speaker 1: nap is merely fighting against the turning of the earth.
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: A fort without a nap is like a teapot without tea,
• 1:19:21
  Speaker 1: merely an empty vessel.
• 1:19:23
  Speaker 2: Of grand intentions.
• 1:19:25
  Speaker 1: But moss, if we are to take a nap worthy
• 1:19:28
  Speaker 1: of our ancestors, we must first attend to the illumination.
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 1: The interior is growing as dark as a winter mole run.
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 2: Quite right.
• 1:19:38
  Speaker 1: Moss said, rising with a deliberate, sleepy slowness that showed
• 1:19:43
  Speaker 1: how thoroughly the warmth of the tarts had settled into
• 1:19:46
  Speaker 1: his bones. We must illuminate the sanctuary with the gentle
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 1: glow of the evening lanterns before the darkness overtakes our paws.
• 1:20:06
  Speaker 1: illuminate the great central hall of the fort. They did
• 1:20:09
  Speaker 1: not employ open wax tapers, for open flames were strictly
• 1:20:14
  Speaker 1: forbidden by both common sense and the ancient, unyielding safety
• 1:20:18
  Speaker 1: codes of woodland burrowing. A single stray spark amid seventy
• 1:20:23
  Speaker 1: pounds of dry wool, aged linen, and goose don would
• 1:20:27
  Speaker 1: have transformed their peaceful sanctuary into a calamity. Instead, they
• 1:20:32
  Speaker 1: retrieved their father's cherished collection of frosted glass acorn lanterns,
• 1:20:38
  Speaker 1: special heirloom lamps fitted with tiny, battery-powered amber filaments that
• 1:20:44
  Speaker 1: gave off a warm, flickering luminescence without generating a single
• 1:20:49
  Speaker 1: breath of heat. Moss carried two of the acorn lanterns
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: by their woven brass wire handles. crawling on all four
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: paws back along the cushioned tunnel from the kitchen into
• 1:21:01
  Speaker 1: the grand pavilion. He suspended the first lantern from the
• 1:21:05
  Speaker 1: central ash temple, carefully looping its wire around the smooth,
• 1:21:10
  Speaker 1: horrid handle of their father's walking stick. The second lantern
• 1:21:18
  Speaker 1: he hung from the high cross brace of the wingback chair.
• 1:21:22
  Speaker 1: positioning it so that its rays would wash across the
• 1:21:25
  Speaker 1: full length of the sleeping chamber. When the tiny brass
• 1:21:29
  Speaker 1: switches were clicked into place, the interior of the blanket
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: fort was instantly transformed into a cathedral of pure, golden enchantment.
• 1:21:40
  Speaker 1: The amber light diffused through the milky, frosted glass of
• 1:21:45
  Speaker 1: the acorn globes rose upward in soft waves, and struck
• 1:21:50
  Speaker 1: the underside of the grand heatherdown quilt. The hundreds of
• 1:21:54
  Speaker 1: hexagonal patches, stitched with such loving precision by three generations
• 1:22:00
  Speaker 1: of hedgehog grandmothers, began to glow like the stained glass
• 1:22:04
  Speaker 1: windows of an ancient woodland chapel. The primrose yellow patches
• 1:22:13
  Speaker 1: caught the light and cast pools of warm buttercup radiance
• 1:22:17
  Speaker 1: across the floor. The elderberry-dyed squares deepened into a rich,
• 1:22:23
  Speaker 1: soothing twilight purple that seemed to invite the eyes to close,
• 1:22:28
  Speaker 1: and the moss-green patches created soft, shadowy alcoves that looked
• 1:22:33
  Speaker 1: like the mossy floor of a pine copse at midsummer sunset.
• 1:22:38
  Speaker 1: Every tiny rutting stitch of cream-colored linen forever became visible,
• 1:22:43
  Speaker 1: forming a delicate, glowing constellation across the quilted sky above
• 1:22:48
  Speaker 1: their heads, like a map of quiet stars guiding weary
• 1:22:53
  Speaker 1: travelers home. Below this glowing canopy, the light illuminated the deep,
• 1:22:59
  Speaker 1: billowy expanse of the goose-feather eiderdown that lined the central floor.
• 1:23:09
  Speaker 1: The plum-colored velvet of the eider down seemed to drink
• 1:23:13
  Speaker 1: in the golden glow, creating a bed that looked so deep,
• 1:23:17
  Speaker 1: so soft, and so profoundly inviting that merely gazing upon
• 1:23:21
  Speaker 1: it caused both hedgehogs to let out an involuntary, jaw-stretching
• 1:23:26
  Speaker 1: yawn that set their whiskers trembling. Look at it, moss, thistle-rispered,
• 1:23:33
  Speaker 1: having crawled into the pavilion behind him, her chin resting
• 1:23:37
  Speaker 1: on her front paws as she gazed upward at the
• 1:23:40
  Speaker 1: glowing canopy with awestruck eyes. It does not look like
• 1:23:44
  Speaker 1: a parlor anymore. It looks like the inside of a
• 1:23:48
  Speaker 1: warm hazelnut shell lined with silk. It looks like a
• 1:23:52
  Speaker 1: place where bad dreams could never find the entrance. It
• 1:23:56
  Speaker 1: is the culmination of all our labor, Moss replied softly,
• 1:24:01
  Speaker 1: his voice trembling slightly with the profound, sweet weariness that
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 1: comes from an afternoon of honest, creative industry. The lanterns
• 1:24:11
  Speaker 1: are lit, the draughts are sealed, and the realm is peaceful. Now, sister,
• 1:24:23
  Speaker 1: we must observe the ancient ritual of settling. The ritual
• 1:24:37
  Speaker 1: of settling was a bedtime tradition passed down through countless
• 1:24:41
  Speaker 1: generations of Bramblewick hedgehogs, designed to transition a hedgehog from
• 1:24:47
  Speaker 1: the brisk alertness of the waking world to the soft,
• 1:24:50
  Speaker 1: defectsless vulnerability of deep slumber. For a creature whose natural
• 1:24:56
  Speaker 1: defense is a coat of sharp, bristling klills, True sleep
• 1:25:01
  Speaker 1: can only occur when every single spine is persuaded to
• 1:25:05
  Speaker 1: lie down in absolute trust and relaxation. To fall asleep
• 1:25:10
  Speaker 1: with prickles raised was considered by the old hedgewives to
• 1:25:14
  Speaker 1: be an invitation to restless dreams and stiff shoulder muscles.
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 1: Moss and Thistle sat side by side upon the edge
• 1:25:23
  Speaker 1: of the plum-colored eiderdown, beginning the ritual with the unfastening
• 1:25:28
  Speaker 1: of their daytime garments. Moss unbuttoned his moss-green waistcoat, sliding
• 1:25:34
  Speaker 1: the three polished hazelnut buttons through their worked buttonholes with slow,
• 1:25:39
  Speaker 1: careful paws that felt heavier with every passing second. He
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 1: folded the waistcoat neatly into a small square, smoothing down
• 1:25:53
  Speaker 1: its woolen locales, and laid it atop an overturned footstool
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 1: in the corner, placing his birchbark scroll and his raven
• 1:26:01
  Speaker 1: quill securely beside it. Thistle untied the ribbon strings of
• 1:26:05
  Speaker 1: her rose-hip dyed apron and slipped off her plum-colored flannel pinafore.
• 1:26:11
  Speaker 1: shaking out the few stray crumbs that still clung to
• 1:26:14
  Speaker 1: the hem before folding the cloth and placing it beside
• 1:26:17
  Speaker 1: her brother's vest. Without their daytime vests, their soft underbellies
• 1:26:23
  Speaker 1: were exposed, covered in thick silky fur the color of
• 1:26:27
  Speaker 1: toasted oats, warm and tender as newly carded fleece. Next
• 1:26:33
  Speaker 1: came their footwear. They unlaced their sturdy daytime moccasins of
• 1:26:37
  Speaker 1: oiled mole leather, which had protected their paws during outdoor excursions,
• 1:26:43
  Speaker 1: and set them neatly side by side beneath the edge
• 1:26:46
  Speaker 1: of the Welsh blanket rampart.
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 2: Can count.
• 1:26:54
  Speaker 1: In their place, they pulled on their nighttime bed socks thick,
• 1:26:58
  Speaker 1: hand-knitted stockings of brushed angora wool, dyed with marigold petals
• 1:27:04
  Speaker 1: to a cheerful sunshine yellow. Grandmother Hazelborough had knitted these
• 1:27:09
  Speaker 1: socks with double-thick heels, specifically to keep hedgehog toes toasty
• 1:27:15
  Speaker 1: during damp autumn evenings. As soon as their cold paws
• 1:27:19
  Speaker 1: were enclosed within the fuzzy warmth of the inguar wool,
• 1:27:23
  Speaker 1: a wave of delicious comfort surged upward through their ankles
• 1:27:28
  Speaker 1: and calves, making their toes curl in pure hedgehog delight.
• 1:27:33
  Speaker 1: Then came the most vital and sacred part of the
• 1:27:36
  Speaker 1: ritual— the brushing of the quills. From her apron pocket,
• 1:27:41
  Speaker 1: Thistle produced a small, oval brush fashioned from polished pearwood
• 1:27:46
  Speaker 1: and set with the softest badger bristles, specifically crafted for
• 1:27:51
  Speaker 1: smoothing hedgehog spines before bed. She knelt behind Moss on
• 1:28:00
  Speaker 1: the eiderdown and with long, slow, rhythmic strokes, she began
• 1:28:06
  Speaker 1: to brush his quills. starting from the crown of his
• 1:28:09
  Speaker 1: velvet-furred head and moving gently down his back toward his
• 1:28:13
  Speaker 1: tiny tail. Under the soothing, repetitive rhythm of the bristles,
• 1:28:18
  Speaker 1: Moss's quills, which had stood at a modest, alert 30-degree
• 1:28:23
  Speaker 1: angle throughout the afternoon of engineering, began to soften, flattening
• 1:28:28
  Speaker 1: down against his back until they felt like a smooth,
• 1:28:32
  Speaker 1: thick cape of velvet thatch. He let out a long,
• 1:28:37
  Speaker 1: Shattering sigh of pure relief. his shoulders dropping two full
• 1:28:42
  Speaker 1: inches as every knot of tension dissolved into the warm air.
• 1:28:47
  Speaker 1: My turn now, Thistle whispered, handing the pearwood brush over
• 1:28:52
  Speaker 1: to her brother with heavy, drooping paws. Moss took the
• 1:29:01
  Speaker 1: brush and performed the same loving service for his sister,
• 1:29:05
  Speaker 1: brushing her lighter, honey-brown quills with patient, tender strokes until
• 1:29:11
  Speaker 1: they lay as flat, sleek, and silky as the breast
• 1:29:15
  Speaker 1: feathers of a sleeping dove. When the brushing was done,
• 1:29:19
  Speaker 1: neither hedgehog possessed a single sharp edge. They were as
• 1:29:24
  Speaker 1: soft and harmless as two plump balls of carded wool.
• 1:29:29
  Speaker 1: ready to surrender to the night. With their quills fully
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 1: smoothed and their yellow bed socks glowing in the lantern light,
• 1:29:46
  Speaker 1: the two siblings were finally ready to enter the grand
• 1:29:50
  Speaker 1: nesting hollow. The sleeping hollow in the center of the
• 1:29:54
  Speaker 1: pavilion had been engineered with all the tender brilliance that
• 1:29:58
  Speaker 1: moss could muster. At its very base lay the massive
• 1:30:02
  Speaker 1: goose feather eiderdown, four generous inches of pure, cloud-like down
• 1:30:08
  Speaker 1: that contoured itself to the exact shape of a resting hedgehog,
• 1:30:12
  Speaker 1: cradling every curve of spine and hip. Atop the eiderdown,
• 1:30:17
  Speaker 1: they had spread the brushed cotton flannel, Sheet dyed to
• 1:30:21
  Speaker 1: that restful shade of evening, lavender and smelling intoxicatingly of
• 1:30:26
  Speaker 1: dried wild herbs, fresh air, and summer clover. At the
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 1: head of the nest rested two small pillows stuffed with
• 1:30:35
  Speaker 1: dried sweet fern, chamomile blossoms and down, their cases embroidered
• 1:30:40
  Speaker 1: by their mother with tiny sprays of blue forget-me-nots. and
• 1:30:49
  Speaker 1: think in the time, tinging the mention, and waiting at
• 1:30:54
  Speaker 1: the foot of the bed ready to be drawn up
• 1:30:56
  Speaker 1: over their weary shoulders, was the heavy fold of the
• 1:31:00
  Speaker 1: grand heather-down quilt supported from above by the ashwood tent-pole
• 1:31:05
  Speaker 1: so that its comforting weight would press down upon them
• 1:31:08
  Speaker 1: without restricting their breath. Moss climbed into the nest first,
• 1:31:13
  Speaker 1: his paw sinking deep into the feather-down with a soft,
• 1:31:17
  Speaker 1: feathery hush that sounded like the rustle of dry autumn reeds.
