Secret ingredient
Like a regular Sherlock Holmes Miss Moussie searched the Hilltop grounds...she wanted to be sure everything was alright...Brrrr,she was shivering in her coat....how she longed for spring...
'I am sure Mozes took good care of everything', she mumbled to herself..'but to be on the safe side better check everything twice!' As far as she could see,with the help of a magnifying glass and a binocular,there were no strange tress passers or peculiar creatures in the garden..all was well,and very quiet.
There she saw Mozes sitting on the garden bench under the lilac bush...
'Look at my dear friend', she whispered...'How I wish I could be more like Mozes...big..and strong..he looks ever so confident..never nervous and so at peace with himself...I am but a little silly creature next to him..but I am so proud to call him my friend..I feel very safe when he is near..I think I will go and sit with him for a while...'
Whilst putting her spy equipment away in her purse she started walking toward Mozes..
Aha...said Mozes to himself....I spy a little spying moussie...and he smiled.
Seeing Miss Moussie always made him very happy....
Will you look at that, he mumbled....such a brave little miss...always cheerful...always feeling responsible...always wanting to help her friends....How he wanted to look like her sometimes...when he was about to lose faith in the world and the creatures living on it...when he went traveling to get away from it all....how grateful he was to call this little moussie his friend..When he was with her all was well with the world..Ahaa,she came his way...how wonderful..he hoped she would come and sit next to him him for a while..
Standing before Mozes Miss Moussie looked him in the eye....Mozes gave her a wink...Miss Moussie giggled....she then hopped on the bench and placed herself next to Mozes....They didn't have to speak....their friendship had a secret ingredient....it didn't need words...
They both gazed over the Hilltop...the place so very dear to them, and there they saw Gustave....hopping along....with something in his arms....it looked like a jar.
"Hmm...Maybe marmelade...whispered Miss Moussie..
Hmm..Could be honey..mumbled Mozes..
Mozes and Miss Moussie now were thinking the same thing....how they loved Gustave..for his love for food...and for his love for life..a very pasionate little fellow their friend Gustave..
Gustave..hopping merely on his way to Hilltop Hall, spotted Mozes and Miss Moussie sitting there...looking at him..
Yes,he croaked to himself....I see you my friends..but I can't wave...have to deliver something very special...have to be very careful not to drop it....
Would you look at them sitting there together....his best friends..he was ever so proud to call them his friends. A strange thing this was, Friendship..if you try to explane it you are always short on words.....How he admired Mozes...if only he could be so courageous...there were days when he wouldn't mind to be a big strong bear...it would also come in handy when he went on his shopping trip to the bees...
And there..the lovely lovely Miss Moussie....now..he didn't want to be anything like Miss Moussie..no...the only thing he wanted was to take care of her..to be sure nothing harm full could ever happen...he wanted to pick her big bouquets of spring flowers and bake her the biggest sweetest pies you ever did see..and he wanted to sing serenades...yes Like Mozes..because Mozes can sing like Caruso...To sing like Mozes that would he great...then he would serenade miss Moussie every day...
Gustave arrived at Hilltop Hall....standing at the kitchen door he gave a loud croaky call......
"There you are Gustave....said the Dutchess...whilst opening the door....'so good to see you...and I see you carry a jar my friend...whats in it...?
"This my dear lady,croaked Gustave..'this... is a secret ingredient...cant tell you more...trust me on this one....we just have to stirr it through the soup.....'
The Dutchess was about to go and say something to Gustave when suddenly in the kitchen..from the clock...a very loud Belle chimed .......SUPPER......
My goodness..twittered Miss Moussie....I believe we are invited in for dinner ....come my friend..it will be so good to see the Dutchess again... we can go tell her all is well in the garden..
Shall we follow dear reader and friend...because.. I don't know about you ,but I am very curious to know what it is ....that secret ingredient....Would you care for a nice bowl of soup..my dear.....
There are days when even the large kitchen table in Hilltop Hall is too small for all the woodland creatures that visit. Today was such a day.
Everyone was eager to be allowed inside. ...
Gustave was already busy in the kitchen .. stirring the secret ingredient through the soup....
HMMM, he mumbled ... that's going to be a great soup if I say so myself .. he gently stuck one frog finger in the soup and tasted to be sure ... Hmmm ... he smacked ... nice!
Suddenly the kitchen door swung open .... Mr. C fell in. ... He's usually in front of each row!
Because of his bad eye sight he isn't always sure in which row he really is ...this is tricky,it wouldn't be the first time he fell in to the wrong house ,but this time, Mr. C came to the right place at the right time and he fell with his nose on the right doormat ..
Dear C quacked Gustave ... there you are..how nice of you to invade the kitchen so unexpectedly .. did you smell the soup .. ?
I did I did..replied C, as he rose and picked up his glasses.... you can smell it from afar friend Gustave ..
Behind Mr C the head of Sir Horatio Hog appeared.... quite shocked by the collapse of C....it made all his quills stand up ... he looked very dangerous and grumbled ... 'C ....Why is it never possible for you to enter a door a civilised way..?'
' Oh my dear friend Horatio', quacked Gustave ...'look at yourself.. we'd better stay away from you ... you're very prickly today ...be careful...you might hurt somebody..!'
Mr. C didn't pay any attention to Sir Hog...merrily he shuffled through the kitchen ... bumping against a table leg and then searching his way to the nearest chair .... Sir Horatio followed at a safe distance while he tried to get his spines in order again....
