Silence fell over Great Hall as the two miscreants were led off to their fate by Brother Hal. Punishments and penalties were an absolute rarity in the friendly Abbey.

Bremmun returned to his seat. Leaning across, he whispered to Abbess Vale. “Thank goodness that’s over with. Do you think I was too hard on them, Vale?”

She folded her paws in her lap. “Yes, Bremmun, I do. Oh, I know that Samkim and Arula are always in trouble, but they are young. Restricting their freedom to the Infirmary is very severe, I think.”

Bremmun looked uncomfortable and shrugged apologetically. “Not to worry, I won’t keep them confined there for long. They’ll soon learn their lesson. Did you notice little Arula? I had to try hard to stop myself smiling—there she was, standing up bold as a stone, taking all the blame herself.”

The Abbess pursed her lips to hide her own smile. “Bless her, she was very brave. Those two are true friends, even if they are a pair of scamps. Young ones like them are the very backbone of our Abbey; they do not lack courage or honesty. We need creatures like that. They will take the reins and show an example to all in the seasons to come.”

*   *   *

Samkim and Arula sat on a bed facing Brother Hollyberry. The ancient healer and Keeper of the Infirmary leaned back in his armchair, chuckling dryly.

“Thank your lucky stars there wasn’t a badger sitting in the chair today. By the fur! You two would have really found out what punishment was like. Those badgers were very, very strict!”

“Boi ecky, lucky fer us’ns, Bruther. Oi ’spect ’ee badger’d choppen our tails off an’ fling uz in ’ee pond!”

Hollyberry adopted a mock serious expression. “Aye, that’s just the sort of thing badgers would have done in the old days. Righto, you two, no more trying to flannel me. There’s the walls, doors, cupboards and shelves to be washed, windows to be cleaned, sheets to be counted and folded, lots of torn nightshirts to be sewn, pillowslips to be scrubbed . . .”

He watched their faces going from glumness to despair at the mention of each new chore. Chuckling aloud, Hollyberry rose and patted their heads. “But we’ll start all that tomorrow. You can have the rest of the day off. Sorry you’re not allowed out, young uns. Maybe if you look in the big cupboard you’ll find a game of pebbles and acorns. Oh, and some candied chestnuts in my little locker here. That should keep you amused until bedtime or thereabouts.”

Samkim rubbed his paws delightedly. “Thanks, Brother Hollyberry, you’re a real matey. Er, were you ever naughty when you were young?”