• 1:31:22
  Speaker 1: He slid beneath the lavender flannel sheet, wriggling his hips
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 1: with practiced domestic art until he had formed a round,
• 1:31:30
  Speaker 1: hollow depression in the feathers that cupped his body like
• 1:31:33
  Speaker 1: an acorn cup. He pulled the sheet up to his chin,
• 1:31:38
  Speaker 1: resting his head upon the sweet fern pillow. As his
• 1:31:42
  Speaker 1: cheek touched the linen, the crushed herbs inside released a faint,
• 1:31:47
  Speaker 1: Spicy woodland perfume that filled his nostrils with memories of
• 1:31:51
  Speaker 1: warm sunshine, buzzing bumblebees, and lazy July afternoons in the meadow.
• 1:31:57
  Speaker 1: Thistle climbed in beside him without a word, curling herself
• 1:32:06
  Speaker 1: into the hollow with an instinctive, snuggling wriggle that brought
• 1:32:10
  Speaker 1: her back firmly against his side. The warmth between them
• 1:32:14
  Speaker 1: was immediate, deep, and complete, the shared bodily heat of
• 1:32:19
  Speaker 1: two siblings who had spent their entire lives sharing nursery burrows,
• 1:32:24
  Speaker 1: berry-picking baskets, and quiet winter evenings by the stove. Moss
• 1:32:29
  Speaker 1: reached out a gentle paw and took the edge of
• 1:32:32
  Speaker 1: the heavy heatherdown quilt, drawing it up over both of
• 1:32:36
  Speaker 1: their shoulders until only their small, dark snouts and the
• 1:32:40
  Speaker 1: tips of their soft velvet ears remained exposed to the.
• 1:32:44
  Speaker 2: Amber air of the pavilion.
• 1:32:47
  Speaker 1: The weight of the quilt was magnificent, not heavy enough
• 1:32:50
  Speaker 1: to oppress, but steady, grounding, and protective, like a loving
• 1:32:55
  Speaker 1: mother's paw placed gently upon the back of a tired
• 1:32:58
  Speaker 1: child after.
• 1:32:59
  Speaker 2: A long day of play. Are you warm enough, Thistle?
• 1:33:07
  Speaker 2: Moss whispered.
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 1: His voice barely louder than the falling of a pine
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 1: needle upon damp moss. I am warmer than a loaf
• 1:33:17
  Speaker 1: of crusty bread in a cooling brick oven, Thistle murmured,
• 1:33:21
  Speaker 1: tucking her cold nose beneath the soft hem of the sheet.
• 1:33:26
  Speaker 1: I am warmer than a dormouse curled deep in a
• 1:33:29
  Speaker 1: nest of winter thistledown. Moss, listen to the rain upon
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: our roof. They lay in absolute, motionless quiet, listening together
• 1:33:51
  Speaker 1: to the grand symphony of the world beyond their kingdom
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 1: of cloth. The rain on the diamond-panned leaded windows had
• 1:33:59
  Speaker 1: slowed to the most peaceful, hypnotic rhythm imaginable.
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 2: Drip, tap, whisper, hush.
• 1:34:08
  Speaker 1: It tapped upon the glass with the gentle persistence of
• 1:34:11
  Speaker 1: a mother rocking an old wooden cradle, washing away the
• 1:34:15
  Speaker 1: memory of the cold wind, smoothing the sharp edges of
• 1:34:20
  Speaker 1: the darkening day, and blessing the earth with cool, clean moisture.
• 1:34:25
  Speaker 1: Each drop seemed to say that there was nowhere they
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 1: needed to go, nothing they needed to accomplish. and no
• 1:34:33
  Speaker 1: place in the wide world more safe or blessed than
• 1:34:36
  Speaker 1: the spot where they now lay. From down the hallway,
• 1:34:40
  Speaker 1: through the narrow aperture of the cushion, tunnels, came the faint,
• 1:34:45
  Speaker 1: familiar ticking of the grandfather clock.
• 1:34:48
  Speaker 2: Tick, tock, tick, tock, slow, steady, and unhurried. The sound
• 1:35:00
  Speaker 2: was like.
• 1:35:00
  Speaker 1: The heartbeat of Briar Hearth Cottage itself, keeping time for
• 1:35:05
  Speaker 1: an afternoon that seemed to have stopped moving altogether, suspended
• 1:35:09
  Speaker 1: in a golden amber drop of eternal comfort. Through the
• 1:35:13
  Speaker 1: lacy crochet roof of the hearthside pass, the dying embers
• 1:35:18
  Speaker 1: of the peat fire pulsed with a soft, breathing orange glow,
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: casting long, sleepy shadows that swayed gently against the bottle-green
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 1: velvet walls like the branches of trees in a peaceful forest.
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 1: The faint mouth-watering scent of the brambleberry tarts they had
• 1:35:38
  Speaker 1: eaten still lingered in the warm air, mingling with the
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 1: clean aroma of cedarwood, the sweet herbal perfume of the
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 1: fern pillows, and the dry, Comforting smell of wool that
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 1: had dried in summer meadows, Moss felt his eyelids growing
• 1:35:54
  Speaker 1: impossibly heavy. They fluttered once, twice, trying to hold on
• 1:36:04
  Speaker 1: to the sight of the glowing hexagonal patches above him,
• 1:36:08
  Speaker 1: but the amber light was too soft, the down beneath
• 1:36:12
  Speaker 1: him was too deep, and the weight of the quilt
• 1:36:15
  Speaker 1: was too wonderfully kind beside him. Thistle let out a tiny,
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 1: contented hedgehog snore, a soft, whistling little puff of air
• 1:36:25
  Speaker 1: through her whiskers that sounded like the autumn breeze blowing
• 1:36:29
  Speaker 1: through a hollow river reed. Her little paw crept out
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 1: from beneath the sheet and rested lightly upon his arm,
• 1:36:37
  Speaker 1: her small claws relaxed and gentle. Moss curled his own
• 1:36:42
  Speaker 1: paw around hers, squeezing her fingers with sleepy, protective tenderness.
• 1:36:49
  Speaker 1: There were no more plans to sketch upon birchbark scrolls.
• 1:36:54
  Speaker 1: There were no more cushions to balance against the bookcase,
• 1:36:58
  Speaker 1: no more ashwood pegs to snap into place, no more
• 1:37:02
  Speaker 1: rules to write upon dock leaves. The greatest blanket fort
• 1:37:07
  Speaker 1: in the recorded history of Bramblewick had fulfilled.
• 1:37:10
  Speaker 2: Its noble destiny— the.
• 1:37:17
  Speaker 1: It had held back the chill of the great storm,
• 1:37:20
  Speaker 1: it had sheltered their laughter, it had nourished their spirits
• 1:37:24
  Speaker 1: with sweet berries and warm milk, and now it stood
• 1:37:28
  Speaker 1: as a silent, loving fortress guarding their dreams. The amber
• 1:37:33
  Speaker 1: filaments in the acorn lanterns flickered low, casting a long,
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 1: golden hush across the sleeping chamber. Outside, the rain continued
• 1:37:44
  Speaker 1: its sweet, unending lullaby over the roofs, the hedgerows, and
• 1:37:49
  Speaker 1: the silent hazel lanes of Bramblewick, while deep within the
• 1:37:54
  Speaker 1: heart of Briarheart Cottage, beneath seven layers of wool down
• 1:37:59
  Speaker 1: and love, the two hedgehog siblings closed their eyes and
• 1:38:03
  Speaker 1: drifted away into the deepest, warmest, and most beautiful slumber
• 1:38:08
  Speaker 1: of their lives. Pink inside the blanket fort, where the
• 1:38:20
  Speaker 1: heavy amber quilt met the underside of the yellow cellular blanket,
• 1:38:24
  Speaker 1: there was a quiet little corner that smelled entirely of
• 1:38:28
  Speaker 1: cedar wood and clean laundry. It was tucked well away
• 1:38:32
  Speaker 1: from the drafty entrance flap, past the long corridor of
• 1:38:37
  Speaker 1: folded bath sheets, and right behind the great bolster that
• 1:38:41
  Speaker 1: kept the southern wall from sagging toward the rug.
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 2: Outside the.
• 1:38:50
  Speaker 1: Rhythmic rustle, tapping against the window panes like dozens of
• 1:38:55
  Speaker 1: tiny soft paws seeking shelter from the damp woodland. But
• 1:38:59
  Speaker 1: inside the fort, the world was completely dry, pleasantly warm
• 1:39:05
  Speaker 1: and enclosed by walls of thick, soft wool that absorbed
• 1:39:09
  Speaker 1: every sharp sound from the rooms beyond. Foss and Thistle
• 1:39:18
  Speaker 1: stood together in the center of the secluded alcove, admiring
• 1:39:22
  Speaker 1: the way the warm light from their battery-powered glass lantern
• 1:39:26
  Speaker 1: filtered through three layers of patterned cotton, turning the shadows
• 1:39:31
  Speaker 1: on the floorboards into soft pools of apricot and honey.
• 1:39:36
  Speaker 1: Every proper kingdom needs a bakery, Thistle announced in a hushed,
• 1:39:41
  Speaker 1: decisive whisper. smoothing the prickles along the crown of his
• 1:39:45
  Speaker 1: head with the flat of his paw.
• 1:39:47
  Speaker 2: His round hedgehog.
• 1:39:49
  Speaker 1: Nose twitched with great enthusiasm as he surveyed the empty corner.
• 1:39:54
  Speaker 1: A fort without a bakery is merely a pile of
• 1:39:58
  Speaker 1: folded wool moss. What will the garrison eat when the
• 1:40:01
  Speaker 1: afternoon grumbles.
• 1:40:02
  Speaker 2: In our tummies?
• 1:40:03
  Speaker 1: Who will provide the sweet comforts when the rain beats
• 1:40:07
  Speaker 1: against the rafters? He must open the kitchen at once,
• 1:40:15
  Speaker 1: and we must declare it open with full ceremony. Moss,
• 1:40:20
  Speaker 1: who was by nature the more methodical of the two siblings,
• 1:40:24
  Speaker 1: nodded his agreement while carefully adjusting his spectacles upon his snout.
• 1:40:29
  Speaker 1: He was already kneeling on the soft hearth rug brushing
• 1:40:32
  Speaker 1: away a stray piece of cedar shavings that had drifted
• 1:40:36
  Speaker 1: in from the kindling box. If we are to have
• 1:40:38
  Speaker 1: a kitchen, thistle, it must be properly organized from the
• 1:40:42
  Speaker 1: very beginning. We cannot have jars of jam sitting upon
• 1:40:47
  Speaker 1: unstable bolsters, nor can we roll out our pastry upon
• 1:40:51
  Speaker 1: a crooked stool. First comes the counter, then the larder shelves,
• 1:40:56
  Speaker 1: and only then may we bring in the wooden spoons.
• 1:40:59
  Speaker 1: With deliberate patient care— the two hedgehogs set to work
• 1:41:03
  Speaker 1: transforming the alcove into the finest subterranean bakery Hazelwood Hollow.
• 1:41:09
  Speaker 2: Had ever seen.
• 1:41:10
  Speaker 1: Their center counter was a low foothold made of seasoned
• 1:41:14
  Speaker 1: cherry wood, which their grandfather had whittled many seasons ago.
