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Rumini - Chapter 5

RUMINI
Chapter 5
 

Leaflets

          Soon the whole troop was standing on the island. Freddie, the quiet, lanky sailor stayed on board to guard the ship. One of his paws had been wounded in the struggle against the octopus, and now he had an enormous bandage on it. Dr Squeak the ship's doctor prescribed him rest and light work. "You wouldn't be able to help with felling trees anyway Freddie," the captain told him. "It'll be best if you stay here on guard. If you notice anything suspicious, give a good blow on the horn. If danger is near, blow three times."
"Ay-ay, captain," said Freddie, clicking his heels.
First of all they came across a wonderful fresh water spring. Dr Squeak sniffed it, then took a sip of the crystal-clear water. "It's lovely. It's got a special, sweetish taste."
Everyone was dying for a glass of fresh water.  The drinking water kept in the ship's barrels was a bit stale by now and they hadn't had anything else to drink for days. So the captain gave everyone permission to fill his flask before starting work, and he ordered the empty water barrels on board to be filled with the spring water. After that he divided the troop into teams.  The majority of sailors stayed with Papa Dolman to cut down trees and repair the ship. Ajtony and the captain set out with Pedro Cheesbite to explore the island. Ajtony wanted to search for fruit trees to replenish the ship's depleted supply. On hearing that, Banino wanted to go with them too. The captain consoled him. "You can also look for fruit, Banino. But I'd prefer you to set out with Flinty to explore in the opposite direction. We've got a better chance of finding something if we search in several places at once."
"In that case, can't Banino and I go in a third direction?" Rumini put in hastily, "We might find fruit where no one else is looking for it."
"No way. Someone should keep an eye on you. You go with Flinty, he'll keep you out of mischief. In fact, Roland and Bobby Chubby should go with you too, so that if you find fruit there'll be enough of you to carry it."
The captain turned on his heel and signalled to Ajtony and Pedro that they could set out.  Dr Squeak went with them too; he was hoping he might find a recefice tree on this exotic island. "If you cook the minced bark of the recefice tree with camomile tea you get a medicine which will cure the deepest wounds. It can stop bleeding, and sooth heartburn."
"I've never heard of that concoction," said the captain in surprise.
"Because it's very rare. Almost no one knows where the recefice tree grows. I once bought a phial of this mixture from an old travelling doctor in the bazaar on the Fat Dormouse Isles. I can assure you I cured everyone with it. The trouble was that I soon ran out of it."
"Have you ever seen a recefice tree?" asked Ajtony.
"No. How would I have seen one?" replied Dr Squeak raising his eyebrows.
"How will you recognize one then?" asked Pedro Cheesbite, puzzled.
Dr Squeak sighed. I hope I'll recognize it when the time comes. The old fellow in the bazaar told me exactly what it looks like. It's got special ribbed leaves and its bark is so cracked you'd think it was quite rotten. From a distance it looks red, but studied from near at hand you can see that the bark is all sorts of colours: from brick red to purplish blue. It only looks red from a distance."
"I can only see brownish and greyish tree trunks around here," announced Ajtony, twisting his neck.
"Well, of course, it's hardly likely that the recefice tree happens to grow right here. But it would be a mistake not to try to find one," concluded the doctor.
By this time Flinty was guiding his team towards the centre of the island. "We don't know this place so be wary," he warned them. I'll go in front and you three come behind me. Bobby Chubby can bring up the rear.
Rumini pulled a face and looked at Banino. "Flinty's a nutcase," he said with a sigh, "He orders us around as if we were soldiers."
They set out. Soon they had left the bay behind them and were climbing higher and higher up the hill in the middle of the island. After a while they could hear the clack of the woodcutters' axes.
"In any case it's better to climb hills than chop down trees," said Rumini glancing back to Banino.
"Wait till the end," muttered Banino, "because I don't think hill climbing will be exactly fun either in Flinty's company." After a sudden bend they reached a little clearing, at the edge of which they saw a tree laden with bright red fruit.
"Stop!" ordered Flinty.
They stopped. The fruits were hanging from the top of the tree. There was no way you could reach them from the ground.
"Let's climb up," suggested Rumini.
"But first let's have a drink," said Bobby Chubby flopping down in the soft grass. He was quite breathless from the climb and glad to take an unexpected rest.
"It's all right by me," said Flinty sitting down beside him.
They drank every drop of the fresh spring water in their flasks.
"Rumini and Banino, why aren't you drinking?" asked Roland in surprise.
"We'd be crazy to fill our tummies with water. We'd rather stuff ourselves with that red fruit. Can we climb the tree, Flinty?" asked Rumini.
"Go ahead," said Flinty, leaning back and watching Rumini and Banino as they started to climb deftly upwards
"You stay down here, Roland," he said to the youngster who was also getting ready to climb the tree.
