A lovely orange sun accompanies her and is doing his best to keep her warm..
There is a fierce March wind blowing today...
So far Miss Moussie didn't find anything out of the unusual....all was well on the Hilltop.
Yes,there were some crocuses to focus on...but she already spotted them a few days ago..
-Maybe I can go on a Tulip hunt..Miss Moussie twittered to herself...and there she went..in the direction of the Hilltop meadow..
Whilst walking towards the meadow Miss Moussie needs to cross the Dangerous Drumble...!
The Dangerous Drumble is the stream running through the Hilltop forest....in Springtime the water runs wild..and you better not fall in...because nobody knows where this drumble ends...or where it begins..so one could get seriously lost...and wet...!
Now we all know Miss Moussie isn't the best of swimmers on the Hilltop..Lets hope she will be very careful....
-There it is...squeaked Miss Moussie...the Drumble....my goodness..it looks wild..how very exiting...better find the bridge....its much to deep to wade through..
Soon the bridge was found.....a big log of oak....
-Hm...twittered Miss Moussie...well..I always think old logs are suspicious..but this one looks very stable....I suppose I can cross the Drumble safe and sound...
There she went...very courageous..and very swift..
When she reached solid ground again she uttered a little squeak out of relieve..PHEW...that was scary...
After a few minutes Miss Moussie saw the meadow...she started running...her spy kit was humping and bumping on her back...How lovely it would be when SHE could be the one to find the first spring Tulip...
The forest opened...Miss Moussie could see a a green horizon..the trees at the edge of the forest waved there bare branches and bowed in the wind..like they were saying hello...hello dear Moussie...
For a while Miss Moussie just stood there..at he edge of the forest..then she opened her spy kit....
With her nose almost on the ground Miss Moussie stepped into the green grass....spying through her magnifying glass!
There she went...
-Grass..grass...green grass..she mumbled....dirt...more dirt...a Daisy....dirt..green dirt..and then she stopped in her tracks...again mumbling..what did I just say......A DAISY....my goodness...A DAISY..she found the first daisy..this was sooooooo much better then a Tulip...
-She turned around..did her eyes play tricks on her...no....there is was..a beautiful fragile fairy white Daisy!
-This is a very important catch..twittered Miss Moussie...this means it really and truly IS Spring...HURRAY..and she made a little jump out of joy..And whilst jumping she saw more Daisies in the field...my goodness..one two three...twenty five..
-I'll better take some home with me..she twittered....so I can let everybody know its spring..and we can call the meadow Daisy Meadow again...
And so she did....she threw all the spy stuff out of the bag...and filled it with Daisies..she tied her magnifying glass around her neck on a string of grass..and headed home....singing a song..
Lets follow her dear readers and friends..I have a feeling a new adventure starts today...and it has something to do with a Daisy and a Drumble....
How happy Miss Moussie was..she was skipping through the Daisy meadow..her spy kit filled with Daisies...
-O I can;t wait to get home and show these pretty little flowers...she twittered...and whilst humming a merry tune she again reached the Drumble..
-O Yes...I almost forgot...The Drumble...I have to cross it ..o my goodness...I find Drumbles to be very suspicious..you never can tell where the lead to....
Soon Miss Moussie found the bridge...the old oak log was still laying there..patiently..for every woodland creature to get safely across to the other side of the water..
-Very careful now..twittered Miss Moussie..very careful now...slowly she started walking the bridge..when she was half way she suddenly stopped....
-What's that I see down there in the water..she squeaked...its...its a bottle...and I do believe there's a letter in that bottle...She grabbed her spy glass to focus....YES...she twittered exited...there's a message in that bottle...
Now Miss Moussie became very curious.....she just had to find out what was in that letter,who wrote it...why..when..and more questions of that sort..
-I HAVE to find a way to pick that bottle out of the water...she said to herself....
The bottle was caught between two slippery green cobblestones....this wasn't going to be an easy job to fetch it....in fact it could be very dangerous...
-This could be very dangerous...whispered Miss Moussie...and not at all a very easy job to do on my own...but...I simply MUST find out what that bottle is doing there in the Drumble..