• 1:41:19
  Speaker 1: He had four sturdy, scrot legs that sat perfectly flat
• 1:41:28
  Speaker 1: upon the woven carpet, without any wobble whatsoever. Over the
• 1:41:32
  Speaker 1: top of this stool, Moss spread a clean linen napkin,
• 1:41:36
  Speaker 1: patterned with small embroidered sprigs of wild thyme, tucking the
• 1:41:41
  Speaker 1: corners beneath the edges so neatly that the surface became
• 1:41:44
  Speaker 1: as taut and smooth as a drumhead. Beside the footstool,
• 1:41:49
  Speaker 1: Thistle stacked two upturned cigar box lids salvaged from the
• 1:41:53
  Speaker 1: study shelves, creating a pair of shallow, polished shelves that
• 1:41:58
  Speaker 1: smelled faintly of sweet tobacco leaves and dried lavender. Next
• 1:42:13
  Speaker 1: came the provisioning of the larder, which required three careful
• 1:42:17
  Speaker 1: expeditions out through the tunnel flap and into the dark,
• 1:42:21
  Speaker 1: cool silence of the burrow pantry. The pantry was a
• 1:42:25
  Speaker 1: deep stone recess beneath the stairs where the stone walls
• 1:42:29
  Speaker 1: stayed naturally chilled all through the turning seasons. Walking on
• 1:42:34
  Speaker 1: the very tips of their claws so as not to
• 1:42:36
  Speaker 1: disturb the afternoon hush, Moss and Thistle carried their supplies
• 1:42:42
  Speaker 1: into the fort one precious item at a time. First
• 1:42:45
  Speaker 1: came a heavy earthenware crock of rested pastry dough, which
• 1:42:50
  Speaker 1: had been mixed earlier that morning from stone-ground oat flour,
• 1:42:54
  Speaker 1: cold churned butter and two spoonfuls of sweet well water,
• 1:42:59
  Speaker 1: then wrapped tightly in a clean wax cloth to keep
• 1:43:02
  Speaker 1: it tender. Then came the preserves. The hedgehog household, the
• 1:43:12
  Speaker 1: autumn gathering was never taken lightly. and their mother had
• 1:43:16
  Speaker 1: filled dozens of small glass jars with the riches of
• 1:43:20
  Speaker 1: the hedgerows before the first frost had even thought of
• 1:43:24
  Speaker 1: touching the briars. Moss carried a jar of wild blackberry jam,
• 1:43:30
  Speaker 1: so dark and thick that it looked like polished jet
• 1:43:33
  Speaker 1: when held up to the lantern light, simmered slowly with
• 1:43:37
  Speaker 1: a handful of dried clover blossoms to bring out its
• 1:43:41
  Speaker 1: honeyed sweetness. Thistle followed close behind, cradling a jar of
• 1:43:46
  Speaker 1: spiced plum butter in both paws as if it were
• 1:43:50
  Speaker 1: a sleeping bird. This plum butter was the pride of
• 1:43:53
  Speaker 1: their larder, put gown over simmering fruitwood embers until it
• 1:43:58
  Speaker 1: had thickened into a rich, fragrant paste scented with crushed cloves,
• 1:44:04
  Speaker 1: cinnamon bark, and a single grating of nutmeg.
• 1:44:11
  Speaker 2: To complete their store.
• 1:44:13
  Speaker 1: They brought in a smaller pot of pale golden gooseberry jelly,
• 1:44:18
  Speaker 1: clear as amber and tart enough to make the whiskers
• 1:44:22
  Speaker 1: tingle in the most delightful way. Look at them sitting
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 1: upon the shelf, Thistle murmured, his black eyes shining with
• 1:44:30
  Speaker 1: satisfaction as he lined the glass jars in a neat
• 1:44:34
  Speaker 1: row upon the cedar wood. They look like little pots
• 1:44:38
  Speaker 1: of summer sunshine waiting to be let out into the rain.
• 1:44:42
  Speaker 1: Moss arranged their utensils beside the dough with quiet precision.
• 1:44:47
  Speaker 1: There was a miniature rolling pin whittled from a dry
• 1:44:50
  Speaker 1: birch branch, its bark peeled away, and its wood rubbed
• 1:44:54
  Speaker 1: with walnut oil until it felt silky to the touch.
• 1:44:58
  Speaker 1: There were six shallow baking dishes, which in truth were
• 1:45:02
  Speaker 1: round tin lids from past tea tins scoured until they
• 1:45:07
  Speaker 1: gleaned like silver shillings. There was a tiny wooden spoon
• 1:45:15
  Speaker 1: carved from hawthorn wood, perfectly shaped for ladling jam into
• 1:45:20
  Speaker 1: pastry shells, and a small bone spatula that was just
• 1:45:24
  Speaker 1: the right size for smoothing crimped edges. Everything was in
• 1:45:29
  Speaker 1: its proper place, spotless and ready, while overhead, the soft
• 1:45:35
  Speaker 1: roof of their blanket fort dipped gently under the weight
• 1:45:39
  Speaker 1: of its own warmth. Now, Moss said, rolling up the
• 1:45:53
  Speaker 1: cuffs of his woolen cardigan until his furry forearms were free,
• 1:45:58
  Speaker 1: we must begin the crust. Pastry requires a cool paw
• 1:46:02
  Speaker 1: and a steady mind.
• 1:46:04
  Speaker 2: Thistle.
• 1:46:04
  Speaker 1: If you hurry it, the butter melts into the flour
• 1:46:08
  Speaker 1: before the oven can do its work, and you end
• 1:46:11
  Speaker 1: up with a crust as heavy as a river stone.
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 1: We want our tarts to be as light as a
• 1:46:17
  Speaker 1: dry leaf tumbling down a grassy bank. Thistle nodded solemnly,
• 1:46:22
  Speaker 1: taking his position on the left side of the cherry
• 1:46:25
  Speaker 1: wood stool while Moss unwrapped the wax cloth. The rested
• 1:46:29
  Speaker 1: dough was firm, pale cream in color, and smelled deliciously
• 1:46:34
  Speaker 1: of sweet cream and toasted grain. Moss divided the ball
• 1:46:38
  Speaker 1: into two equal portions with the edge of the bone spatula,
• 1:46:43
  Speaker 1: handing one half to his brother. With gentle, rhythmic motions,
• 1:46:48
  Speaker 1: The two hedgehogs dusted their paws with a pinch of
• 1:46:52
  Speaker 1: dry oat flour and began to roll the pastry outward
• 1:46:56
  Speaker 1: from the center. The little birch rolling pin clicked softly
• 1:47:04
  Speaker 1: against the wooden board, a soothing, domestic sound that blended
• 1:47:09
  Speaker 1: seamlessly with the patter of raindrops falling upon the garden
• 1:47:12
  Speaker 1: soil outside the burrow walls. Back and forth the wood rolled,
• 1:47:18
  Speaker 1: flattening the dough into two smooth, round sheets no thicker
• 1:47:22
  Speaker 1: than an autumn oak leaf. Whenever the edges threatened to
• 1:47:26
  Speaker 1: curl or crack, Moss would pause, moisten the tip of
• 1:47:31
  Speaker 1: his claw with a drop of cold well water, and
• 1:47:34
  Speaker 1: press the seam together until it was whole again. Thistle
• 1:47:38
  Speaker 1: worked with slightly more flourish, humming a low, tuneless little
• 1:47:43
  Speaker 1: ditty beneath his breath. a humming song that hedgehogs only
• 1:47:48
  Speaker 1: sing when their paws are busy and their bellies are
• 1:47:51
  Speaker 1: anticipating something extraordinarily good. When the dough was rolled to
• 1:47:56
  Speaker 1: complete satisfaction, Moss produced an upside-down egg cub made of
• 1:48:02
  Speaker 1: glazed blue earthenware, pressing the rim firmly into the pastry
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 1: and giving it a delicate twist, he cut out six
• 1:48:14
  Speaker 1: neat perfect circles of dough. Thistle did the same with
• 1:48:17
  Speaker 1: his sheet, creating another circle. until twelve round discs lay
• 1:48:22
  Speaker 1: resting upon the linen cloth like a collection of pale coins.
• 1:48:27
  Speaker 1: With infinite patience, using the blunt pads of their thumbs,
• 1:48:32
  Speaker 1: they lifted each circle of dough and pressed it into
• 1:48:35
  Speaker 1: one of the tin lids, easing the pastry into the
• 1:48:38
  Speaker 1: corners and crimping the raised rims with the tines of
• 1:48:42
  Speaker 1: a small silver fork that had lost its handle many
• 1:48:46
  Speaker 1: seasons ago. The crimping is the most important part, Moss observed,
• 1:49:01
  Speaker 1: leaning down so close that his whiskers brushed the tin rim.
• 1:49:06
  Speaker 1: It holds the sweetness inside. If the crust leaks, the
• 1:49:10
  Speaker 1: jam burns upon the tin, and the kitchen.
• 1:49:13
  Speaker 2: Fills with bitter smoke. A good baker always seals the edges.
• 1:49:19
  Speaker 1: As if he were sealing a letter to a dear friend.
• 1:49:22
  Speaker 1: And now for the hearts of the tarts, Thistle said,
• 1:49:25
  Speaker 1: reaching eagerly for the wooden hawthorn spoon. He loosened the
• 1:49:30
  Speaker 1: lid of the wild blackberry jar with a satisfying pop
• 1:49:33
  Speaker 1: of the wax seal, releasing an aroma so wretch, sweet,
• 1:49:38
  Speaker 1: and berry-laden that both hedgehogs had to close their eyes
• 1:49:42
  Speaker 1: for a moment simply to take it in. It smelled
• 1:49:46
  Speaker 1: of August afternoons, of sun-warmed briar patches buzzing with sleepy bees,
• 1:49:52
  Speaker 1: and of purple-stained fingers after a long ramble along the
• 1:49:56
  Speaker 1: meadow ditch very carefully taking great care not to spill
• 1:50:04
  Speaker 1: a single drop upon the white linen cloth. Thistle ladled
• 1:50:08
  Speaker 1: a generous spoonful of dark blackberry jam into four of
• 1:50:13
  Speaker 1: the prepared crusts. The jam settled into the hollows with
• 1:50:17
  Speaker 1: a glossy purple sheen, mounding slightly in the middle like
• 1:50:21
  Speaker 1: a ripe fruit waiting to burst. Into the next four crusts,
• 1:50:26
  Speaker 1: Moss spooned the spiced plum butter, which was a deep,
• 1:50:30
  Speaker 1: Rusty mahogany color, fragrant with holiday spices that seemed to
• 1:50:35
  Speaker 1: warm the air of the blanket fort before the tarts
• 1:50:38
  Speaker 1: had even touched the heat. For the final four, they
• 1:50:42
  Speaker 1: shared the spoon, filling each shell with the golden gooseberry jelly,
• 1:50:47
  Speaker 1: which captured the lantern glow so brilliantly that each little
• 1:50:52
  Speaker 1: tart looked like a tiny golden pond resting within a
• 1:50:55
  Speaker 1: sandy ring of pastry. Twelve tarts sat assembled upon the
• 1:51:00
  Speaker 1: cherrywood footstool, each one crimped, filled, and perfect. Outside, the
• 1:51:10
  Speaker 1: rain gave a sudden, gentle surge against the windowpane, a
• 1:51:15
  Speaker 1: flurry of drops that sounded like dry peas falling into
• 1:51:19
  Speaker 1: a wicker basket, but inside the fort, the air remained undisturbed,
• 1:51:25
  Speaker 1: smelling of berries, spices, and safe hiding places. Now, in
• 1:51:42
  Speaker 1: the cozy logic of blanket forts, an oven cannot be
• 1:51:46
  Speaker 1: a roaring iron stove that throws sparks toward the woolen rafters.
• 1:51:51
  Speaker 1: That would never do in a sanctuary built of quilts
• 1:51:54
  Speaker 1: and linen sheets. Instead, moss and thistle had prepared their
• 1:51:59
  Speaker 1: baking hearth according to the ancient, proven traditions of indoor
• 1:52:04
  Speaker 1: snuggle craft. At the back of the kitchen alcove sat
• 1:52:08
  Speaker 1: a broad earthenware hot water bottle, which had been filled
• 1:52:12
  Speaker 1: to its brass stopper with boiling well water from the
• 1:52:16
  Speaker 1: morning kettle and wrapped securely in three layers of thick
• 1:52:21
  Speaker 1: red flannel. It radiated a deep, steady, penetrating heat, not
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 1: fierce enough to scorch, but warm enough to soothe cold
• 1:52:31
  Speaker 1: toes and gently toast anything placed upon its broad, ceramic back.
• 1:52:37
  Speaker 1: Over this wrapped vessel, Moss positioned an inverted tin biscuit
• 1:52:41
  Speaker 1: box that had been pierced with half a dozen tiny,
• 1:52:45
  Speaker 1: breathing holes When the tin was lowered over the warm earthenware,
• 1:52:54
  Speaker 1: it created an enclosed chamber of trapped, drowsy warmth that
• 1:52:59
  Speaker 1: functioned as the gentlest baking oven imaginable. Working together with
• 1:53:05
  Speaker 1: their bone spatulas, the siblings carefully slid the twill-filled tins
• 1:53:10
  Speaker 1: into the warm chamber, sliding the lid shut until only
• 1:53:14
  Speaker 1: a faint thread of sweet steam escaped into the blanket room.
