Redwall - Based on a book by Brian Jacques By Eric of the Web The red sandstone structure, Stood alone and tall. 'Twas a building, Known to most all. It was an abbey, By the name of Redwall. In this miraculous place, Lived all the good beasts. But on this one occasion, All the abbey's happiness ceased, And broke the everlasting peace, For in the abbey Redwall, Lived mice, squirrels, and moles. There were badgers and otters, From Great Hall to Cavern Hole. The walls of the abbey, A grand invention, Were built by paw, Of the abbey dwellers, Made for just one intention. To keep out the vermin, Whose army stood, On the outskirts, Of Mossflower Wood. The vermin were many, In charge were the rats, Heading the army of weasels and stoats, Each and every one, Up, ready, and armed for combat. And once I am finished, Friends, go spread the word. The story of Cluny the Scorge. And his evil horde. So come close my friends, And gather around the fire. Since our daily work is done, To the fire side we shall retire. The abbey was just in the middle, Of the woods known as Mossflower. And is where the Scorge's army came, To demonstrate its evil power. 'twas the night of the Great Feast, It happened every forth season in this same way. When every summer came, On the day of midsummer's day. This was the Summer of the Late Rose, When the evil powers rose. Joyous feasting was everywhere, Everybeast was more than content. When Cluny came to Redwall's door, And asked for peace, but destruction was all he meant. He asked to parley with their abbot. The abbey dweller's knew his name and let him in. He said "Surrender or you'll all die, Oh, what an awful sin. Constance, the female badger, Was naturally enraged at this. And scared the rat away, With but one mighty hiss. Constance the badger, Took on a mighty role. Passed on from badger female to female, As guardian of Redwall. But every beast knew one day soon, Cluny would be back again. And many preparations, Would be needed for then. Cluny the Scorge was a very sly beast, And a very clever one, And knew that Redwall could not be his, Until one task was done, And knew just the rat for it to run. The clever one thought hard, And then could recall, An ancient valued tapestry, On the great brick wall, Of the place the abbey dwellers, Called Great Hall. He knew the mouse in the picture, Was the symbol of Redwall. He called for black Shadow, A trusty warrior, who could really fight. He was an expert climber, And as black as the night. "Shadow, your task is simple, Climb the abbey wall. I will be watching you, Then proceed into Great Hall." "You will see the mouse picture, If you look around. Take it away and bring it to me, And you mustn't make a sound. That night when all was silent, Shadow climbed the wall of stone. A dark shadowy figure, Inched its way up, unguided and alone. I did not yet tell of Martin the Warrior, So listen hard to hear. The story of Martin the Warrior, The mouse who knew no fear. He was the founder of Redwall. He came from the west, the seacoast. He watches over the abbey always, Watching now is Martin's ghost. And the peaceful abbey dwellers, Put up a decent chase. The black one climbed the walls, And reached the top with much haste. Shadow fell down and down, That night he killed himself. Cluny thought he had won, Along with Redwall's wealth. So Cluny's army set out, All strong beasts trained for war. But Redwall would not give up, So easily for what they are. When the army first marched, To Redwall so near. Every beast of the abbey, Felt great, great fear, Greater than ever before. Cluny the Scorge carried his tapestry, Of Martin the Warrior. The young mouse, Matthias set out to recover it, And following him was Martin the Warrior. The young mouse got lost, In the woodland alone. And was met by a squirrel, Who took him back home. He didn't get the tapestry, But brought back Basil Stag. A hare who did lots of things, Like hop, leap, run, and zigzag. Cluny had a cunning plan, While through the night the battle raged on. He and three trusty warriors, Would climb the walls at the crack of dawn. He found a large tree, Near the abbey wall. Up, they went to the top. And came down with a fall. Two companions were dead, And of Cluny's entire crew. Only one knew who could heal him, One that he long knew. Sela the fox was a mighty herbalist, She knew every cure and every herb. And no one around knew here magic tricks, They just watched to observe.. In time Cluny was healed, He was as good as new. Same old Cluny the Scorge, Stronger and slyer were few. Meanwhile Basil Stag and Jess squirrel, Two members of Redwall, Went out and succeeded, In getting the tapestry of the Great Hall. Cluny killed Sela and her son, For no reason at all. Chickenhound, her son, lived, And ran to Redwall. Cluny had