The Unraveling of the Riddle

“B, B, O, O, C, T, A, P, W, E, R, Y, twelve letters in all”

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The residents of Redwall sat together and tried to make sense of the random twelve letters. The prize for coming up with a likely answer would win one of Father Abbot’s pink iced woodland plum and spice cake.

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Some of the words and phrases that the woodlanders came-up with:

• “Baby power to be.”
• “Coop Water Byb”
• “Cot Abbey prow”

And the winner is;” Abbey top crow.”

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The creatures of Redwaller had cracked the cipher. The answer alluded to a stone crow that stood on the roof of the Abbey. There are more clues to come.

Mattimeo

A Riddle of Loamscript

Along with the inscription found on the abbey foundation stone, the residents of the Abbey, found this riddle. The riddle was written in a long forgotten script called Loamscript, a script used by residents of the now defunct Loamhedge Abbey.

The script was primarily used to communicate with those who were in leadership, namely among the Abbess Germaine and her cohorts. Abbess Germaine had long since passed on and there were only a few that could still decipher this script. Most notably was John Churchmouse who was still in residence at the Redwall Abbey.

Not having used the script for some time, and after a few false starts, John Church mouse was able to decipher the script into the following riddle.

A Riddle in Loamscript

“Through the seasons here I lie,
‘neath this Redwall that we made.
Solve the mystery, you must try,
Graven deep in will not fade.
Somewhere ‘twixt our earth and sky,
Birds and gentle breezes roam.
There a key you might espy,
To that place I once called home.
Take this graven page and seek
What my words in stone mean.
What can’t fly, yet has a beak,
Mixed up letters evergreen.
Two Bees, two Ohs
One Sea, one tap,
And weary with A.
Leave me now to my long rest,
Good fortune on y our way.”

(Mattimeo, Chapter 22, pg. 158)

The Little People

The little people are the ants of Redwall. The little people as they are called by the residents of the Redwall Abbey were watched as they made their way through a long disused tunnel. The tunnel led to a room that has long been forgotten. In the room was laid the foundation stone. The residents of the Abbey were one step closer to solving the riddle.

Inscription Found the Abbey Foundation Stone

“Upon this stone rests all our hopes and efforts. Let Redwall Abbey stand for ever as a home for peaceful and a haven for woodlanders. In the spring of the Late Snowdrops this stone was laid in its place by our Champion, Martin the Warrior, and our Founder, Abbess Germaine. May our winters be short, the spring-times green, our summers long and the autumn’s fruitful.”

(Mattimeo, Chapter 18, pg. 135)

Another Redwall Meal

There for a while I had been tracking meals that were mentioned within my readings. I thought how unique and natural a subject to be mentioned within a text. For some reason, this practice fell out of use.

Up to this point, all the meals mentioned in the Redwall series sounded scrumptious. Here is a very simple mention:

Fresh summer salad
Cold cider
Gooesberry crumble with nutmeg cream

(Mattimeo)

Quote From Chapter 16, Mattimeo

“Seek the Founder in the stones where the little folk go.”
(Mattimeo, 122)

A Drinking Dirge Sung by Basil Stag Hare and Ambrose Spike

The following song was sung by Basil Stag Hare with his quavering treble and was accompanied by Ambrose Spike with his gruff bass harmony as they drank their October ale and black current wine.

“O if I feel sick or pale,

What makes my old eyes shine?

Some good October ale

And sweet black-current wine.

I’s kill a dragon for half a flagon,

I’d wrestle a stoat to wet my throat.

I’s strangle a snake, all for the sake

Of lovely nut-brown beer…

Nuhuhuhut broooowwwwnnnn beeeeheeeyer!

(Chapter 6, Mattimeo, 44)

A Host of Characters-Sir Harry the Muse

Sir Harry the Muse Offers a Service to the Warriors of Redwall

“The owl bowed gravely and blinked his enormous eyes. Matthias bowed courteously in return. “good morning, Sir Harry. I am Matthias, Warrior of Redwall.” When asked why he was called the Muse, Sir Harry “struck an artistic stance” and quipped the following poem:

‘Why pray, do you suppose?

I’m master of poetry and prose,

No equal have I in field and wood,

No creature in smidgeon, a fraction as good.

And if you need a poet, why, here’s one to choose,

This Owl…Sir Harry the Muse.”

Although the owl was applauded, it was mentioned that the “Warriors” were not looking for a poet at this moment.

“The owl blinked in a dignified manner and exclaimed:”

‘Then tell me what you need.

Someone to perform a deed?

A mummer perhaps, or a singer of songs?

A champion, righter of wrongs?

A companion, maybe, to stand at your side?

For my talents are varied and wide.’

After eating a shrew cake and being promised several more, Sir Harry the Muse flies off the top of the cliff and lets down the rope latter that had been hauled up by the slavers.

Quote from Chapter 5 of Mattimeo

“Resounding with the noise of busy creatures and laughter, mixing with the smell of wood smoke and cooking aromas, the sunlit afternoon stretched into warm windless eventide, turning the red sandstone Abbey walls a rosy hue with the speckle of golden dust motes drifting lazily on the rays of the setting sun.”

(Mattimeo, 38)

Quote from Chapter 4 of Mattimeo

“The new moon was up. It hung like a fresh-minted coin in a still, cloudless sky of midnight blue. Moths fluttered vainly upward, only to drift spiraling down to the grass-carpeted woodland floor. The trees stood like timeless sentinels. Somewhere a nightjar serenaded the soft darkness.”

(Mattimeo, 24)

Quote from Chapter 2, Mattimeo

“The afternoon wore on, peaceful and golden. Now and then a small dust devil swirled on the path with the summer heat.”

(Mattimeo, 18)

Malkariss the Ruler of the Pit

“Within the Kingdom of Malkariss the black-robed procession of rats halted before the statue of Malkariss. Nadaz, the purple robe rat, meekly approached the statue. Torch lights from the large wheeled-shaped chandelier illuminated the terrifying stone idol. Nadaz bowed his head and began to chant:

‘Malkariss, Ruler of the pit,

Lord of the deep and dark,

I am Nadaz, the Voice of the Host,

To which your servants hark.

Hear me, O Ruler of eternal night,

Whose eyes see all we do,

King of the void beneath the earth,

We bring our pleas to you.’ “

(Mattimeo, 53)

Captured

“I am Slagar the Cruel. You are my slaves now.” The silk mask sucked against his face as he spoke. “When I say walk, you walk. If I say run, you run. If I decide you may live, then you will live. If I take it in my head that you may not live, then I will see to it that you die.”

Mattimeo, an Introduction

It has been a while since I read anything from the Redwall collection. Mattimeo is the third volume in Brain Jacques’ Redwall series. The Redwall series give me fodder for future fantasy skirmishes and war games.

Novel Prelude:

“Slagar the Cruel, a demented fox, is determined to vanquish peaceable Redwall. Gathering his mercenary bands of rats, stoats, and weasels, he advances upon the abbey with a cunning scheme-rather than making courageous battles plans he will steal the children of Redwall from under their parents very noses. His prize captive will be Mattimeo, the headstrong son of Matthias, the fearless warrior mouse.