Then..a large shadow fell on the doormat...... Mozes entered ,wearing a big smile on his bear face ...' Ahaa', he muttered ... 'soup' .. From the doormat a small echo squeaked... 'Ahaa .. soup' ... Where did this funny twitter come from... well, look who we have here.... the one and only Miss Moussie ..
'Hello Gustave', twittered Miss M...'so good to see you, and, dearest,the soup..really.. when it will taste as good as it smells... it must be..marvellous..
My sweet little Miss ..quacked Gustave, this soup is made with love ....quickly, lets go go and eat.. ..
It took a while before everyone was seated..... Elvira was hopping form one chair to another.. eventually she stayed sitting on the table next to the soup ..... And then there was Sybille. . she was very nervous....magpies and silver cutlery .. not a good combination .. Sir Horatio grumbled ...still some spines were upright..'Sybille ..Why is it never possible for you to sit still....and give me back my spoon..!'
The Dutchess ... who had observed the sweet chaos with pleasure,said..Dear friends ... there we are ...welcome to my kitchen.. I wish you all a wonderful souper ... .. Shall I be mother..dear Gustave ...and serve the soup ?.
Please do.. quacked Gustave ...the honor is all yours...Bon Appetit My Friends....
You could hear a pin drop in the kitchen where all the woodland creatures cautiously and curious tasted the soup ..
Miss Moussie looked with one eye at Gustave ,she didn't know what to expect from this hot brew..
Hmm, that tasted very nice .. and not at all suspicious ... one never knows what one could taste when something is unknown ..it could be awful .. but THIS was delightful .. She tasted a hint of brandy or liqueur ...... Visions of brushes and mops swept the cobwebs from Miss Moussies mind .. A new spring.. a new beginning, and who knows .. a new adventure. . Miss Moussie was ready ..
Sir Hog ... with haste.. took a big spoonful of soup ...then, with his mouth full ,sat very still .... Hmm ... he closed his eyes …Visions of fields filled with Daisies and Daffodils suddenly tumbled through his head ... sunshine and blue skies ... Hmmmmm, he sighed . ... Aah, that was good...just what he needed,a remedy for prickliness ... A little peace and warmth in a bowl.
Mr. C ,at first, didn’t have any vision at all .. the soup was so hot his glasses fogged.. Hmmm.whispered Mr.C..... who saw his surroundings change into a misty mystical haze ... Hmm, peculiar soup ...it makes one imagine oneself in to higher spheres .. I could swear I am drifting off on a cloud. This soup had a strange effect on him. Visions of paintings and sounds of music floated through his head . 'Wonderful soup, for an artist like me'…mumbled C.
Maybe Gustave used some strange mushrooms ..?.
After her first spoonful of soup Elvira got goosebumps ...and that’s very strange for a squirrel.
A strange twinkle twinkled from her head to the tip of her tail ... she uttered an elegant little scream ... ..AHMMMhmhmhm.. Visions of tiny squirrels came in to the picture .. A clothesline full of little red squirrel pants flapping in the wind. How could this be..she didn’t tell anyone that a tiny squirrel was on its way.. was it possible that her friends al ready knew. She looked at all the woodland creatures sitting at the table ... But they were all much too busy with their own visions which were clearly to be found at the bottom of their plates …
Bell and Beauregard ..sitting very close together ..eating their soup from a thimble ...looked at each other, smiling ... visions of wedding bells and wedding cakes hung between them .. a midsummer wedding night ... how enchanting .. There must be magic in this soup said Bell with a soft voice that sounded like a chappel bell..
The Dutchess ,sitting at the head of the table,took a good look at her quests ...they all had a heavenly look on their face ,... how sweet .. and what a marvelous soup ! ..She dreamed away to summer evenings, visions of happy garden friends, laughing, merrily sharing their dreams ...by the light of fireflies dancing ..
After everyone had filled his tummy ... it was time to go home... because, the next day…Monday ..they all had to rise and shine very early..!
Gustave stood by the door ... He friendly wished everyone good night ..
-Goodnight, friend Horatio .... I see that you have your spines back in order .. sleep well ..
-Aah .. Elvira darling .. you look radiant ... you have stars in your eyes ..very promising...tell me your secret..
-Mr. C. ..old chap... watch your step .. your mind seems to be somewhere else ... did you enjoy the soup
-Miss Moussie, my sweet ... always a pleasure to have you at my table ... You do not look tired at all ... are you going to start the spring cleaning any time soon ... Let me now if I can be of some assistant ..
-Bey now everybody ..... see you tomorrow ... and, with a big sigh, Gustave closed the door.
He looked around the kitchen .... goodness,what a mess they made….
'Gustave ...Gustave ...here I am darling ,on top of the cuckoo clock', chimed Bell. 'Thank you for a wonderful evening..we will help you clean up tomorrow.." Bell waved, and then slipped quickly through the clock door. Inside the clock her Beau was waiting... Gustave could hear him say something about,‘a best man’… and then the door closed ..
Now, all was very quiet in the kitchen ....Look at the Dutchess …fallen asleep in her chair..resting her head on her arms on the table ,with a smile on her lips. Gustave decided to go and lay next to her…he didn’t want to wake her up…and with his head on the Dutchess’s arm he dozed away quickly .. The last thought he had before he went to dreamland was..a little bit of parsley ,sage, rosemary, and thyme..can create miracles..!
