BooksBarbecue
Back Mattimeo
Chapters (64)
  1. CAPTURED!
  2. Other Books
  3. Title Page
  4. Map
  5. Introduction
  6. BOOK ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. BOOK TWO
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. BOOK THREE
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. What’s next on your reading list?
Document

The ancient hedgehog choked and sneezed, spraying Mattimeo with ale as he whirled around.

“Pahcoochawww! Don’t sneak up on me like that, young Matti. Hold still a moment, will you.”

Ambrose drained the bowl. Regaining his composure, he stared at the froth lying in the bottom of his sampling bowl.

“Harr, wunnerful! Though I do say it meself, no creature brews October ale like the Spike family. Now, what can I do for you, mousey?”

“Friar says I’ve got to fill more flagons of strawberry cordial, sir.”

“Oh, right, barrels are through in the next section,” Ambrose told him, “the ones marked pink, flagons against the wall as y’go in. Careful now, don’t disturb the little casks of elderberry and blackcurrant wine or they’ll go cloudy.”

As Mattimeo wandered into the next section, he was hailed.

“Psst, Matt, ssshhhh, over here!”

It was Tim and Tess and Sam Squirrel. Mattimeo tip-pawed over.

“What are you three doing down here?”

Tess Churchmouse stifled a giggle. “We slipped past Ambrose while he was dozing. Come and have some cold strawberry cordial, it’s scrummy.”

The trio had prised the bung from a barrel that lay on its side. They used long hollow reeds as drinking straws, dipping them down into the liquid and sucking up the sparkling ice-cold strawberry juice.

Tess gave Mattimeo a straw, and he could not resist joining them.

*   *   *

Cold strawberry cordial becomes sickly when drunk too freely. Matt, Tess, Tim and Sam soon found this out, and they lay back awhile and rested. Later, the two churchmice and the young squirrel helped Mattimeo to fill the flagons. Together they bore them up to the kitchens.

Ambrose Spike raised his snout from a bowl of nutbrown beer as they passed through his cellar. “Mmmm, ’s funny, there was only one of ’em here before,” he muttered.

*   *   *

Friar Hugo was working flat out now. There was still more than enough to be done before the feast.

“You there, Billum Mole, can you dig me a nice neat tunnel through the middle of that big marrow?”

“Hurr, gaffer, oi serpintly can. Pervidin’ oi can eat it as oi goes along.”

“Righto, carry on. Oh, there you are, young Matti. Now take your friends along to the larder. I want two small white cheeses flavoured with sage, two large red cheeses with beechnut and rosemary and one of the extra large yellow cheeses with acorn and apple bits. Be very careful how you roll the extra large yellow; don’t go knocking any creature down or breaking furniture.”

The four chums dashed off whooping, “Hurray, we’re going to roll the cheeses!”

*   *   *

Abbot Mordalfus cut a comical sight for so dignified a figure. He was up to his whiskers in fresh cream, candied peel, nuts and wild plums.

Friar Hugo dusted off the Abbot’s face with his dockleaf as he passed. “Ha, there you are, Alf. Well, how’s the special Redwall Abbot’s cake coming along?”