• 1:53:19
  Speaker 1: How long must they bake, Master Baker? This soul asked,
• 1:53:23
  Speaker 1: settling himself back onto a velvet cushion with his legs
• 1:53:27
  Speaker 1: tucked neatly beneath his plump body. They must bake for
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 1: exactly the time it takes to brew a pot of
• 1:53:34
  Speaker 1: rosehip tea and set the cups, Moss replied, his voice
• 1:53:39
  Speaker 1: dropping into that quiet, rhythmic tone that signals the beginning
• 1:53:44
  Speaker 1: of an unhurried wait. Pastry cannot be rushed. and tea
• 1:53:49
  Speaker 1: cannot be hurried. They must come to their full goodness together,
• 1:53:57
  Speaker 1: like two neighbors walking down the lane side by side.
• 1:54:01
  Speaker 1: From a wicker basket behind the bolster, Moss retrieved their
• 1:54:05
  Speaker 1: tea things. There was a tiny brown earthenware teapot no
• 1:54:10
  Speaker 1: bigger than an apple, glazed in a speckled nut-brown finish
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 1: with a snug lid that rattled softly when tipped. Into
• 1:54:18
  Speaker 1: its belly, Moss measured two dried rocheps, crushed gently with
• 1:54:23
  Speaker 1: a wooden pestle to release their tart crimson flavor, along
• 1:54:28
  Speaker 1: with a pinch of dried chamomile heads that looked like
• 1:54:31
  Speaker 1: miniature dried daisies, and three crumpled leaves of sweet spearmint
• 1:54:36
  Speaker 1: from the summer garden. From a thermal flask that had
• 1:54:40
  Speaker 1: been tucked beside the water bottle, he poured steaming water
• 1:54:44
  Speaker 1: over the herbs.
• 1:54:45
  Speaker 2: The steam rose.
• 1:54:47
  Speaker 1: And a curling transparent spiral carrying the floral fragrance up
• 1:54:52
  Speaker 1: to the amber quilt, where it drifted lazily before dispersing
• 1:54:56
  Speaker 1: into the folds of the fort. While the tea steeped
• 1:55:10
  Speaker 1: and the tarts warmed in their tin chamber, The two
• 1:55:14
  Speaker 1: hedgehogs sat in companionable silence, listening to the afternoon weather.
• 1:55:19
  Speaker 1: The rain was no longer a heavy downpour. It had
• 1:55:23
  Speaker 1: settled into that long, gray, dependable drizzle that seems as
• 1:55:28
  Speaker 1: though it could last for several days without ever growing tired.
• 1:55:34
  Speaker 1: It washed the dusty leaves in the garden, soaked the
• 1:55:38
  Speaker 1: brown soil around the burrow entrance, and made the whole
• 1:55:42
  Speaker 1: world outside feel damp, chilly, and impossibly far away. Within
• 1:55:48
  Speaker 1: the fort, the temperature had reached that perfect degree of
• 1:55:52
  Speaker 1: warmth where one's eyelids began to feel slightly heavier than usual.
• 1:55:58
  Speaker 1: The lantern light was a steady, unflickering gold that painted
• 1:56:03
  Speaker 1: warm highlights upon the curved quills of the two siblings.
• 1:56:07
  Speaker 1: Moss took off his spectacles, wiped the glass clean upon
• 1:56:11
  Speaker 1: the corner of his woolen cardigan, and perched them back
• 1:56:15
  Speaker 1: upon his nose. His eyes were soft and reflective.
• 1:56:24
  Speaker 2: Do you remember?
• 1:56:25
  Speaker 1: Thistle whispered, leaning his shoulder against Moss's arm. The summer day,
• 1:56:31
  Speaker 1: we picked those blackberries. It was down by the old
• 1:56:34
  Speaker 1: stone breach where the creek bends around the willow roots.
• 1:56:38
  Speaker 1: The sun was so hot that the stones felt like
• 1:56:42
  Speaker 1: fresh loaves of bread and our paws were purple until
• 1:56:45
  Speaker 1: three days after. I remember, Moss said, a faint smile
• 1:56:50
  Speaker 1: curving his small snout. You ate three berries for every
• 1:56:55
  Speaker 1: one you dropped into the basket. Mother said she had
• 1:56:58
  Speaker 1: never seen a hedgehog with such purple whiskers in all
• 1:57:02
  Speaker 1: her days.
• 1:57:03
  Speaker 2: But she didn't scold us.
• 1:57:05
  Speaker 1: She simply gave us each a buttered crust and told
• 1:57:08
  Speaker 1: us to wash our paws in the brook before supper.
• 1:57:12
  Speaker 1: And now here they are, Thistle murmured, gesturing toward the
• 1:57:16
  Speaker 1: warm biscuit tin with one claw. All that sunshine from
• 1:57:25
  Speaker 1: the willow bridge tucked away inside our pastry disappeared. Waiting
• 1:57:29
  Speaker 1: for us while the rain falls down upon the roof,
• 1:57:33
  Speaker 1: Moss leaned forward, sniffed the air near the breathing holes
• 1:57:37
  Speaker 1: of the tin box, and nodded. The crust has turned crisp,
• 1:57:42
  Speaker 1: and the jam is bubbling at the edges. The bakery
• 1:57:46
  Speaker 1: has completed its work, Thistle. It is time to draw
• 1:57:51
  Speaker 1: the tarts. Using two thick wooden potholders knitted from undyed
• 1:57:56
  Speaker 1: sheep's wool, Moss lifted the lid of the biscuit tin.
• 1:58:00
  Speaker 1: A cloud of warm, sweet vapor drifted out into the alcove,
• 1:58:06
  Speaker 1: carrying the rich, buttery fragrance of toasted oats. reduced blackberry syrup,
• 1:58:13
  Speaker 1: and the warm, spiced hug of the plum butter. The
• 1:58:17
  Speaker 1: edges of the pastry had taken on a pale, golden-brown hue,
• 1:58:21
  Speaker 1: firm and flaky, while the jam fillings were glossy, hot.
• 1:58:27
  Speaker 1: and slightly caramelized where they touched the crypt rims. Moss
• 1:58:35
  Speaker 1: poured the rosehip tea into two miniature acorn shell cups
• 1:58:39
  Speaker 1: that had been smoothed with beeswax on the inside to
• 1:58:42
  Speaker 1: keep them watertight. The liquid was a clear, warm ruby color,
• 1:58:48
  Speaker 1: steaming gently in the cool air of the fort. Carefully,
• 1:58:52
  Speaker 1: using the bone spatula, He lifted one blackberry tart and
• 1:58:57
  Speaker 1: one spiced plum tart onto a flat wooden saucer and
• 1:59:01
  Speaker 1: handed it to his brother. To the kitchen of the
• 1:59:04
  Speaker 1: blanket fort, Moss said softly, raising his acorn cup. To
• 1:59:09
  Speaker 1: the kitchen, Thistle echoed, clinking his cup against his brother's
• 1:59:13
  Speaker 1: with a tiny, dry, wooden tap. And to the hedgehogs
• 1:59:17
  Speaker 1: who know what to keep summer in their larder. They
• 1:59:20
  Speaker 1: took their first bites together. The pastry was tender and buttery,
• 1:59:25
  Speaker 1: crumbling softly against the tongue, while the sweet, tangy fruit
• 1:59:29
  Speaker 1: spread deep, comforting warmth through their chests. And outside, the
• 1:59:39
  Speaker 1: rain drummed its quiet song against the windowpane, steady and endless,
• 1:59:45
  Speaker 1: but inside their pillow-walled bakery, everything was warm, golden. and
• 1:59:52
  Speaker 1: wonderfully sweet. With the last crumb of blackberry tart finished
• 2:00:11
  Speaker 1: and the acorn cups drained to their sweet, herbal dregs,
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 1: a profound sense of administrative responsibility settled over the blanket fort.
• 2:00:21
  Speaker 1: It was a well-known law of the nursery that once
• 2:00:24
  Speaker 1: the kitchen had been safely established and provisioned, the government
• 2:00:29
  Speaker 1: of the realm had to be convened. And in the
• 2:00:32
  Speaker 1: sovereign territory beneath the patchwork quilts, government did not concern
• 2:00:37
  Speaker 1: itself with taxes, border fences, or official proclamations. Its sole
• 2:00:43
  Speaker 1: and absolute duty was the management, organization, and preservation of
• 2:00:48
  Speaker 1: collective afternoon slumber. The time has come, Thistle declared, setting
• 2:00:54
  Speaker 1: his empty wooden saucer upon the cherry wood stool with
• 2:00:58
  Speaker 1: immense dignity. We cannot allow our companions to remain scattered
• 2:01:02
  Speaker 1: across the outer bedroom in drafty corners while we enjoy
• 2:01:06
  Speaker 1: the shelter of the Greek cult. It is not fair, Moss.
• 2:01:15
  Speaker 1: Barnaby is sitting upon the rocking chair with his ears
• 2:01:19
  Speaker 1: exposed to the window draft. and Professor Pinkristian has been
• 2:01:23
  Speaker 1: wedged behind the sewing basket since ten o'clock this morning.
• 2:01:28
  Speaker 1: They are cold, their stuffing is becoming compacted, and they
• 2:01:33
  Speaker 1: have not had a single crumb of tart. We must
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 1: convene the Nuff Summit at once. Moss pushed his spectacles
• 2:01:40
  Speaker 1: firmly up the bridge of his snout and nodded with
• 2:01:43
  Speaker 1: great gravity. A summit is an excellent idea, but it
• 2:01:48
  Speaker 1: must be conducted under proper rules. If we simply drag
• 2:01:52
  Speaker 1: them in by their legs, their ears will get caught
• 2:01:56
  Speaker 1: in the blanket folds and their sawdust will shift. We
• 2:02:00
  Speaker 1: must escort each delegate through the flannel tuttle with the
• 2:02:03
  Speaker 1: dignity due to their station, and we must assign their
• 2:02:07
  Speaker 1: sleeping birds according to their individual comfort requirements. require firm bolsters,
• 2:02:18
  Speaker 1: while others cannot sleep unless their heads are tilted at
• 2:02:22
  Speaker 1: a thirty-degree angle toward the lantern. Agreed, said Thistle, already
• 2:02:29
  Speaker 1: wriggling toward the entrance flap. I shall serve as the
• 2:02:32
  Speaker 1: High Commissioner of Escort, and you shall be the master
• 2:02:36
  Speaker 1: of the bolsters. Let the procession begin. One by one,
• 2:02:41
  Speaker 1: the honored guests were retrieved from the wide, Silent bedroom
• 2:02:46
  Speaker 1: outside the fort and ushered through the low, flannel-lined corridors
• 2:02:51
  Speaker 1: into this central chamber. The first delegate to arrive was Barnaby,
• 2:02:57
  Speaker 1: a velvet hair of considerable age and unimpeachable character. Barnaby
• 2:03:02
  Speaker 1: was long-limbed and slightly floppy, with ears lined in faded
• 2:03:08
  Speaker 1: rose-colored satin that had grown soft. and threadbare for many
• 2:03:13
  Speaker 1: seasons of affectionate stroking. His velvet fur, once a rich
• 2:03:22
  Speaker 1: chestnut brown, had faded to the color of dried autumn grass,
• 2:03:26
  Speaker 1: and his left side was noticeably flatter than his right,
• 2:03:30
  Speaker 1: owing to the fact that he was Thistle's preferred underarm
• 2:03:34
  Speaker 1: companion during heavy thunderstorms. Moss received Barnaby at the threshold
• 2:03:39
  Speaker 1: of the grand pavilion with a formal bow of his whiskers. Welcome,
• 2:03:44
  Speaker 1: Lord Barnaby. We have reserved the eastern bolster for your accommodation.
• 2:03:50
  Speaker 1: It is filled with clean goose down and provides exceptional
• 2:03:54
  Speaker 1: lumbar support for a hair of your vertical proportions. With
• 2:03:58
  Speaker 1: infinite gentleness, Moss arranged Barnaby against the bolster. tucking his
• 2:04:03
  Speaker 1: long hind legs beneath a folded strip of yellow flannel
• 2:04:08
  Speaker 1: and arranging his long ears so they draped gracefully over
• 2:04:11
  Speaker 1: his shoulders like an elegant velvet scarf. Next through the
• 2:04:26
  Speaker 1: flannel tunnel came Button, a felt dormouse who was scarcely larger.