Within a few minutes Rumini and Banino had reached the top. They looked around. There was a gorgeous view of the open sea from there. As far as the eye could see there was nothing but the dark, bluish-black water. The Queen of the Wind was rocking peacefully in the bay.
"I can't see the woodcutting brigade," announced Banino, straining his eyes into the distance.
"That's odd. I can't hear the clacking of the axes either," said Rumini. They listened. The whole island was silent except for the chirping of birds.
"I don't like this," muttered Rumini.
"Perhaps they're having a rest too," suggested Banino.
"I don't know. Maybe," said Rumini, shrugging his shoulders and breaking off one of the fruits. He took a bite then grinned at Banino.
"It's good." He picked another two or three and carefully let them fall to the ground. "You should taste these, Bobby!" Then he repeated it once again in surprise. "Hey, are you listening at all?"
No reply.
"Heigh-ho! Flinty! Are you lot deaf?"
Flinty and Bobby Chubby lay motionless in the grass. Roli was huddled up under the tree.
"I bet they've fallen asleep," complained Rumini. "Come on, let's go and see."
They climbed down. Flinty,Bobby  and Roland were fast asleep.
"Hey, reveille, gentlemen!"
They shook them, but it was no use. They just wouldn't wake up.
"I don't understand. They couldn't have been that tired," mumbled Banino.
"The water!" exclaimed Rumini, slapping his forehead. "The spring water! All three of them knocked back a whole flask of it. I'm sure that made them sleep. The doctor said it had a funny taste."
"You didn't drink any, did you?"
"No. Did you?"
"I didn't either."
"D'you think all the woodcutters are asleep too? I reckon Papa Dolman drank two barrels of it. He's bound to be snoring under a tree."
"We ought to take a look at them."
"Shall we leave Flinty and co here?"
"If they're asleep we can't do anything anyway. We'll have to wait till the effect of the water has worn off. On the other hand we are free to do as we please." announced Rumini looking around wishfully. "Let's go and look for spiders."
"But what if they wake up?"
"They won't wake up for a bit. Look how deeply they're sleeping. Come one. We'll come back in an hour."
Banino blinked anxiously at the sleepers, then pointed in the direction of the bay. "What if they get into trouble?"
"How could they? There isn't a single soul on this island. Come on, you're just wasting time. Rumini dipped his hand in his pocket and pulled out the spider collecting box. "Look here, Banino, we really can't help them. But once Flinty comes to he'll start ordering us around again and we won't have a spider to our name. Think of the bazaar."
Banino sighed and nodded.
"All right."
But Rumini suddenly grabbed his arm. "Psst."
"What's up?"
"Sh..! Keep quiet! Rumini pointed to a nearby bush. "I can hear something," he said softly.
They strained their ears. A very quiet sound was coming from the bush, as if a thrush were scratching around. But it wasn't a thrush. However hard the two little mice looked, they couldn't see anything. Even so they both felt there was something in the bush.
"What can it be?" asked Banino, raising his eyebrows.
"I don't know. Someone's watching us," Rumini answered in a whisper.
"Shall we look?"
"I'd prefer not to."
"What, then?"
"Let's pretend to be asleep too. Then perhaps it'll go away."
He had a good stretch and said loudly, "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm so sleepy."
"Let's take a nap!" said Banino in a strident tone, then threw himself down on the ground and started to snore.
Rumini poked him in the side. "Hey, not so loud! It's obvious you're not really sleeping." Then he too stretched out beside Banino. They listened with eyes shut. The noise continued for a bit then stopped. But it was as if tiny feet were tramping on the silky grass. Rumini squinted towards the bush from beneath his eyelashes. He held his breath in surprise and almost forgot to keep his eyes shut.  
The tiniest greenish-brown creatures were approaching in the grass. You might have thought they were leaves had it not been for their thin twig-like arms and legs. Their minute sparkling eyes darted this way and that anxiously as they watched the sleeping mice.
First they crept up to Flinty. They surrounded him, whispering, then brought out some thin rope like silk thread and bound him down so that when he woke up he wouldn't be able to move. Rumini and Banino blinked at each other in amazement, but they lay still. Now it was Bobby Chubby's turn, then Roland. They too were swiftly tied up by the little leaf people and next came Rumini. When they were at arm's length, Rumini suddenly leapt up. The little people fled in terror. Rumini chased after them and managed to catch a little creature in each of his two paws. Banino took off his cap and flung it after the fugitives. It fell on one of them, and before he had a chance to free himself he was struggling in Banino's clenched fist.
"Quickly, Banino, put him in the box!" Rumini urged him. "Ow!" he yelled! "Watch out, they bite!"
With great difficulty they shoved the three little creatures with flaying arms and snapping teeth into Rumini's spider box.
"I seem to remember you said that there wasn't a living soul on this island, Rumi," exclaimed Banino, breathlessly.
