Brother Harper, Abbey Recorder - 1-27-09
The last of the plague sufferers have been released from the infirmary! Thank the Spirits, it is over. The timing is appropriate - we feasted the Abbey's good fortune last night in the Great Hall. There was dancing and music from the Abbey's musicians. There were two stand-outs of the evening.
One, Ardice's celebratory cake! Oh, Martin! It was a sight. She had decorated it to resemble Goldenwort, the herb to which we owe our recovery. But I think there are very few but can feel anything but ambivalence for the stuff. Foul-tasting and poisonous in certain forms. Major Darklett, the poor soul, looked absolutely green upon seeing the raspberry syrup seeping out of the vines in place of sap. All the same, the cake was absolutely delicious.
And, of course, it is no surprise that my Tameus got up to his usual tricks! Without telling anyone, he and a few other dibbuns arranged for quite the spectacle. He sang a rather moving song and I'm surprised to say he sang it well. It is an old one. Let me see if I can transcribe it here...
See the smoke curl from the chimney,
An the mat beside the door,
On the path there stands the family,
Like you left em long before.
Home returning, home returning,
Seasons gone an young uns grown,
Home returning, home returning,
Back to those I call my own!
There the fire burns and the ale brews,
An the bread bakes soft an brown,
While my friends wait with the good news,
Bring my chair an sit me down.
Home returning, home returning,
Comes the warrior from the war,
Home returning, home returning,
Home to wander nevermore!
And right after that he and the other dibbuns had rigged a sort of catapult and they launched dozens of golden paper flowers over Great Hall. I think everyone enjoyed it, save for Major Darklett's son Caleb. He seemed to have a vendetta against them and went about crushing each one he could find.
It was a fine evening for the Abbey.
Scrawled at the bottom is a scribbled note, which reads, "And the squirrel Magramba arrived with ribbons braided into his headfur. I really will have to speak to Novice Theodore about that."