She leaned forwards..now hanging face down over the edge of the bridge...her little arms reached out and tried to grab the bottle...
-O GOODNESS....she squeaked...my Daisies....there they go.....they fell out of my spy kit....o DARN......
But then Miss Moussie got hold of the bottle...she pulled and pulled...and with great effort she managed to fish the bottle out of the water.....
-PFHEW...she twittered out of breath....this is even a greater catch then the Daisies....now lets open the bottle and find out whats in it..
If you would like to know what message Miss Moussie will find in the bottle....come back another day...and I'll tell you all about it...
Miss Moussie was sad to have lost her daisies..there they went..floating down the stream in the dangerous Drumble...but she was also very happy to have found this bottle..this very mysterious bottle which she was about to open....to reveal the secret inside...A LETTER..!!!!
-Now..how to open this thing..she twittered whilst examining the bottle closer with the help of her spy glass....- AHA....luckily its not a bottle with a cork...!
Meanwhile...in the garden..Gustave was heading in the direction of Hilltop Hall....
-Isn't this the most marvellous spring weather, he croaked with a big grin on his frog face,this weather can make a frog whistle a tune.....and so he did..
Leaping and whistling..whistling and leaping..Gustave was a happy frog today...Off to see the Dutchess...
In the kitchen of Hilltop Hall...something was brewing....The sent of rosemary and parsley swirled through the open window....out into the blue yonder...
-HMMM....croaked Gustave..who sniffled the smell when he took a deep breath to whistle his tune..'HMmmm.whats that smell.....I'll have to find the source of this lovely sent..
And there he went ..following his nose...who directed him to the kitchen...-where he was going anyway-...to visit the Dutchess...
-Yoehoe...Dutchess darling..can I enter...I believe you are cooking something marvelous in there....
-Is this you Gustave..he heard the Dutchess answer....Please come in dear...you are just in time to help me sort out something...!
-Sort out a recipe..or.. do you need help cooking...asked Gustave ..always a pleasure my lady...and he enterded the kitchen by leaping through the open window..
-O my, what's this ..he croaked surprised when he landed on the kitchen table...Gustave found himself sitting in the midst of scattered photographs.....
-You are now sitting on my family...said the Dutchess with a smile...meet my grandmother..she is looking at you from under your toe...
-O..beg your pardon...croaked Gustave..and he jumped up...
-And now your behind is on my fathers head...giggled the Dutchess..never mind Gustave...my father loved frogs......
-What are you doing my dear Dutchess...is this what you meant by sorting out some things.....are you sorting out family pictures...could I be of some assistance...?
-Would you be so kind Gustave...I really could use some help..there is a big trunk in the attic...filled with very VERY old family pictures...I was planning to make a book ...to find out more about my heritage...back to the source of the Hilltop history....
-Back to the source you say.....well...I find that very interesting......
Miss Moussie would say...'one never knows what one will find'....And I agree, because one never knows..now does one..!!
-There must be pictures from your ancestors too dear Gustave..AND from Miss MOUSSIE....my mother made a lot of pictures in the garden when she was a little girl...will you help me find them..
A few minutes later..a frog and a dutchess were climbing the attic stairs...they were on a quest...The search of old family pictures..time flew by..
On the Old Log bridge....Miss Moussie had opened the bottle...and with a little twig she patiently and with much effort fumbled the letter out....
-There it is..she twittered softly.....Slowly and carefully she unfolded the letter.....took her spy glass...and she twittered the words that were written in blue ink out loud....
-“If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in finding it....at the source...-
-Finding it...whispered Miss Moussie..at the source..finding WHAT...?
For a moment she just stood there...staring at the letter....reading it over and over again...Then...she started walking...curious as she is....a little brave mouse...on her way to find what the meaning could be of something that could not be said, but what she clearly had to find out for herself......at the source.....the source of the Drumble..
Whilst Miss Moussie is following the dangerous Drumble to its source...and Gustave is climbing into a trunk on the Hilltop Hall attic for a photo search...there is another little woodland creature on a quest.....Its Mr C..