another plan, His crew would try to break. The main gate which stood on front, But it was a all a clever fake. But he was really tunneling, Under another part. He thought it was a trick, H e thought it was all pretty smart. The abbey dwellers were no fools, The moles of Redwall heard of this. They were angry quite naturally, And put up a mighty fist. Every beast in the hole died that night, The Redwallers put up quite a fight. Because as abbey dwellers tend to do, They fought with all their might. And as for the crew, At the front gate. Cluny encouraged the bargers, Who would soon see their terrible fate. And at last the plan was made, 'Twas decided to be the best. Would you ever think, To drop a hornets nest? An old one named Methuselah, Found writing on the Great Hall. Where the warriors picture used to be, Carved and written on the stone wall. It spoke of the magic sword, For all these many years. 'Tis what he was searching for so long, Redwall's wisest mouse let out many tears. 'Twas the sword that once was Martin's, The magic sword of the Warrior. Who put it away until, Redwall has another war. The writing told of Martin's tomb, Am that is, Am that is, A strange and mysterious poem The point was easy to miss. He called for Matthias, He figured it out, Am that is, am that is. Unscrambling those words, Was the name Matthias! They found the answer at last, A secret passage in the stair way. So the two mice then, Descended the secret passage way. They found the belt, And the shield, But not the sword, Which Matthias longed to wield, More of the poem was later revealed, The clue was the threshold, And was where the next hint laid, To find what Matthias longed to hold. On top the abbey wall, Was an engraved hole. They placed the shield in, As told to on the scroll. And on the hour so late, Moonlight would reflect. On the abbey roof, A place with much neglect. That reveiled where the sword was, And Jess squirrel said she'd go. But was intersepted by the sparrows, Jess sguirrel could not let go, She did not look down, far below. They were some warrior sparrows, And the only thing they could think to do. Was get somebeasts to shoot arrows. Jess saw nothing on the roof, So she her long, long descent, As Methuselah remembered of the writings, Of Redwall's ancient. It said the sparrows stole, An object to Redwall's value, He guessed it was the sword, He knew just what to do. Mathias would climb, To the top of the belltower, To get back the sword, From the nest of the sparrow. Matthias reached the top, And was imprisoned by the insane sparrow king. Mathias asked if he go, And was told he'd have to give something. So Matthias gave his bag of nuts, And was told he could go free. But then the king said aloud, "No, you still belong to me." And then Matthias learned, That the sparrows lost the sword. "It now belongs to a snake," Said a female sparrow of the horde. The snake, he was told, Could be found in the wood land. A sparrow who felt sorry for Matthias, Said she had an escape plan. Meanwhile Chickenhound, Came to Redwall and said he was sick. They took him in, But it was all an awful trick. He stole some of Redwall 's riches, And one mouse saw. The fox escaped and was stopped by the old one, So he killed Methuselah. The plan at the sparrow nest worked and the mouse got free, And climbed down the abbey wall. Later that day he was found barely alive on the ground, Matthias had an awful fall. Matthias recovered quite quickly, And when he was awake, He asked around if they knew this alder, For he wanted to find the sword thief snake. "Cap'n Snowy's the one to ask, He lives near the farm house in an old tree. He'll know about this snake, Show him this medal and say it's from me." Matthias was more than determined, He set out northeast like instructed by Basil Stag Hare. To confront a snowy owl, Would he dare? A mouse to do it was no pleasant affair. On the mouse's journey he met some shrews, They agreed to help him, But not to confront Snowy, When they heard of the situation Redwall was in. Snowy said the snake had a layer, In an ancient quarry, Matthias said he'd get the sword, He told all not to worry. Matthias went in, With another shrew, Many things of war Matthias didn't know, The elder one knew. Matthias at last confronted the snake, Retrieved the sword and struck with all his might. He killed the great snake, After the long, long fight. Matthias won the sword alas, The sword that was always missing, As many generations past. Matthias marched proudly back home, Nothing withstood the great and magic weapon. Redwall would at last be free, And Redwall would be threatened never again. Matthias won a glorious bride, She was a young and pretty field mouse.. They lived happily, and so did Redwall, Their home became the front gate house.