Crispin of Mistmantle

The island's bitterly cold today, more like the short days of winter than the middle of autumn.  Ran to Anemone Wood today, and found them as busy as ever, collecting up the autumn stores.  The usual scene - barrels full of chestnuts, hazelnuts, filberts and walnuts, baskets upon baskets of apples and berries, and a few youngsters pelting each other with the rosehips they were supposed to gather for cordials.  I did suggest to Apple that she might like to make 
blackberry wine this year, but I could see from her face that she's determined to make that disgusting
concoction as usual.  At least it doesn't do any harm, and it least it keeps flies away.  

They're all right for firewood and  nests, but I saw some threadbare cloaks.  I'll speak to Thripple, 
see what we have in the way of wool for warm winter cloaks.  By the tim I came back to the tower, frost was forming on the steps.  Hope was taking a long time about climbing up, but as he was sliding down more steps than he went up it was going
to take a long time.  I offered to help, but he said he enjoyed the falling down bit.   I tried a different approach. 

"Want a ride up the wall?" I suggested.  I've never run up the wall before with a hedgehog on my back and wouldn't be in a hurry to do it again, but Hope found it very exciting, and his mother was greatly relieved to see him.  In no time, he was asleep in the wool basket by the fire.  Sometimes
I think he's the happiest animal on the island.