See....there he is....and what's that he's carrying ...a black box...well I do believe its a camera..Like the ones they used to take pictures with in another century....
Lets find out where he's going....lets follow him....but be ever so quiet...Mr C sees and hears everything...
Just look at him scurrying through the undergrowth....
....O...he stopped....he's now focusing on something under the Lilac bush....
FLASH........my goodness...was that lightning striking the Hilltop....
.....................................?
NO...Mr C took a picture......!
You could see...and hear...the flash Mr C created with his little black box from afar....
-Goodness ..twittered Miss Moussie..what was that..and she stopped and paused for a while...could this be fireworks...?
The leaves on the trees above her little moussie head were rustling quietly...like they were saying..its OK..carry on..there's nothing strange under the sun today..we will be on the lookout ...
-The Dutchess and Gustave looked up from there picture book...The Dutchess lifted one eyebrow..like she always does when there is something what puzzles her...
-Maybe its the soup we left on the stove...said Gustave worried..and now it has exploded..
-No no..dear Gustave...answered the Dutchess and she smiled reassuring...lets continue..the soups fine..
-WOW...uttered Mr C...my ears are ringing...what a noise...this cant be good..better check this black box before making another picture..
He wandered off to the riverbank..and sat himself down..
-How lovely this place is, he said to himself...he loved the little babbling brook...
He knew very well one had to be very careful when walking the Old Log Bridge...the little river could run wild and rush you off to unknown places..but for now..it looked ever so calm and romantic...glistening in the morning sun.
Mr C started fumbling with his black box....this was a marvelous opportunity to make some pictures of the dangerous Drumble in springtime...
-Its amazing hoe quick everything turned green so fast...said C surprised...I have to catch how the sunlight shines through the trees and makes this enchanting reflection in the water..
He focused on the Drumble...and what did catch his eye.......A Daisy floating by.....and another one...and another one.....
Daisies...in the Drumble...mumbled C....how strange...I don't suppose they took a dive into the water.....somehow they must of fallen in....
And in a mysterious way Mr C's mind wandered of to.......Miss Moussie...
For a while Mr C just stood there....watching the daisies drift by....
-Now....Let's put one and one together..he whispered...
One...there are daisies in the Drumble
Two...they cant have jumped in by themselves...!
Three...so..someone must have throwed them in..but why..?
Four...o dear..maybe someone fell in together with the Daisies....
FFFive....and now C began to stutter...this always happens when he is nervous..or when he discovers something..FFFive..WHO loves daisies so much that he or she would dive into the Drumble.....O NO......Miss Moussie..THAT'S WHY my mind mysteriously wandered of to our dear moussie a few minutes ago......O DDDDear....MMmiss Mmoussie ffell in the DDrumble..
As fast as his little feet could dig...Mr C Mole raced through his under ground labyrinth..made a few u turns, took some wrong exit's in his hurry and confusion...but at last he reached the Hilltop Hall....stammering out of breath.....HHelp HHelp....anybody...ccome quickly....Wwe lllost Miss Moussie....
And where was our dear Miss Moussie when Mr C rang the alarm bell at the Hilltop...
Skipping merely down a path that followed the riverbank of the Drumble....singing a happy tune...
-I'M OF TO FOLLOW THE DRUMBLE FOLLOWING THE DRUMBLE AM I....lalalalalalalaaa.......lalalalalalalalaaaaaaaaaaaaa.....
Miss Moussie was ever so curious what she was about to find at the source of the Drumble...and this had put her in a very jolly mood...
Whilst skipping and twittering Miss Moussie startled a little birdie....it flew of flapping his wings fiercely....a little feather came floating down on the wind....
-Don't be frightened dear birdie..squeaked Miss Moussie..I'm just a wanderer in the wilderness...I will do you no harm..and she picked up the feather that the little winged creature had lost in his flight..It was white and fluffy...with a silver lining..
-Aah, so lovely...said Miss Moussie to herself..I will keep it as a souvenir...