"Who are you?" Rumini snapped at the little beings huddled in the box.
They weren't struggling any longer, but were cowering in the corner, blinking with rage. They didn't reply, just pursed their lips in anger.
"Give us an answer. We don't want to hurt you!" Said Rumini, encouragingly, but the little leaf creatures kept a sulky silence.  
"I wonder where the rest have gone."
Banino ran over to the bush, then walked round the clearing. There was no sign of the little creatures. Not a sound to be heard anywhere.
"They've well and truly vanished," concluded Rumini.
The three little creatures laughed mockingly.
"Where do you live?" asked Banino, but they pursed their lips again.
"We're not going to learn anything from this lot," shrugged Rumini. Then he jumped up suddenly. "What about the others? D'you think they've been tied up too?"
"Let's go and see."
"But one of us should stay here in case the squits come back."
Rumini grinned. "Why? They might take Flinty away. I wouldn't miss him."
"Nor would I," agreed Banino, shaking his head. "But I wouldn't like them to take Roli or Bobby."
"Okay then," said Rumini, realistically.  "Are you going or staying?"
"I'll go. Back soon." And with that he set out at a run back along the path.
Rumini placed the box carefully on the ground and set about untying his three bound companions. He thought he'd be able to chew through the rope easily. But he was disappointed. It was so strong he couldn't cope with it. He fingered the thin silk thread in surprise. "This is a new one on me." He delved into his pocket and with his knife managed to cut the knot. He carefully unwound the thread around Roland, then just as carefully wound it up again. He slipped the little ball of thread into his pocket. Then he freed Bobby Chubby and Flinty. He put away their thread too. All the while the little leaf creatures were grumbling. They obviously weren't pleased that Rumini was freeing their captives. By the time Rumini had finished, Banino had returned, out of breath.
"What's the situation?"
Gasping for breath, Banino grunted, "No sign of them."
"What?"
"They've all disappeared. I saw the half felled trees, the chopped logs, but not a soul anywhere. I didn't see the axes either."
On hearing that the three squits laughed jubilantly. Rumini turned to them. "Enough of that. Tell us this minute where our friends have been taken to."
"We won't tell!" announced the bravest of the three.
"They deserved it, the wicked monsters," added another.
"We don't mean any harm to your people," explained Rumini. "We're not wicked. Our ship has been damaged. We moored it here in order to cut down some trees to mend it."
"There you are! You're wicked!" shouted the first squit, and stamped his little feet fiercely.
"Believe us! We've come in peace. Let's be friends," begged Banino, but the three little creatures turned their back on them.
Rumini flew into a rage. "Alright, then," he said, "come on, Banino. We two will travel on. We'll sail on our own to the Fat Dormouse Isles."
Banino looked puzzled, but Rumini winked and went on, "We'll sell these three in the bazaar. We'll get a heap of money for them, I'm sure of that. Then we'll hire a team of woodcutters, sail back here and cut down all the trees on the island."
"You can't do that," piped all three of them.
"Yet that's exactly what we're going to do. How many gold pieces d'you reckon we'll get for one of these squits, Banino?"
"I don't know - ten, twenty for sure," said Banino with a mischievous wink.
"Please don't sell us in the bazaar! Have mercy on us, let us go!" pleaded the little creatures.
"Certainly not!"
"We'll help you find your friends if you don't take us away!"
"Of course, so you can trap us and take us prisoner!" said Rumini with a chuckle.
"No. Our people keep their word."
"We don't even know who you are."
"We're leaflets."
"We've never heard of you."
"This island is our home. We live here among the trees. We are the guards."
"What do you guard?"
The three little leaflets fell silent and once again pursed their lips. Rumini snapped at them. "There you are again. No reply. Come on, Banino, let's set off for the bazaar, we're only wasting our time with this lot."
"No, no! We'd rather tell. We guard the trees. So that they will grow healthily and no one will clip them or cut them down. We destroy the grubs, but we fight the woodcutters too."
"I don't see why you have to guard these trees. There's nothing special about them."
"Even so that's our task."
Rumini shook his head. "This island is the only place where trees are guarded. Who knows why?"
"There are several extra special trees here. They don't grow anywhere else in the world," one of the leaflets blurted out with difficulty.
"What sort of trees?"
The three were silent. Banino sighed. "Do believe us that we don't want to harm your trees."
The leaflets whispered something to each other, then the first said, "If we see that you really don't hurt our people and that you respect our trees, we'll tell you about the special ones."
"Very well. Then tell us first where you live?"
"In the hollows of trees, in cracks in the bark, among the roots."
"Did you take the ship's crew underground too?"
They looked at each other, but Rumini groaned, while the leaflets bent their heads.
"Our king is guarding them in the underground hide-out."
"How can we set them free?"
