Ratty came out one morning and stood on their dock next to the river.The crisp air told him Fall was not far away. The river traffic was quiet even though this was a good time to gather roots for winter. But instead of bustling with river folk on their way to stock up their larders, the water steered the yellow and gold leaves fallen from sycamores along its bank instead.
When Mole came out to join him for a morning cup of tea, Ratty told him that they should implement the plan before the town went hungry for lack of winter supplies. So, after a breakfast of toast and jam they set out for the deep woods nearby where Badger had a hidden entrance to his vast tunnels underground. Once at the entrance, Ratty pulled out a key that Badger had given to him and unlocked the door at the base of a giant oak tree. With a quick look around, to make sure no one saw them, they went inside and shut the door. Ratty felt for the candle holder he knew was near the door and found it. After he lit the candle and placed it in the lantern, Mole lead the way, being that he knew how to navigate underground.
They went down long corridors far under the oak tree with Mole tasting the air now and then, and before long they came to a green door where Mole said he thought Badger might be. Ratty knocked and after a long pause, Badger answered.
"Come in," Badger said greeting his two guests, "Sit by the fire and I'll get us some tea."
When Badger came back with a pot of tea, biscuits and cups, he poured the tea and offered them the tray of treats to go with it. It was like old times. Before the fox and his messages from this Creator being came into play, Badger thought, to hear the laughter and banter of friends.
Once everyone had caught up on the latest news, Badger stood and cleared his throat. "We must act now, before that fox leaves our village desolate as he has others. The good book merchant has been busy, he made our costumes and and wrote our lines. There will be a disturbance in town and we are sure it will cause the fox to gather his flock once again. Everyone will be there and this is the time we will strike!"
The book merchant came out from his room with costumes and pinned to each one were written lines. He handed them to each so everyone could read aloud to make sure they had it right.
"What fun!" Cried Mrs. Weasel.
"We'll have to see," said Mr. Weasel turning to his wife, "It will be if everything goes right, but what if it doesn't?"
"Let's not fret," Badger said, "We all know our parts and have talked about what to do. "It will be fine. After all, we have a secret weapon."
"What weapon?" asked Mole.
"We can read," answered Badger.
The next day the book merchant came back to town. He unlocked his door nestled in a Bay tree, dusted off his books and put the open sign in the front window. After everything was arranged he stepped outside to sit and read at the store's front window. It wasn't long at all before he was noticed and word of it spread.
When the fox heard of this, he demanded everyone to attend a meeting that very night. "The Creator is very angry!" he bellowed to the field mice who scampered everywhere with the message.
As the sun went down the fox lit torches at the entrance to his tent after which he banged a brass bell to call the faithful. When the tent was full, with the last straggler seated, the fox went to the back of the tent and entered behind the stage. Suddenly, there was a fierce noise of thunder rolling through the tent. It startled everyone and they looked about in fear as if they should flee.
The fox came out on stage from behind a curtain and walked to the podium where candles were lit on each side. He wore a magnificent black and red cape from his shoulders with a feathered hat on his head. His eyes scanned each and everyone seated with a glare that bore into their inner core. The fox's teeth flashed in the candlelight with a glisten sharp and cutting before he spoke. "The Creator is very angry for a sinner is in our midst." His voice boomed so loud that mother's grabbed their young and held them close.
"Are we to allow sin among us, bringing the wrath of the Creator?"
A "No," started here and there before it was picked up by others.
"What do we do with sinners?
Someone stood up and said, "Kill them. That's what we do. Kill the sinners or face the wrath of the Creator."
"Yes," said the fox with a smile. "Now let's hear everyone. What do we with sinners?"
"We kill them. We kill them." Was everyone's reply.
"That's right we kill them!" Said the fox.
At that very moment, thunder rolled through the tent. The fox looked about wondering how it happened when from behind the curtain, Toady appeared dressed in fine regal regalia. Along with him were two of the kits of Mr. and Mrs. Weasel that held the end of Toady's long robe, and as they approached the center of the stage a booming voiced announced, "Hail to the Creator. He has heard your cries and has come to exact vengeance."
The fox was truly bewildered. He looked at the crowd who obviously believed what they saw to be the Creator. And before the fox could speak, Toady raised his scepter to bang against the floor which made a very loud noise. "Silence!" He bellowed.
Everyone in the tent went silent.
"Prostrate yourselves in the presence of the Creator." A booming voice bellowed.
Everyone fell to their knees.
Toady strode to edge of the stage and looked around at the quivering congregation. He stomped his scepter again causing another wave a fear to flow over the crowd and then he did the strangest thing. He took off his crown, dropped his robe and began to laugh.
"You silly creatures, it's me Toady. Look. I'm Toady," he said pointing to himself.
Then the curtain behind the podium raised and there was Badger holding a megaphone that he had bellowed in. Next to him was Mole with a piece of sheet metal in his hand that he wiggled and caused the sound of thunder and Mr. and Mrs Weasel who pulled the curtain up.
The crowd started to wave their fist and became very angry, they picked up chairs to hurl on the stage, and they looked like they might do worse. But before they could, the mayor of the town stood up, dusted himself off, fixed his spectacles to his face and asked, "Is this some kind of joke?"
Badger, Mole, Toady, and the Weasel family walked to the center of the stage, with Toady holding on to the fox's shoulder rather tight.
Badger said, "The fox here only wanted to show all of you how important it is to learn to read. Because if you had read how we all came about from thousands of years of evolution, you would have never been fooled. There is no Creator and of course the fox knew this. Didn't you fox."
The fox dangled a bit from the grip of Toady's as he held him nearest the edge of the stage where the crowd gathered.
"Yes. Yes," said the fox as sweat ran from his brow and he tried to stay away from the clutches of the crowd.
Badger picked up the megaphone again and said into it, "Fox is going to give you all back your treasure and add two gold coins to it."
Everyone began to smile, with the fox saying of course he would, that was his plan all along.
Then Badger said, "And with those two gold coins, fox ask you to buy books from his good friend the book Merchant and learn to read so that no one can be fooled again.
Badger grabbed the other arm of the fox and they went to where the fox kept all his treasure. He wasn't released until everyone had their money back plus two gold coins.
After that, the village never saw the fox again. And the town built a library and installed the book merchant as the librarian who, with the help of Badger, Ratty, Mole, and the Weasels gave free reading lessons. Soon their little town by the river prospered and word spread of the good news on why it was so important to read and learn of the world.
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