The little bird from high up a tree top saw Miss Moussie open her spy kit box and carefully put his lost feather away....
Miss MOussie then followed her trail.....and surprisingly the bird started to follow Miss Moussie..
At the Hilltop....everybody was in a state of panic....Mr C had gathered all the hilltop creatures....and with he himself on the lead they were going on a search for Miss Moussie..
Gustave in great courage (as always)followed Mr C....The Dutchess,very worried,followed Gustave..Elvira nervously followed the Dutchess....Mr H Hog, very brave, followed Elvira....he would go to the end of the world for Miss Moussie...and then there's US....following this parade....
Better keep up now...don't lose track of the one walking before you...keep following...until we reach the source...
Gustave followed Mr C ...he couldn't stop asking questions...
-C..where did you see these daisies to be precise...?
-Told you my friend...in the Drumble...floating..down the stream...
-C..did you see any sign of life from Miss Moussie...
-Told you my friend...Daisies...floating in the Drumble..down the stream...
-C....but you didn't see Miss MOussie float...now did you...
Our dear Dutchess followed Gustave..and she couldn't stop asking questions..
-Gustave darling....what did C just say....did he go boating...
-No dearest....he said floating....down the stream..
-Boating down the stream...but I thought we were going upwards....
-We are....the daisies went the other way....
-Gustave darling tell C I am sure we have to go follow the Drumble...and we don't need a boat..
Sweet Elvira followed the Dutchess....she was so nervous she couldn't stop asking questions..
-Dutchess ....please...what's this with a boat...it didn't float.!?...O my goodness..
-No Elvira...the daisies did...down the stream....but I'm sure Miss Moussie went the other way...
-Miss Moussie floating in a boat...far away...O my goodness..
Sir Hog did his best to keep up with Elvira..but to know what was happening he couldn't stop asking questions..
-Elvira...wait for me ..wait for me..what did you just say....Miss Moussie went away in a boat....what ever for...?
-Keep up friend Horatio....Miss Moussie is floating in a boat far away down the stream...
-But ...but... we are going upwards....why...what...EVERYBODY STOP....and Sir Hog shouted in a very loud and firm tone of voice...COMPANY ....HALT..!!!!!
We better do as he says...and stop...here...
Abruptly the Dutchess and company stopped in there tracks....causing a multiple pile up of mole,frog,Dutchess,squirrel and hedgehog...
Poor Mr C...he walked in front of the row...and now the whole gang tumbled atop of him....
-HUMPH...humpfed Mr C..
-Help...Don't squish me..croaked Gustave..-
-So sorry ..said the Dutchess whilst standing up..are you oke Gustave darling...
-Whoops...uttered Elvira...sliding from the Dutchess behind taking with her Sir Hog who tried to grab a ribbon of the Dutchess's dress in an attempted to break his fall..
And for a moment he dangled there....until his arms couldn't hold him anymore and he had to let himself drop..bouncing like a little ball in the grass of the river bank...
-WWhy did we stop...stuttered C...this is no time for a picnic..
-You are so right croaked Gustave..there is no time to loose...who knows where Miss Moussie could be...
-She could be drifting in that little boat out in the open sea by now..said Elvira jumping up and down nervously..
-Nnobody said anything about a bboat stuttered C....!
The Dutchess just stood there...she didn't listen to what her Hilltop friends were saying..she was thinking about her dear Miss Moussie...What if she would never see her again..
There was this photograph they had found a couple of ours ago ...a picture of Miss Moussie....to cute for words...Miss Moussie as a baby,sitting in the the Daisy Meadow..
And then there was this teapot....
-Dutchess...dearest....croaked Gustave ....dearest........A penny for your thoughts ..
-There is this teapot..I have to show Miss Moussie this teapot...whispered the Dutchess to herself..
-She fell on her head...now we have it....Miss Moussie gone and the Dutchess coocoo..said Sir Hog while he dusted himself of and straitened his back..
-Horatio...old chap..that's not a way to speak about our Dutchess croaked Gustave...you take that back I say...and he posted himself in front of Sir Hog's nose...
