Fred’S the Star: A Tale of Friendship and Survival in the Dales

By P W Brisley and Dwight Nacaytuna

Fred is a young field mouse, and hes the only one in his family to survive the winter. It was the coldest winter the North Yorkshire Dales had ever known. As he sits nibbling away at a slightly browned apple core at the base of the dry stone wall he calls his home, Fred catches the sight of movement from the corner of his eye. He freezes at first, and then slowly turns to find a very large creature with a menacing snout and very long, menacing claws. Fred is relieved to learn that the creature is Bertram Kettlewell Smiley of Upper WharfedaleBertie, for shortand that hes not just a badger, but a badger of great repute.

Fred is glad hes met Bertie and its a good thing he has, for it isnt long before trouble threatens as they search for new homes. Its a move that becomes the first in a series of adventures that help them learn more about each other. And who knows, they may find other new friends, and even something more, in their adventures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Sep 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781482827156

P W Brisley

P W Brisley has worked in England and in international schools as a teacher and leader for many years. As a head teacher in England and beyond, Phill found it useful to use such stories to help illustrate important lessons to his students in both in his classes and assemblies. He has recently returned to the UK after finishing his most recent posting, in Malaysia.

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Copyright © 2014 P W Brisley. All rights reserved.

ISBN

978-1-4828-2714-9 (sc)

978-1-4828-2715-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014950667

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Toll Free 800 101 2657 (Singapore)

Toll Free 1 800 81 7340 (Malaysia)

www.partridgepublishing.com/singapore

11/12/2014

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Contents

Dedication

CHAPTER 1

A Spring Morning

CHAPTER 2

A New Day

CHAPTER 3

Home Sweet Home

CHAPTER 4

The Earth Moved

CHAPTER 5

Sheep Alert

CHAPTER 6

Toby the Sheepdog

CHAPTER 7

Spring: A Time Of Change

Chapter 8

Rumblings and Tumblings

CHAPTER 9

Danger from the Air?

Chapter 10

The Day After

Chapter 11

All Quiet in the Copse

Chapter 12

Dash for Survival

Chapter 13

Lucky for Some

Dedication

I would like to thank many people for their encouragement in writing this story. From the pupils who have suggested I commit some of the tales to paper and staff and parents who have commented how reassuring the escapades had been for their children.

My friends and family have also urged me to complete the task, which I originally considered as a personal enterprise after resigning from my last teaching post.

However someone who has always shown concern for others and a loving manner who had a big impact on all our family was our Dad, who sadly died in 2009 before the completion of the book though he’d enjoyed hearing it to the end and offered many suggestions. The character traits of the two main creatures, Fred and Bertie, reflect those of my father, Frederick Bertram Brisley, and he was amused to read of their adventures, their developing friendships and their humour.

In addition to our Dad, I must thank my sisters and brother and our late mother, Althea. We have shared love, laughter and friendship through the years, being mutually supportive and a continuing source of joy.

Finally but of great importance are the hundreds of children who have listened and responded to the tales over the last fourteen years or so, especially those who asked to take the creatures home for sleepovers and even taking them on holiday!

To you all thank you.

PWB

CHAPTER 1

A Spring Morning

F red was minding his own business nibbling away at the slightly browned apple core left behind by a visitor on the path near the dry stone wall that Fred called home.

Fred was still a very young field mouse and, sad to say, he was the only survivor from his family after the coldest winter weather the North Yorkshire Dales had known. Fred knew for certain that his two brothers had died from the bitter weather, as his parents told him they’d seen the small bodies stiff and cold at the foot of the stone wall. Then a few days later his parents and sister had gone out to look for food when Fred was not feeling well, but never returned. Though Fred had gone to search and call out to them, there had been no answer and no returning warm bodies to snuggle up to in the family nest.

For a young field mouse, it was most unusual to be alone but Fred knew by instinct that if he kept warm, ate regularly and kept safe near his home, he would survive. However, during the long dark nights, especially when the thunder and lightning shattered the sky and bounced through the stones and his bones, Fred huddled in the hollow of the wall the family called home feeling sad and scared and wishing for a friend.

Since sunrise on the day Fred found the apple core, he noticed the sun seemed warmer and the light brighter and the birds seemed to sing with more joy. It lifted his spirits and made him think, ‘Mmmm, this is going to be a good day.’

It was this feeling of freshness that led to Fred, as with so many youngsters, including children, becoming a little careless forgetting some of his parents’ strongest words of caution. So as he stretched up and scratched behind his head with a satisfyingly full tummy he didn’t hear the rustle of twigs or the scratching of claws on the rock surface of the rough pathway. So, as the shadow fell across his tiny figure it was too late to hide in the safety of his nest only a matter of a few tail-lengths away.

He froze in mid-scratch with the blood pumping through his ears with a sound like the train in the quarry below. He didn’t know how long he froze, it seemed like everything had stopped moving: the shadow, the birdsong, even the movement of the wind through the branches of the bushes. Then steadily, as the thumping of his heart eased he slowly turned his head to see his fate.

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There, just a dash away was a very large, strange looking creature with a long menacing snout resting on front legs that ended with long dark claws. Its most striking features were the two black stripes that led from its nose to the white crown of its head and the intense dark eyes peering from their glossy background.

Fred had never seen anything so nasty and vicious and wondered why it hadn’t attacked. He wondered if he could make it back to the safety of the nest and home but before he could make his decision the creature spoke:

Good day young mouse, you seem to have had a good breakfast but too much food has made you forget your safety. Where are your parents? Come on, I have things to do and places to go, speak up! I won’t bite you!

Fred was staggered and astonished and if he had known those words