• 2:04:31
  Speaker 2: Than an apple.
• 2:04:32
  Speaker 1: Bun was a creature of quiet habits and delicate constitution,
• 2:04:37
  Speaker 1: stitched from heather-gray wool that had been felted so tightly
• 2:04:41
  Speaker 1: it felt like smooth moss. He was famous throughout the
• 2:04:45
  Speaker 1: nursery for having mismatched eyes. His right eye was a small,
• 2:04:50
  Speaker 1: polished mother of pearl bead that caught the lantern light
• 2:04:54
  Speaker 1: with an iridescent gleam, while his left eye was a
• 2:04:58
  Speaker 1: four-holed wooden button carved from boxwood. sewn on by their
• 2:05:03
  Speaker 1: grandmother after an unfortunate encounter with the hall broom two
• 2:05:07
  Speaker 1: winters ago. Because his felt skin was thin, Button suffered
• 2:05:12
  Speaker 1: terribly from cold paws, even on days when the hearth.
• 2:05:16
  Speaker 2: Fire was roaring. He is shivering.
• 2:05:20
  Speaker 1: Thistle whispered with deep concern as he handed the tiny
• 2:05:24
  Speaker 1: dormouse to his brother. Feel his paws, Moss. They are
• 2:05:29
  Speaker 1: as cold as winter hail. Do not distress yourself, Moss
• 2:05:34
  Speaker 1: replied soothingly. And I've prepared for this very contingency. From
• 2:05:44
  Speaker 1: his pocket, Moss drew forth a specially tailored thimble muff,
• 2:05:49
  Speaker 1: an old woolen sock toe that had been lined with
• 2:05:52
  Speaker 1: thistle down and hemmed with red thread. He carefully slipped
• 2:05:57
  Speaker 1: Button's tiny felt paws into the muff, wrapped the little
• 2:06:01
  Speaker 1: dormouse in a square of soft green baize, and tucked
• 2:06:06
  Speaker 1: him securely into the warm hollow between two velvet cushions,
• 2:06:11
  Speaker 1: right where the gentle heat from the hot water bottle
• 2:06:14
  Speaker 1: seeped through the floorboards. Budden's mother of pearl eye seemed
• 2:06:18
  Speaker 1: to gleam with profound gratitude as his felt head settled
• 2:06:23
  Speaker 1: into the downy recess. The third delegate was Professor Pincushion,
• 2:06:29
  Speaker 1: a venerable woolen owl of immense intellectual presence and substantial circumference.
• 2:06:39
  Speaker 1: The professor was stuffed not with ordinary cotton wool, but
• 2:06:43
  Speaker 1: with dried lavender blossoms and fine silver sand, which gave
• 2:06:47
  Speaker 1: him a satisfying, heavy weight and caused him to emit
• 2:06:51
  Speaker 1: a soothing, drowsy herbal fragrance whenever he was moved. Upon
• 2:06:56
  Speaker 1: his beak rested a pair of circular spectacles crafted from
• 2:07:00
  Speaker 1: twisted copper wire, through which his felt eyes gazed with perpetual,
• 2:07:05
  Speaker 1: sleepy wisdom. The professor requires a level surface, Moss instructed
• 2:07:10
  Speaker 1: as Thistle puffed out his chest while carrying the heavy owl.
• 2:07:14
  Speaker 1: If he rolls onto his side, his sand shifts into
• 2:07:18
  Speaker 1: his left wing, and it takes half an hour of
• 2:07:21
  Speaker 1: gentle padding to restore his balance. They positioned Professor Pincushion
• 2:07:26
  Speaker 1: atop a flat, folded quilt of dark green wool, with
• 2:07:30
  Speaker 1: his back supported by the solid cedar footstool. Once settled,
• 2:07:39
  Speaker 1: the professor looked precisely like an ancient woodland scholar presiding
• 2:07:44
  Speaker 1: over an academy of quiet thoughts. his lavender scent mingling
• 2:07:49
  Speaker 1: harmoniously with the aroma of the baked tarts that still
• 2:07:53
  Speaker 1: lingered in the air. The procession continued with the arrival
• 2:08:07
  Speaker 1: of Bramble, a knitted bear of exceptionally sweet disposition. Bramble
• 2:08:13
  Speaker 1: had been knitted by an aunt whose eyesight had not
• 2:08:16
  Speaker 1: been entirely reliable, resulting in one arm being noticeably longer
• 2:08:21
  Speaker 1: than the other and a snout that tilted pleasantly toward
• 2:08:24
  Speaker 1: his left shoulder, giving him an expression of perpetual, cheerful inquiry.
• 2:08:30
  Speaker 1: His honey-colored yarn was loose in several places, and smontoffs
• 2:08:35
  Speaker 1: of white fleece poked out through his seams like little clouds.
• 2:08:39
  Speaker 1: But what Bramble lacked in structural symmetry, he more than
• 2:08:43
  Speaker 1: made up for in softness. He was, without question, the
• 2:08:48
  Speaker 1: most huggable creature in the entire burrow. Beside Bramble came Clementine,
• 2:08:54
  Speaker 1: a corduroy goose with a long, flexible neck of pale
• 2:08:58
  Speaker 1: primrose yellow and an orange felt bill that was slightly
• 2:09:02
  Speaker 1: curved from years of being tucked under bedcovers. Clementine was
• 2:09:10
  Speaker 1: a creature of few words and deep tranquility. Her corduroy
• 2:09:15
  Speaker 1: ridges had been smoothed by years of gentle handling, and
• 2:09:19
  Speaker 1: her bean-filled belly gave off a pleasant, dry rustle whenever
• 2:09:24
  Speaker 1: she was adjusted upon the cushions. Finally, Thistle brought in Marigold,
• 2:09:30
  Speaker 1: a calico badger patched together from scraps of vintage cotton
• 2:09:34
  Speaker 1: prints featuring tiny sprigs of forget-me-nots and pink rosebuds. Marigold
• 2:09:40
  Speaker 1: was the youngest of the nursery companions, but she carried
• 2:09:45
  Speaker 1: an air of great domestic efficiency, complete with a tiny
• 2:09:49
  Speaker 1: calico satchel stitched to her side, in which she kept
• 2:09:53
  Speaker 1: three imaginary chamomile biscuits for emergencies. With all six delegates
• 2:09:59
  Speaker 1: safely assembled inside the grand pavilion, the blanket fort felt
• 2:10:04
  Speaker 1: wonderfully populated. The stuffed companions sat in a cozy semicircle
• 2:10:10
  Speaker 1: upon the patchwork floor, their varied textures, velvet, felt wool, yarn, corduroy,
• 2:10:17
  Speaker 1: and calico creating a rich tapestry of comfortable dormasticity. Moss
• 2:10:27
  Speaker 1: and thistles sat cross-legged at the head of the circle,
• 2:10:30
  Speaker 1: their little hedgehog paws resting upon their knees. looking out
• 2:10:35
  Speaker 1: over their gathered congregation with immense satisfaction. Delegates of the
• 2:10:40
  Speaker 1: Blanket Fort, Thistle began, pitching his voice to a hushed,
• 2:10:45
  Speaker 1: reverent murmur that barely rose above the sound of the
• 2:10:49
  Speaker 1: rain outside. We have called this nap summit because the
• 2:10:53
  Speaker 1: afternoon is growing old, the sky is gray, and the
• 2:10:57
  Speaker 1: world outside our walls is far too damp for sensible creatures.
• 2:11:02
  Speaker 1: The purpose of this gathering is to achieve a state
• 2:11:05
  Speaker 1: of complete, harmonious, and uninterrupted snoozing. Let the business of
• 2:11:11
  Speaker 1: the summit proceed. The first item on the summit's agenda
• 2:11:25
  Speaker 1: was the official assessment of bolster firmness. Moss took this
• 2:11:30
  Speaker 1: duty with the utmost seriousness. Moving on his knees from
• 2:11:34
  Speaker 1: delegate to delegate, he inspected each pillow and cushion with
• 2:11:39
  Speaker 1: a professional paw. He gave Barnaby's bolster three gentle thumps
• 2:11:45
  Speaker 1: to ensure the goose feathers were evenly distributed around.
• 2:11:48
  Speaker 2: The hare's shoulder blades.
• 2:11:50
  Speaker 1: He checked that Button's thimble muff remained securely positioned over
• 2:11:55
  Speaker 1: his cold paws adjusting the green baize blanket so that
• 2:11:59
  Speaker 1: it covered the little dormouse right up to his felt chin.
• 2:12:03
  Speaker 1: When he reached Professor Pincushion, Moss paused, took out a
• 2:12:07
  Speaker 1: clean wooden ruler from his satchel, and verified that the
• 2:12:11
  Speaker 1: owl's back remained perfectly vertical against the footstool. The professor
• 2:12:16
  Speaker 1: reports zero degrees of tilt, Moss announced in an administrative
• 2:12:21
  Speaker 1: whisper that His lavender distribution is uniform, and his copper
• 2:12:30
  Speaker 1: spectacles are firmly seated upon the bridge of his beak.
• 2:12:34
  Speaker 2: Here, here, whispered.
• 2:12:36
  Speaker 1: Thistle, tapping his paw twice against his knee in approval.
• 2:12:40
  Speaker 1: The second item of business was the allocation of blanket
• 2:12:45
  Speaker 1: real estate. This was always a delicate matter in any Ford.
• 2:12:50
  Speaker 1: as certain stuffed funds were notorious for hogging the corners
• 2:12:54
  Speaker 1: or kicking their covers loose during particularly active dreams. To
• 2:12:59
  Speaker 1: prevent any diplomatic incidents, Thistle had prepared a master plan.
• 2:13:05
  Speaker 1: The heavy, double-woven Scottish tartan blanket, which was broad enough
• 2:13:10
  Speaker 1: to cover an entire meadow bank, was chosen as the
• 2:13:14
  Speaker 1: communal counterpane. Working together with synchronized, practiced movements, the two
• 2:13:21
  Speaker 1: hedgehogs drew the tartan blanket across the semicircle of delegates.
• 2:13:30
  Speaker 1: They pulled it gently over Bramble's knitted knees, tucked it
• 2:13:34
  Speaker 1: snugly around Clementine's corduroy wings, smoothed it across Marigold's calico shoulders,
• 2:13:41
  Speaker 1: and eased it up to Barnaby's velvet chest. Only Professor Pincushion,
• 2:13:46
  Speaker 1: who insisted upon having his wings free so that he
• 2:13:49
  Speaker 1: could observe the proceedings with academic detachment, remained uncovered above
• 2:13:55
  Speaker 1: the waist. Does any delegate lodge an objection regarding draftiness, lumpiness,
• 2:14:01
  Speaker 1: or corner-pinching? Thistle inquired, looking around the circle with solemn,
• 2:14:07
  Speaker 1: blinking eyes. Barnaby's long ears remained peacefully drooped against his shoulders.
• 2:14:13
  Speaker 1: Button's pearl eye caught the lantern glow in silent approval.
• 2:14:19
  Speaker 1: Bramble's tilted snout seemed to smile with even greater sweetness
• 2:14:23
  Speaker 1: than usual, and Clementine let out a very faint, dry
• 2:14:28
  Speaker 1: rustle of beans that signified complete and unconditional agreement. The
• 2:14:34
  Speaker 1: motion is carried unanimously, Moss declared softly. The Grand Pavilion
• 2:14:44
  Speaker 1: is officially declared draft-free, lump-free, and thoroughly tucked. With the
• 2:15:00
  Speaker 1: administrative tasks concluded, the summit moved into its final, most
• 2:15:06
  Speaker 1: solemn phase, the distribution of goodnight comforts. From the bakery footstool,
• 2:15:13
  Speaker 1: Thistle retrieved the remaining crumbs of the wild blackberry tart,
• 2:15:17
  Speaker 1: carefully divided onto a tiny wooden plate, along with six
• 2:15:22
  Speaker 1: dried chamomile blossom heads from their tea tin. With ceremonial slowness,
• 2:15:27
  Speaker 1: Thistle placed one fragrant chamomile blossom before each delegate upon
• 2:15:32
  Speaker 1: the tartan cloth. A blossom for Barnaby, to bring dreams
• 2:15:37
  Speaker 1: of sunny clover pastures, he whispered, placing the flyer between
• 2:15:42
  Speaker 1: the hare's velvet paws. A blossom for Button, to keep
• 2:15:47
  Speaker 1: his little-felt heart warm until the morning light. A blossom
• 2:15:51
  Speaker 1: for the Professor, to scent his nocturnal meditations with peace.