-Its all right Gustave said the Dutchess..everybody calm down...I was just thinking about my grandmothers teapot..I found it on the attic and it would be so lovely to have tea with Miss Moussie..she would LOVE this teapot...
-And so you will dearest..croaked Gustave...and so you will...Enough of this dilly dally...this is serious business...Come on..Proceed...we are on a quest...The quest to find Miss Moussie..
Up stream..not even so far away from where our company was hiking....Miss Moussie heard a strange sound....
-Water...she squeaked...a LOT of water...O how wonderful..I believe I'm approaching a waterfall...I'm almost there...I've almost reached the source of the Drumble...And above her head a little bird started to sing a tune...
It sounded like the biggest rainstorm ever...Miss Moussie never saw a waterfall in her entire moussies life so you can imagine how she felt.. her little heart pounded very very fast..
Miss Moussie followed a bend in the river...and THERE it was...
From high up..between some rocks..the water came plunging down...
-O my goodness..twittered Miss Moussie...what a wonderful sight...and what noise..it almost sounds like thunder....For a minute she was quit overwhelmed by the beauty of this phenomenon..and she almost forgot to breathe....
-I made it ..she twittered with a big happy sigh..I made it...THIS is the source of the Drumble..Phew..I have to sit down for a while....and enjoy this spectacular view..
Miss Moussie sat herself down in the grass of the riverbank....the sun was shining bright...Life was good....And above Miss Moussies head circled a little bird...watching her..then flying away following the Drumble ,gently down the stream....
The Dutchess and Company were now very close in finding Miss Moussie..in a few minutes they are about to reach the river bend...I know it ..and now you know it...but they don;t know it, yet.!....In fact they are very sure the search is leading nowhere...and that our moussie is lost for ever...
There they are..walking in silence...with a heavy heart...
-The Dutchess looked up...seeing nothing but blue skies....sunlight through the treetops...and a beautiful white bird...how lovely..
-There...a little white bird...croaked Gustave..I've never seen such a birdie...anyone...?
Gustave was only asking this to distracted our little Hilltop Company from being so gloomy..
The little white bird swooped down..and flew up again..
-O would you look at that...said Elvira surprised..
Again and again the white bird swooped down...and again and again...it flew up again..
-Its a sign...said C..I see it..its a sign..
-Follow that bird...yelled Horatio...I'm sure its a sign or my name isn't Horatio..there's more between heaven....
-Yes yes...we know that..croaked Gustave...don't dilly dally..This birdie is trying to tell us something..
As fast as there feet were willing to run our company ran following the bird...THERE..a bend in the river....and -O MY GOSH,said the Dutchess- a waterfall....and....-Hallelujah..croaked Gustave.....they found Miss Moussie.....
Well dear reader and friend..you can imagine how happy our little friends were to see our moussie sitting there..safe and sound...
To celebrate the wonderful moment they asked Mr C to take a picture...and so he did..It took some time..but it became one of his HAPPIEST pictures ever made..!!!
What I would like to ad ( as a writer) at the end of this story is this....When you find an old photograph...and you can't recall where it was made...what year..what date..or even what occasion..never mind...Just ask yourself this...are the people on this picture smiling..do they look happy......When everything else is history...what will remain is the expression in their eyes and on their faces...they will share that moment with you for ever and ever..and you will know if they found the source what makes life worth living..love ..!
-“If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in finding it...Remember the message in the bottle...we all have to find this source for ourselfs...to understand....
So..when somebody finds this photograph which Mr C made today...in, lets say one hundred years...I'll doubt anyone will remember where or why it was taken...but they will see a merry group of friends ,happy to have found each other,and happy to be in each other's company..and that's all what counts..(lovely detail in the photograph a little white bird flying over their heads.....)
(you can click the picture for a better view)
Here we will end the storytelling..Miss Moussie has some explaining to do,she had to make a promise to Gustave that she will never again go wandering in the wilderness.... and the Dutchess is in a hurry because she is going on a trip ..!
Feel free to visit the Hilltop ...Sir Hog is the gate keeper this time..and I am sure he will let you in....
