At Mistmantle Tower

It occurred to me that we have never acknowledged the vital part played on Mistmantle by the animals who do the washing. They do it so well and so reliably that it seems to happen by magic, but no - the Tower washing is only done through hard work and a lot of rolling about in water and giggling.

The launderers are, as you might expect, otters, though you can always find a few young moles and hedgehogs who love paddling about in the shallows while bashing out stains with a stick. Furtle and Ouch just love it. There aren't many clothes to wash because mostly the animals just wear cloaks and hats, and cloaks don't need much washing. But for those animals who sleep in beds rather than nests, there are sheets and pillowcases to be laundered, and what about the festivals? All those tablecloths!

The otters collect baskets of washing from the Tower - there are always far many otters than are strictly needed, because washing is so much fun when all you have to do is roll around in the waves on sheets and tablecloths while the small animals with sticks wait for their turn to beat out the stains. If stains are particularly tough to remove, the best way is to get a mole to jump up and down on it. Moles have been known to spill blackcurrant cordial just for the joy of jumping the stains out afterwards. Somewhere along the way there's always somebody who decides to dress up as a snowman or a bride, and by the time they're finished it all needs washing again. After much merriment and the turning of the tide, the squirrels run a washing line through the treetops and hang upside down doing acrobatics while pegging out the clothes. (Show offs.) As for ironing, nothing needs ironing when it's been rolled on by an otter.

Then there are the baby shawls and aprons. The sight of Fingal mincing along the shore in Almondflower's shawl and Crackle's apron is not easily erased from memory.