• 2:15:56
  Speaker 1: A blossom for Bramble, to soften any loose stitches that
• 2:16:01
  Speaker 1: might tickle his ribs. A blossom for Clementine, to remind
• 2:16:05
  Speaker 1: her of smooth, sunny riverbends. and a blossom for Marigold
• 2:16:15
  Speaker 1: to accompany her calico biscuits. The herbal fragrance of the
• 2:16:19
  Speaker 1: dried chamomile flowers rose gently in the warm air, blending
• 2:16:24
  Speaker 1: with the lavender of the owl, the sweet berry scent
• 2:16:28
  Speaker 1: of the bakery, and the clean, comforting smell of warm wool.
• 2:16:33
  Speaker 1: The atmosphere inside the blanket fort was becoming increasingly heavy
• 2:16:38
  Speaker 1: with that thick, golden drowsiness that makes every thought feel
• 2:16:42
  Speaker 1: like a soft feather drifting downward through still air. Moss
• 2:16:47
  Speaker 1: crawled into the center of the semicircle, settling himself between
• 2:16:52
  Speaker 1: Bramble the bear and Barnaby the hare, while Thistle curled
• 2:16:56
  Speaker 1: up on the other side, tucking his round body close
• 2:16:59
  Speaker 1: to Clementine's corduroy flank. The two hedgehogs pulled the edge
• 2:17:04
  Speaker 1: of the tartan blanket up over their own shoulders, leaving
• 2:17:08
  Speaker 1: only their small, dark snouts and bright eyes visible above
• 2:17:13
  Speaker 1: the woolen fold. Look at them, Moss murmured, his voice
• 2:17:18
  Speaker 1: now scarcely more than a breath. Not a single ear
• 2:17:22
  Speaker 1: is twitching. Not a single seam is strained. I do
• 2:17:30
  Speaker 1: believe this is the most successful summit Hazelwood Hollow has
• 2:17:34
  Speaker 1: ever hosted. It is, Thistle agreed, his eyelids fluttering as
• 2:17:39
  Speaker 1: a great luxurious yawn stretched his small jaws until his
• 2:17:43
  Speaker 1: whiskers trembled.
• 2:17:45
  Speaker 2: Everyone is in their proper place. The whole world is
• 2:17:49
  Speaker 2: tucked in. in, Moss. Every single one of us.
• 2:17:53
  Speaker 1: Outside, the rain continued its unhurried descent from the gray
• 2:17:58
  Speaker 1: afternoon clouds, tapping softly upon the glass like a friend
• 2:18:02
  Speaker 1: tapping on a door, not to ask for entrance. but
• 2:18:06
  Speaker 1: merely to let those inside know that all was well,
• 2:18:10
  Speaker 1: that the garden was being watered, and that there was
• 2:18:13
  Speaker 1: nothing in the wide woodland that required anyone's attention for
• 2:18:17
  Speaker 1: hours and hours to come. Kill Lantern flame flickered once,
• 2:18:27
  Speaker 1: very gently, casting long peaceful shadows across the ceiling of
• 2:18:32
  Speaker 1: the quilt, while the delegates of the nap summit breathed
• 2:18:36
  Speaker 1: their quiet, unseen breaths of wool felt, and sawdust sinking, together,
• 2:18:43
  Speaker 1: into the profound, golden stillness of the fort. As the
• 2:19:02
  Speaker 1: afternoon deepened toward twilight, the weather outside the burrow underwent
• 2:19:07
  Speaker 1: a subtle, dramatic shift. The quiet, monotonous drizzle that had
• 2:19:13
  Speaker 1: fallen for hours began to gather strength, swept along by
• 2:19:17
  Speaker 1: a rising wind that wandered down from the high pine
• 2:19:21
  Speaker 1: ridges of the upper valley. The raindrops grew larger, heavier,
• 2:19:26
  Speaker 1: and more frequent, striking the glass of the bedroom window
• 2:19:30
  Speaker 1: with a hollow, ringing clatter that sounded like handfuls of
• 2:19:35
  Speaker 1: dry beans flung against a copper kettle. Overhead, the branches
• 2:19:40
  Speaker 1: of the ancient apple tree in the garden creaked as
• 2:19:43
  Speaker 1: they swayed, their wet leaves thrashing softly against the wooden
• 2:19:48
  Speaker 1: eaves of the house. Inside the blanket fort, the sudden
• 2:19:52
  Speaker 1: change in the weather did not.
• 2:19:54
  Speaker 2: Bring fear or chill.
• 2:19:56
  Speaker 1: Instead, it acted like a great thickening of the walls,
• 2:20:00
  Speaker 1: making their woolen sanctuary feel ten times more secluded, ten
• 2:20:06
  Speaker 1: times safer, and infinitely more precious than it had felt
• 2:20:10
  Speaker 1: in the calm of midday. The heavy wool of the
• 2:20:17
  Speaker 1: outer blankets absorbed the roar of the wind, reducing it
• 2:20:21
  Speaker 1: to a deep, muffled, rushing sound like the voice of
• 2:20:25
  Speaker 1: a distant river tumbling over smooth riverbed boulders. Thistle stirred
• 2:20:31
  Speaker 1: from his light drowse, his small black snout lifting above
• 2:20:35
  Speaker 1: the edge of the Scottish tartan blanket. His eyes, dark
• 2:20:40
  Speaker 1: and round as polished elderberries, caught the warm amber light
• 2:20:44
  Speaker 1: of their glass lantern and sparkled with sudden, adventurous inspiration.
• 2:20:51
  Speaker 1: Listen to that wind, Moss, he whispered, propping his chin
• 2:20:56
  Speaker 1: upon Barnaby, the hare's soft velvet shoulder. The gale has
• 2:21:00
  Speaker 1: reached the treetops. The great storm of the northern ridges
• 2:21:05
  Speaker 1: has arrived at our gates. We are no longer merely
• 2:21:08
  Speaker 1: in a burrow and hazelwood hollow. Our fort is an
• 2:21:16
  Speaker 1: impenetrable wooden citadel perched upon the highest crag of the
• 2:21:21
  Speaker 1: misty mountains, surrounded by an ocean of dark clouds and
• 2:21:25
  Speaker 1: rushing waters. Moths open one eye. adjusted his spectacles, which
• 2:21:31
  Speaker 1: had slipped down to the very tip of his nose
• 2:21:34
  Speaker 1: while he had been resting, and looked up at the
• 2:21:37
  Speaker 1: sagging ceiling of the yellow cellular blanket. A small smile
• 2:21:42
  Speaker 1: touched his mouth. An impenetrable citadel, you say? And what
• 2:21:47
  Speaker 1: of our defenses, Sir Thistle? Are the gates secure? Are
• 2:21:51
  Speaker 1: the battlements holding against the tempest? The battlements are holding magnificently,
• 2:21:57
  Speaker 1: Thistle said with absolute conviction, sitting upright and pulling his
• 2:22:02
  Speaker 1: woolen cardigan tightly across his chest. The southern bolster has
• 2:22:08
  Speaker 1: not yielded an inch, and the heavy books we placed
• 2:22:11
  Speaker 1: upon the study chairs are holding the outer ramparts firm
• 2:22:15
  Speaker 1: against the gale. But a fortress under siege cannot simply
• 2:22:20
  Speaker 1: sleep through the tempest without vigilance and We must keep watch,
• 2:22:28
  Speaker 1: we must tend the signal beacon, and we must tell
• 2:22:32
  Speaker 1: the ancient stories of the storm to keep our courage high.
• 2:22:46
  Speaker 2: Very well, Moss.
• 2:22:48
  Speaker 1: Agreed, his voice low, steady and wonderfully reassuring. If we
• 2:22:54
  Speaker 1: are to weather the pretend thunderstorm, We must do so
• 2:22:58
  Speaker 1: with all the proper ceremonial comforts. First, we must trim
• 2:23:03
  Speaker 1: the beacon. He reached out a careful paw to the
• 2:23:06
  Speaker 1: brass switch of their battery lantern. With a tiny, smooth click,
• 2:23:11
  Speaker 1: he adjusted the setting, softening the bright golden beam into
• 2:23:16
  Speaker 1: a deep, mellow amber glow that resembled the light of
• 2:23:20
  Speaker 1: a single tallow candle burning inside a hollow pumpkin. The
• 2:23:24
  Speaker 1: softened light cast long, dancing shadows across the patterned fabric
• 2:23:30
  Speaker 1: of the roof. The embroidered sprigs of wild thyme upon
• 2:23:34
  Speaker 1: the tea napkin seemed to sway, as if brushed by
• 2:23:37
  Speaker 1: an imaginary breeze, while the folds of the tartan blanket
• 2:23:41
  Speaker 1: became rolling hills of.
• 2:23:43
  Speaker 2: Shadow and warmth.
• 2:23:49
  Speaker 1: Outside, as if answering their game, a deep rumbling groan
• 2:23:53
  Speaker 1: echoed through the clouds far across the valley. the first
• 2:23:56
  Speaker 1: distant murmur of real autumn thunder, so low and faint
• 2:24:01
  Speaker 1: that it felt more like a gentle vibration in the
• 2:24:04
  Speaker 1: floorboards than a sound in the air. Hark! Fistle breathed,
• 2:24:09
  Speaker 1: gripping the paw of Clementine the corduroy goose. The thunder
• 2:24:13
  Speaker 1: giants are rolling their stone barrels down the mountain pass.
• 2:24:18
  Speaker 1: Did you hear them, Moss? They are clearing their throats
• 2:24:21
  Speaker 1: in the high hills. I heard them. Moss replied softly,
• 2:24:27
  Speaker 1: leaning back against the firm bolster and pulling his brother
• 2:24:31
  Speaker 1: close so that their shoulders touched.
• 2:24:34
  Speaker 2: Beneath the quilt.
• 2:24:35
  Speaker 1: They are very far away, Thistle. They are many miles
• 2:24:40
  Speaker 1: beyond the river, walking along the rocky ridges where only
• 2:24:44
  Speaker 1: the mountain goats live. They cannot reach our valley, and
• 2:24:49
  Speaker 1: even if they walked down the lane, they could never
• 2:24:52
  Speaker 1: find the entrance to our fort. To them, this burrow
• 2:25:01
  Speaker 1: is just a quiet mound of earth beneath the roots
• 2:25:04
  Speaker 1: of the sweet briar rose, hidden under dry leaves and
• 2:25:08
  Speaker 1: sleeping moss. Tell the story, moss, Thistle urged, his voice
• 2:25:13
  Speaker 1: dropping into that rhythmic, eager hush that children use when
• 2:25:17
  Speaker 1: they want to be told something they have heard a
• 2:25:20
  Speaker 1: dozen times before but need to hear again because the
• 2:25:23
  Speaker 1: words are as comforting as a familiar blanket tell the
• 2:25:27
  Speaker 1: story of the great council oak and the night of
• 2:25:31
  Speaker 1: the seven winds. Moss settled his spectacles comfortably upon his snout,
• 2:25:46
  Speaker 1: clasped his paws over his rounded stomach, and began to
• 2:25:51
  Speaker 1: speak in that slow, measured, musical voice that was his
• 2:25:55
  Speaker 1: greatest gift. Long ago, before our grandfather had whittled his
• 2:26:00
  Speaker 1: cherrywood footstool, and before the sweetbriar had grown its thickest
• 2:26:04
  Speaker 1: canes over our door, there came an autumn night when
• 2:26:08
  Speaker 1: the seven winds of the north met.
• 2:26:10
  Speaker 2: Above Hazelwood Hollow.
• 2:26:12
  Speaker 1: They were fierce winds, wild and noisy, and they carried
• 2:26:17
  Speaker 1: with them clouds as black as elderberry juice, heavy with
• 2:26:22
  Speaker 1: cold autumn rain. They blew across the open fields, stripping
• 2:26:26
  Speaker 1: the golden leaves from the birch trees and sending the
• 2:26:30
  Speaker 1: dry thistle seeds spinning into the clouds. The field mice
• 2:26:39
  Speaker 1: had deeped in their grain tunnels, the squirrels curled into
• 2:26:42
  Speaker 1: tight balls within their tree hollows, and the birds tucked
• 2:26:46
  Speaker 1: their heads beneath their wings until they looked like round
• 2:26:50
  Speaker 1: pinecons clinging to the twigs, And what if the great
• 2:26:53
  Speaker 1: Council Oak thistle whispered, though he knew the answer by heart?