"You have to prove that you aren't helping our enemies."
"You didn't say you had enemies."
"They arrived quite recently. The wind brought them. Tiny grubs. So small that they can easily hide from us. They chew the roots and leaves of the trees. We can't do anything about it. One by one the trees get diseased. If we can't conquer the grubs, our best trees will be destroyed."
Rumini and Banino glanced at each other. "We may be able to help you, but for that we'll need the captain and the others."
"And we'll have to talk to your king."
"We'll take you there," offered the first leaflet. "But set us free."
"Oh, yes, just so you can skip it in a moment. You'd better stay in the box and tell us where to go."
The leaflets agreed. Rumini lifted the box and the biggest leaflet told them the way. They meandered through the dense forest for half an hour. They climbed uphill, then, grabbing roots, lowered themselves downhill. In some places the forest was so thick that the two mice would never have got through it without the leaflet showing them the way.
"I hope there'll be someone to show us the route on the way back," muttered Banino anxiously.
The trees thinned out a little and a few minutes later they reached a small clearing. On one side of the clearing there was a line of trees with red barks and ribbed leaves. The other side ended in a steep cliff wall.
"We're here."
"Where's the hide-out? I can't even see any creatures like you," said Banino, turning his head this way and that.
"You'll have to let one of us go," said one of the leaflets. "The entrance is here. Someone has to go in and inform the king."
"Why can't we go together?" asked Rumini.
"The guards would alert the garrison. Within moments they would throw a silk net over you and tie you up."
"Thanks. I don't fancy that."
"Nor do I," added Banino.
Rumini thought for a moment. "Alright, then, one of you go in and the other two stay in the box. Tell the king that we want to help. But if we are attacked we don't vouch for your safety." With that he took the bravest leaflet out of the box.
"What's your name?"
"Cirok."
"Alright, Cirok. You can go! But don't forget if you turn against us, we'll take your companions to the bazaar and sell them."
The leaflet rushed over to the cliff wall and disappeared into a crack. Soon the clearing became alive. There was movement on the branches of the red barked trees. Although Rumini and Banino didn't see a single leaflet - because they were so similar to the real leaves that it was impossible to decipher them - they knew that at least a thousand tiny creatures were watching them from every part of the clearing. Finally Cirok appeared in the crack of the cliff wall.
"I've spoken to the king. He is expecting you in the inner hall. If you seriously want to help us, you have nothing to fear."
Rumini and Banino looked at each other. They weren't very keen to walk voluntarily into the cliff wall. What if a trap was waiting for them inside?
"Only one of us should go in," suggested Banino. The other should stay outside with the two prisoners."
"Good idea," replied Rumini with a nod. I'll go."
"Right. If you come to any harm, shout and I'll come to your rescue."
Rumini set out after Cirok down the narrow passage. After a few steps they entered a spacious hall of rock. It wasn't dark, sunshine was filtering in through a crack high in the roof. The hall was swarming with leaflets. Most of them were similar to Cirok and his mates, but not all of them were leaf-shaped. Some of them looked like bark, moss or even a clump of grass at first sight. In the centre, on a throne made from red bark, sat the king. His crown was decorated with mistletoe, his body resembled a gnarled branch. He spoke in a rasping voice. "I greet you, aliens. Cirok tells me you are friends of ours. However my guards report that you are keeping two of my subjects prisoner in a box. According to Cirok you are bringing help to conquer our enemies. However my soldiers claim that your companions have cut down trees on the island. I ask you, therefore, to speak out. Who are you and what do you want from us?"
Rumini bowed. "I greet you, king of the leaf-leaflets. My name is Rumini. We are mice from faraway Mouseland. Many weeks ago we set sail in our ship for the Fat Dormouse Isles. The ruler of the Fat Dormouse Isles is awaiting our cargo. The south wind drove us to the Gummy Sea where a giant octopus attacked and wrecked our ship. We dropped anchor here in order to mend the damaged part. We need wood for the repair. We were not aware that the island was inhabited, nor did we know that felling trees was forbidden. In our country we use a lot of wood for building and heating."
"We too use wood for various things, but only from those trees that the wind has torn out of the ground or that have been struck by lightning," said the king in a kinder tone.
"I'd like to know what has happened to my companions! I gather that your people captured them," said Rumini, looking straight at the king.
"They are all my captives. My bravest soldiers are guarding them in the innermost hall," rasped the king.
"Please let them go. Believe me we won't harm the island any more. If you can give us a few trees struck by lightning, we'll be able to repair Queen of the Wind."
"I'll only release your companions once you have helped us conquer our enemies."
"But we can't do anything without our captain."
"Your captain is still asleep. He won't wake up till tomorrow morning. If you can destroy the grubs by that time you'll be free to leave. I'll give you wood, food and help in repairing the ship. If not, you'll all perish here."

 

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