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Chapters (79)
  1. CHARGE!
  2. THE REDWALL BOOKS
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. ACT ONE
  7. 1
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 3
  13. 4
  14. 4
  15. 5
  16. 5
  17. 6
  18. 6
  19. 7
  20. 7
  21. 8
  22. 8
  23. 9
  24. 9
  25. 10
  26. 10
  27. 11
  28. 11
  29. 12
  30. 12
  31. 13
  32. 13
  33. ACT TWO
  34. 14
  35. 14
  36. 15
  37. 15
  38. 16
  39. 16
  40. 17
  41. 17
  42. 18
  43. 18
  44. 19
  45. 19
  46. 20
  47. 20
  48. 21
  49. 21
  50. 22
  51. 22
  52. 23
  53. 23
  54. 24
  55. 24
  56. 25
  57. 25
  58. ACT THREE
  59. 26
  60. 26
  61. 27
  62. 27
  63. 28
  64. 28
  65. 29
  66. 29
  67. 30
  68. 30
  69. 31
  70. 31
  71. 32
  72. 32
  73. 33
  74. 33
  75. 34
  76. 34
  77. Epilogue
  78. Epilogue
  79. What’s next onyour reading list?

“Ole Fenno did the sensible thing there, mate!”

“Aye, so he did. Nobeast messes with Log a Log!”

“Leastways, nobeast that wants ter grow old in one piece!”

Log a Log helped Dippler up. Throwing a paw round the youngster’s shoulders, he gestured for silence. “Hearken now, I don’t want any shrew complainin’ about young Dippler, or tryin’ to rough him up. We was all young once an’ we all made mistakes, some of ’em worse’n others. Dippler slept on guard an’ lost our logboats, all six of ’em—good craft too, they were. So the young ’un’ll learn better, he’ll try harder. You will, won’t yer, matey?”

Dippler wiped mud from his bruised face, smiling through his tears. “I won’t let the Guosim down ever again, Chief. That’s a promise!”

Log a Log patted Dippler’s back heartily. “Good feller! Now, Guosim, ’ere’s the bad news. Those boats of ours can only go one way on widestream, an’ that way takes ’em too close to Redwall Abbey fer my likin’. I know we ain’t used to walkin’, but we’ve got to get to the Abbey an’ warn ’em. I never saw water rats in Mossflower afore, but I know that their leaders, those Marlfoxes, are evil beasts. Magic, too. They’ve got tools, wood an’ carpenters at the Abbey, so the sooner we’re there the quicker we’ll get new boats built. Right?”

The bass-voiced shrews roared back agreement gruffly. “Right!”

Log a Log smiled as he buckled his rapier back on. “So wot are you sittin’ round like a crowd o’ butterflies with wet wings for? Let’s get trampin’!”

They formed up into six lines, one for the crew of each boat. As they marched away, Bargle called out to Log a Log. “I know we ain’t sailin’, Chief, but could we sing a paddle song to ’elp us keep pawstep on the way?”

Log a Log nodded and roared out a fast paddle song with the rest as they stamped away through the dim tree aisles of Mossflower.

“Whum chakka um chakka chumchakka whum!

Guosim dig yore paddle deep,

Hurly-burly river wide’n’curly,

There’s no time to sleep.

Whum chakka um chakka chumchakka whum!

Rapid wild and fast do go,

Hurly-burly river wide’n’curly,

Bend yore backs an’ row.

Whum chakka um chakka chumchakka whum!

Keep her bows up in the foam,

Hurly-burly river wide’n’curly,

Logboat take us home.

Whum chakka um chakka chumchakka . . .”

The rousing boatsong echoed through wooded glades and grassy clearings as Log a Log and his Guosim shrews marched to Redwall.

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Extract from the writings of Old Friar Butty, Squirrel Recorder of Redwall Abbey in Mossflower country.