Padra of Mistmantle

That was one of the best Spring Festivals ever.

The entertainment just gets better and better. Of course the singing was wonderful, it always is now that Sepia's in charge, but I'm impressed by the instruments our animals can make. They had all manner of flutes and fiddles, and moles are extremely good at percussion, pounding away on log drums and whatnot. Squirrels are fantastic acrobats. Hedgehogs aren't, but it doesn't stop them trying. Have you ever stood under a hedgehog tower? You'll only do it once. Otters are pretty good at anything that involves somersaulting over the sand.

Crispin threatened to run down the walls on to the dais, but the queen persuaded him to walk down the steps instead. Half an hour after he finished his speech he was playing chasey up and down the trees with the the young squirrels. Todd and Tipp made a mole maze. Come to think of it there's a few moles I haven't seen since, I'll have to send the lads down there to round them up. Fingal took littlies round the bay in his boat, but I can't see the point as most of them just wanted to jump out.

And the food! The fish! Frothy gooseberry fools and such a lot of tarts and pastries that the little animals were sticking to each other which of course meant that we had to chuck them in the sea and give them a good wash. They enjoyed it so much they all went back to the tables and got sticky again, so Fingal lined them all up outside the kitchen window then went inside and threw buckets of soapy water over them. Mostly they just ended up a bit fluffed up, but it made the hedgehogs' spines soft. To be honest, that was a great relief to everyone.

Apple looked splendid in her best hat. Hope and his mum taught the smaller animals to make bark boats and sail them at the Spring Gate. Tide waited at the other end so they wouldn't get swept out to sea. Now that the sun is going down, most of the animals are in the tower sipping hot drinks and looking out at the sea, where Fingal and Swanfeather are floating candle boats. Baby hedgehogs are lying on their backs snoring. Somebody's running up the wall - oh, it's Urchin. He and Juniper are going to watch the candle boats from the top turret. I think I'll join them. Good night.