• 2:26:58
  Speaker 1: The great Council Oak stood in the very center of
• 2:27:01
  Speaker 1: the woods, Moss continued, his words flowing with the slow,
• 2:27:06
  Speaker 1: soothing rhythm of a rocking chair moving upon a polished floor.
• 2:27:11
  Speaker 1: It was already three hundred years old, with roots that
• 2:27:14
  Speaker 1: went down, down deep into the warm heart of the earth.
• 2:27:18
  Speaker 1: farther down than any frost could ever reach. When the
• 2:27:22
  Speaker 1: wind struck its branches, the great tree did not fight
• 2:27:26
  Speaker 1: or thrash about. It simply groaned a deep, grandfatherly groan,
• 2:27:32
  Speaker 1: swayed its thick boughs just enough to let the gale
• 2:27:35
  Speaker 1: slide through its twigs and held its ground. And deep
• 2:27:44
  Speaker 1: beneath its roots, in a dry hollow lined with centuries
• 2:27:48
  Speaker 1: of soft leaf mold and crushed acorns, all the smallest
• 2:27:53
  Speaker 1: creatures of the forest had gathered together. There were hedgehogs there,
• 2:27:58
  Speaker 1: weren't there? Thistle asked softly. There were hedgehogs, Moss said,
• 2:28:04
  Speaker 1: nodding with gentle certainty. There were three families of hedgehogs
• 2:28:09
  Speaker 1: and four families of harvest mice and an old, wise
• 2:28:13
  Speaker 1: badger who brought a great kettle of dandelion tea. They
• 2:28:18
  Speaker 1: did not have an amber lantern like ours, but they
• 2:28:21
  Speaker 1: had three glowing pieces of rotten birch, wood that shone
• 2:28:25
  Speaker 1: with a soft green fairy light in the dark. They
• 2:28:29
  Speaker 1: sat together beneath the roots, drinking their tea from acorn cups,
• 2:28:34
  Speaker 1: while high above them, forty feet in the air, the
• 2:28:37
  Speaker 1: storm moored and the rain washed the forest floor. The
• 2:28:45
  Speaker 1: roots held the roof firm, the thick bark kept out
• 2:28:49
  Speaker 1: the cold, and the creatures were so warm, so safe,
• 2:28:54
  Speaker 1: and so peaceful that one by one, they fell asleep
• 2:28:58
  Speaker 1: before the storm had even reached its height. Outside the
• 2:29:12
  Speaker 1: blanket fort, another rumble of thunder rolled across the distant hills.
• 2:29:18
  Speaker 1: It was slightly louder this time, a long, rolling drumbeat
• 2:29:22
  Speaker 1: that sounded like a heavy wooden wagon crossing an old
• 2:29:26
  Speaker 1: timber bridge. The wind gave a sudden, sharp gust, rattling
• 2:29:31
  Speaker 1: the latch of the bedroom window, and for a moment,
• 2:29:34
  Speaker 1: a cold draft slipped under the bedroom door outside. but
• 2:29:38
  Speaker 1: when the draft reached the heavy woolen folds of the
• 2:29:41
  Speaker 1: blanket fort, it stopped completely. It could not penetrate the
• 2:29:46
  Speaker 1: three layers of quilts, the row of heavy books, or
• 2:29:50
  Speaker 1: the wall of feather bolsters. Inside the fort, the air
• 2:29:54
  Speaker 1: remained completely still, scented with lavender, chamomile, and warm wool.
• 2:30:01
  Speaker 1: Now it is your turn, Thistle, Ma said gently, turning
• 2:30:04
  Speaker 1: his head toward his brother. Every proper watch must have
• 2:30:08
  Speaker 1: two storytellers. Tell the tale of the cloud shepherd. Thistle smiled,
• 2:30:14
  Speaker 1: his small chest puffing up with pride as he gathered
• 2:30:18
  Speaker 1: his thoughts. He cleared his throat with a tiny hedgehog
• 2:30:26
  Speaker 1: cough and began his tale, his voice full of imaginative wonder.
• 2:30:32
  Speaker 1: The cloud shepherd, Thistle began, is an old, kind giant
• 2:30:37
  Speaker 1: who lives in the gray kingdom above the sky. He
• 2:30:41
  Speaker 1: does not have a crook made of iron, but a
• 2:30:44
  Speaker 1: long staff carved from a silver birch branch that fell
• 2:30:48
  Speaker 1: from the moon. All day long he watches over the
• 2:30:52
  Speaker 1: rain clouds which are his sheep. Some of his sheep
• 2:30:55
  Speaker 1: are small and white like little lambs made of cotton
• 2:30:59
  Speaker 1: wool and those he keeps in the high pastures where
• 2:31:02
  Speaker 1: the sun shines bright. But on days like today, when
• 2:31:07
  Speaker 1: the earth below is thirsty and the woodland gardens need
• 2:31:11
  Speaker 1: their drink, he gathers the great heavy gray rounds. the
• 2:31:15
  Speaker 1: storm clouds with fleece as thick as wet tweed. And
• 2:31:19
  Speaker 1: how does he herd them? Moss asked, playing his part
• 2:31:23
  Speaker 1: in the familiar dialogue. He herds them with great gentleness,
• 2:31:29
  Speaker 1: Thistle explained, waving his paw in slow, sweeping arcs through
• 2:31:34
  Speaker 1: the amber lantern light. He whistles to them with the
• 2:31:42
  Speaker 1: autumn wind, a low, humming whistle that sounds just like
• 2:31:46
  Speaker 1: the wind in our chimney pipe, and he leads them
• 2:31:49
  Speaker 1: slowly across the hills, telling them where to let down
• 2:31:54
  Speaker 1: their rain. He tells them, water the sweet briar roots,
• 2:31:59
  Speaker 1: my woolly ones, water the moss upon the old stone walls,
• 2:32:03
  Speaker 1: give a good drink to the blackberry briars so they
• 2:32:06
  Speaker 1: will have sweet fruit when the warm season returns. and
• 2:32:11
  Speaker 1: when his sheep have poured out all their water and
• 2:32:14
  Speaker 1: their fleece has turned pale and light again, the cloud
• 2:32:18
  Speaker 1: shepherd takes out his great broom made of starlight and
• 2:32:22
  Speaker 1: sweeps the whole sky clean, tucking the stars into their
• 2:32:26
  Speaker 1: beds one by one, Moss listened with his eyes half closed,
• 2:32:41
  Speaker 1: his head nodding gently in time with his brother's words.
• 2:32:45
  Speaker 1: That is a very good story, Thistle. A very comforting story.
• 2:32:51
  Speaker 1: It reminds us that even the storm has its work
• 2:32:53
  Speaker 1: to do, and that every drop of rain falling upon
• 2:32:57
  Speaker 1: our roof is simply helping the garden sleep well until spring.
• 2:33:02
  Speaker 1: The wind outside began to lose its wild, rushing edge.
• 2:33:06
  Speaker 1: The heavy clutter against the window panes softened back into
• 2:33:10
  Speaker 1: a steady, rhythmic patter, and the distant thunder rolled away
• 2:33:14
  Speaker 1: to the south, growing fainter and fainter until it was
• 2:33:19
  Speaker 1: nothing more than a memory beyond the dark hills. The
• 2:33:23
  Speaker 1: pretend thunderstorm had spent its fury against their imaginary fortress,
• 2:33:28
  Speaker 1: and their fortress had emerged completely victorious. warm, dry, unbroken,
• 2:33:35
  Speaker 1: and surrounded by peace. In the center of the grand pavilion,
• 2:33:40
  Speaker 1: the delegates of the nape summit remained in their states
• 2:33:43
  Speaker 1: of profound, undisturbed repose.
• 2:33:51
  Speaker 2: Barnaby the Hare.
• 2:33:52
  Speaker 1: Had not shifted an inch, his velvet ears lay draped
• 2:33:56
  Speaker 1: over his paws, and his long body seemed completely merged
• 2:34:00
  Speaker 1: with the downy bolster. Button the felt doormouse was tucked
• 2:34:05
  Speaker 1: so deeply into his green baize square that only the
• 2:34:08
  Speaker 1: tick of his wooden button eye caught the fading amber glow.
• 2:34:13
  Speaker 1: Professor Pinkushin sat with his copper spectacles gleaming peacefully, his
• 2:34:18
  Speaker 1: dried lavender scent filling the alcove with an atmosphere of
• 2:34:22
  Speaker 1: absolute tranquility. The storm has passed the mountain pass, Thistle murmured,
• 2:34:29
  Speaker 1: his voice now thick with drowsiness. his head sinking lower
• 2:34:33
  Speaker 1: against the bolster until his snout rested against Moss's shoulder.
• 2:34:38
  Speaker 1: The citadel is safe, brother. The garrison may stand down.
• 2:34:43
  Speaker 1: The garrison has done its duty with great distinction, Moss
• 2:34:47
  Speaker 1: whispered back, reaching out to pull the edge of the
• 2:34:50
  Speaker 1: Scottish tartan blanket up to Thistle's chin.
• 2:34:54
  Speaker 2: The watch has ended.
• 2:34:59
  Speaker 1: The beacon may be turned low and the defenders may rest.
• 2:35:04
  Speaker 1: With a slow, deliberate movement, Moss reached over and turned
• 2:35:08
  Speaker 1: the lantern switch one more notch, reducing the light to
• 2:35:12
  Speaker 1: the faintest gold number, just enough to outline the gentle
• 2:35:16
  Speaker 1: curves of their quilts and keep the darkness soft and friendly.
• 2:35:21
  Speaker 1: He settled back into the nest of cushions, feeling the steady,
• 2:35:25
  Speaker 1: Rhythmic warmth of his brother breathing beside him, while outside,
• 2:35:30
  Speaker 1: the great wet woodland side in the evening air, washed clean, cooled,
• 2:35:36
  Speaker 1: and ready for sleep. The last trace of the afternoon
• 2:35:53
  Speaker 1: wind had died away among the dripping boughs of the
• 2:35:57
  Speaker 1: garden apple tree, leaving behind an immense, restorative silence that
• 2:36:03
  Speaker 1: settled over Hazelwood Hollow like a blanket of blue velvet.
• 2:36:08
  Speaker 1: Outside the burrow, the fierce storm had completely dissolved into
• 2:36:12
  Speaker 1: that quietest, tenderest form of rain, a fine, whispering mist
• 2:36:18
  Speaker 1: that fell straight down through the twilight air without a
• 2:36:22
  Speaker 1: breath of breeze to disturb its descent. It did not
• 2:36:26
  Speaker 1: drum upon the glass. It merely stroked the panes with
• 2:36:30
  Speaker 1: a sound like silk brushing against silk, a sound so
• 2:36:34
  Speaker 1: soft that one had to hold one's breath to be
• 2:36:37
  Speaker 1: quite sure it was there at all. From the eaves
• 2:36:40
  Speaker 1: of the burrow roof, large, clear water drops fell into
• 2:36:45
  Speaker 1: the garden water-butt. with long musical intervals between them, talk.
• 2:36:51
  Speaker 1: A pause as deep as a well. Then another soft,
• 2:36:55
  Speaker 1: round talk echoing through the evening dampness like the heartbeat
• 2:37:00
  Speaker 1: of the sleeping garden. Every leaf on the sweetbriar bush
• 2:37:08
  Speaker 1: was laden with clear moisture. Every blade of grass in
• 2:37:12
  Speaker 1: the meadow bent its head beneath a silver pearl. And
• 2:37:16
  Speaker 1: the dark earth drank deeply, sending up that rich, clean
• 2:37:21
  Speaker 1: fragrance of autumn soil, wet moss, and fallen leaves that
• 2:37:26
  Speaker 1: signals the end of all striving. Inside the blanket fort,
• 2:37:31
  Speaker 1: the light had changed. Through the three layers of wool, cotton,
• 2:37:36
  Speaker 1: and flannel, the gray daylight that had filtered in all
• 2:37:40
  Speaker 1: afternoon had given way to the deep dusky violet of
• 2:37:43
  Speaker 1: early evening. The amber ember of the battery lantern cast
• 2:37:47
  Speaker 1: a low, Sleepy glow across the floorboards, illuminating the soft
• 2:37:53
  Speaker 1: textures of their domestic haven, the white linen cloth with
• 2:37:57
  Speaker 1: its embroidered time, the polished wood of the cherrywood footstool,
• 2:38:02
  Speaker 1: the empty tin dishes stacked neatly upon the cedar shelf,
• 2:38:07
  Speaker 1: and the semicircle of stuffed friends who had not moved
• 2:38:10
  Speaker 1: a single seam since the summit had been convened. Moss
• 2:38:18
  Speaker 1: and Thistle lay side by side in the very center
• 2:38:21
  Speaker 1: of the Grand Pavilion, their small bodies nestled into a
• 2:38:25
  Speaker 1: depression they had hollowed out among the down pillows. A profound,
• 2:38:30
  Speaker 1: luxurious heaviness had settled into their limbs, that wonderful leaden
• 2:38:34
  Speaker 1: tiredness that comes after a long day of serious play,
• 2:38:39
  Speaker 1: when every game has been played to its conclusion, every
• 2:38:43
  Speaker 1: tart has been eaten and Every story has been told,
• 2:38:47
  Speaker 1: and there is nothing left in the world to do
• 2:38:50
  Speaker 1: except close one's eyes and let the night take care
• 2:38:54
  Speaker 1: of itself. Wasp? Thistle's voice was scarcely louder than the
• 2:39:09
  Speaker 1: fine rain outside.
• 2:39:10
  Speaker 2: A tiny.
• 2:39:12
  Speaker 1: drowsy murmur that came from somewhere.
• 2:39:14
  Speaker 2: Beneath the edge of the tartan quilt. Yes, Thistle?
• 2:39:18
  Speaker 1: Is the kitchen properly closed for the night? Moss smiled
• 2:39:22
  Speaker 1: in the dim, golden shadows, his whiskers twitching with gentle amusement.
• 2:39:29
  Speaker 1: The kitchen is completely closed, little brother. The jam jars
• 2:39:33
  Speaker 1: have their wax seals firmly in place. The hawthorn spoon
• 2:39:37
  Speaker 1: has been wiped clean with the corner of a damp
• 2:39:40
  Speaker 1: cloth and set upon the cedar shelf. The biscuit tin
• 2:39:44
  Speaker 1: has cooled down until it is just pleasantly warm to
• 2:39:47
  Speaker 1: the touch, and the crumb plate has been cleared. Not
• 2:39:51
  Speaker 1: a single ant could find a crumb in our kitchen tonight,
• 2:39:54
  Speaker 1: even if an ant were foolish enough to go out
• 2:39:57
  Speaker 1: walking in this damp. That is good, Thistle whispered, shifting
• 2:40:02
  Speaker 1: his small body an inch closer to his brother's warmth.
• 2:40:06
  Speaker 1: A tidy kitchen makes for sweet dreams.
• 2:40:09
  Speaker 2: And the delegates?
• 2:40:15
  Speaker 1: Are they still comfortable? Look for yourself, Moss said softly,
• 2:40:20
  Speaker 1: turning his head upon the feather cushion to gaze across
• 2:40:24
  Speaker 1: the semicircle. In the faint, amber, twilight of the fort,
• 2:40:29
  Speaker 1: the stuffed companions looked like little statues of peace. Barnaby,
• 2:40:34
  Speaker 1: the velvet hair, was breathing the silent, deep sleep of toys,
• 2:40:40
  Speaker 1: his long ears sheltering his shoulders, his velvet paws resting
• 2:40:45
  Speaker 1: upon his one counterpane without a tremor. Budden, the felt dormouse,
• 2:40:50
  Speaker 1: was entirely invisible save for the gleam of his mother
• 2:40:53
  Speaker 1: of Perlai, which captured the tiny reflection of the lantern
• 2:40:58
  Speaker 1: wick like a distant evening star. Professor Pincushion's copper spectacles
• 2:41:03
  Speaker 1: reflected only warmth, his lavender scent hanging like a protective
• 2:41:08
  Speaker 1: canopy over the sleeping circle. Bramble, Clementine, and Marigold were
• 2:41:14
  Speaker 1: tucked so snugly beneath the tartan blanket that they looked
• 2:41:18
  Speaker 1: like three soft mounds of earth in a quiet garden bed.
• 2:41:27
  Speaker 1: They are sleeping better than they have all winter, Moss. murmured.
• 2:41:32
  Speaker 1: They have had their chamomile blossoms, they have had their
• 2:41:36
  Speaker 1: bolsters fluffed, and they know that we are here, watching
• 2:41:40
  Speaker 1: over them. They have nothing in the world to trouble
• 2:41:43
  Speaker 1: their sawdust minds. Though Sol let out a long, shuddering
• 2:41:58
  Speaker 1: sigh of pure, absolute contentment, the kind of sigh that
• 2:42:02
  Speaker 1: lets the very last knot of tension leave a small
• 2:42:06
  Speaker 1: hedgehog body. His little brown quills, which had been standing
• 2:42:11
  Speaker 1: slightly erect during the excitement of the pretend thunderstorm, softened completely,
• 2:42:17
  Speaker 1: lying flat and smooth against his back in overlapping layers,
• 2:42:22
  Speaker 1: soft as dry pine needles resting upon a bed of
• 2:42:25
  Speaker 1: forest loam. Hedgehogs only let their quills lie so completely
• 2:42:30
  Speaker 1: flat when they know, with every fiber of their being,
• 2:42:34
  Speaker 1: that they are enclosed by safety, that no fox or
• 2:42:39
  Speaker 1: owl could ever reach them, and that they are loved
• 2:42:42
  Speaker 1: by someone sleeping right beside them. His front paws, with
• 2:42:46
  Speaker 1: their neat, curved claws curled inward toward his chest, tucking
• 2:42:51
  Speaker 1: themselves into the soft, cream-colored fur of his undervalley. his
• 2:42:57
  Speaker 1: round snout, cool and damp from the evening air, pressed
• 2:43:01
  Speaker 1: into the warm hollow beneath Moss's chin. It is the
• 2:43:09
  Speaker 1: best fort we have ever built, Moss, Thistle murmured, his
• 2:43:14
  Speaker 1: words slurring slightly as sleep began to draw its soft
• 2:43:18
  Speaker 1: curtain across his thoughts. Better than the one we made
• 2:43:22
  Speaker 1: of wicker chairs in the springs. Better than the leaf
• 2:43:25
  Speaker 1: shelter by the garden wall? This one has, this one
• 2:43:29
  Speaker 1: has walls that know how to listen. It does, Moss agreed,
• 2:43:34
  Speaker 1: his own voice slowing to a rhythmic, hypnotic cadence that
• 2:43:39
  Speaker 1: matched the slow dripping of the eaves outside. It has
• 2:43:43
  Speaker 1: walls of wool that keep the cold away, walls of
• 2:43:46
  Speaker 1: linen that keep the light gentle, and a roof of
• 2:43:49
  Speaker 1: quilts that holds all our stories inside so they don't
• 2:43:53
  Speaker 1: wander off into the dark. Moss reached out his paw,
• 2:43:58
  Speaker 1: moving with infinite care so as not to disturb the
• 2:44:01
  Speaker 1: sleeping weight of his brother. His fingers found the small
• 2:44:05
  Speaker 1: brass switch of the battery lantern one final time With
• 2:44:13
  Speaker 1: a movement so gentle that it made no sound at all,
• 2:44:17
  Speaker 1: he turned the switch to its lowest setting, the nightlight glow.
• 2:44:21
  Speaker 1: The amber light softened until it was merely a warm,
• 2:44:25
  Speaker 1: breathing presence, no brighter than the coals of an evening
• 2:44:29
  Speaker 1: fire buried beneath grey ash, just enough to show that
• 2:44:33
  Speaker 1: the room had not disappeared, but had simply closed its
• 2:44:37
  Speaker 1: eyes along with.
• 2:44:38
  Speaker 2: The rest of the world.
• 2:44:50
  Speaker 1: Outside the great garden of Hazelwood Hollow was slipping into
• 2:44:54
  Speaker 1: the deep stillness of the autumn night. The last sparrow
• 2:44:58
  Speaker 1: had long since tucked its beak into its breast feathers
• 2:45:02
  Speaker 1: in the dry shelter of the thatch. The field mice
• 2:45:05
  Speaker 1: had closed their earthen burrow doors with plugs of dry grass.
• 2:45:10
  Speaker 1: The earthworms were tunneling deep into the warm damp loam.
• 2:45:14
  Speaker 1: Unbothered by the rain and the ancient apple trees stood
• 2:45:18
  Speaker 1: quiet in the twilight. its dark wet branches glistening faintly
• 2:45:23
  Speaker 1: under the rising moon that drifted behind the clouds. The
• 2:45:27
  Speaker 1: rain had stopped entirely now, the clouds having poured out
• 2:45:32
  Speaker 1: all their water as the cloud-shepherd had bidden them were
• 2:45:35
  Speaker 1: beginning to part. Through a ragged tear in the gray vapor,
• 2:45:40
  Speaker 1: high above the valley chimneys, a single pale star appeared, shark, clean,
• 2:45:46
  Speaker 1: and silver, looking down upon the wet slate roofs, the
• 2:45:51
  Speaker 1: dripping hedgerows, and the silent hills. The air in the
• 2:45:59
  Speaker 1: lane was cold, sweet, and filled with the scent of
• 2:46:02
  Speaker 1: washed stone and fallen leaves, but within the burrow, beneath
• 2:46:07
  Speaker 1: the sweet briar roots, not a single breath of that
• 2:46:10
  Speaker 1: autumn chill could enter. Deep within the burrow, deep within
• 2:46:14
  Speaker 1: the dark bedroom, and deep within the labyrinth of chairs, bolsters,
• 2:46:19
  Speaker 1: and blankets, the little fort stood firm. It did not shift.
• 2:46:24
  Speaker 1: It did not creak. It did not let in the night.
• 2:46:27
  Speaker 1: It held its warm, fragrant pocket of summer berries, roasted tea,
• 2:46:33
  Speaker 1: lavender blossoms, and clean laundry, keeping its small inhabitants cradled
• 2:46:38
  Speaker 1: as securely as acorns rusted in their mossy cups. Moss
• 2:46:43
  Speaker 1: felt the heavy, rhythmic warmth of thistles breathing against his chest,
• 2:46:48
  Speaker 1: slow and steady, as the pendulum of a grandfather clock
• 2:46:52
  Speaker 1: that has measured out a hundred peaceful years. He felt
• 2:47:00
  Speaker 1: his own eyelids growing too heavy to lift. the darkness
• 2:47:04
  Speaker 1: behind them filled with gentle, swirling images of sunlit bramble patches,
• 2:47:10
  Speaker 1: wooden spoons ladling purple jam, and the kind, smiling faces
• 2:47:15
  Speaker 1: of velvet hairs resting upon downy bolsters. Sleep now, Thistle,
• 2:47:32
  Speaker 1: Moss whispered, though his brother was already far away. wandering
• 2:47:36
  Speaker 1: through the sunny meadows of hedgehog dreams, where the blackberries
• 2:47:41
  Speaker 1: are always ripe and the rain never falls until bedtime.
• 2:47:45
  Speaker 2: Sleep well, Barnaby. Sleep well, Little Button. Sleep well, Professor.
• 2:47:53
  Speaker 1: Moss let his own head sink deke into the feather pillow.
• 2:47:57
  Speaker 1: pulling the soft fold of the Scottish tartan blanket up
• 2:48:00
  Speaker 1: over his ear, until only the very tip of his
• 2:48:04
  Speaker 1: black nose remained in the cool air of the fort.
• 2:48:07
  Speaker 1: His paws went loose and heavy, his breath slowed, falling
• 2:48:12
  Speaker 1: into the same quiet peaceful rhythm that filled the entire chamber. Outside,
• 2:48:19
  Speaker 1: The water drops fell from the eaves with longer and
• 2:48:22
  Speaker 1: longer pauses between them. Talk, talk, talk, until at last,
• 2:48:29
  Speaker 1: even the water grew quiet, resting in the full but
• 2:48:33
  Speaker 1: under the garden wall. The night settled down over Hazelwood Hollow, fast, kind,
• 2:48:40
  Speaker 1: and deep.
• 2:48:46
  Speaker 2: The burrow slept.
• 2:48:47
  Speaker 1: The blanket fort held its peace, and within its warm,
• 2:48:51
  Speaker 1: woolen heart, the two little hedgehogs slept on, safe, warm,
• 2:48:57
  Speaker 1: and together, while the quiet stars watched over their roof
• 2:49:01
  Speaker 1: until the coming of the dawn.