8. Expedition

The swallows took the news to Mortimer Mole that six hedgehogs and a mole were bringing Mippy back to him.  Mortimer was so happy that he set off to meet them, singing loudly as he went along.

“Is that your dad singing!” Molly asked Mippy.

“Yes,” squealed Mippy, and he ran ahead.  

Moments later, Mortimer Mole picked up Mippi and hugged him.

 Then the others caught up with them and clapped their paws with pleasure.  Mr Mortimer Mole and Molly Mole bowed to each other and then they all danced together.  

Then Igrene called out and invited them to come with her to visit her Aunt Zaza.  

Aunt Zaza heard a swallow tweet the news that Igrene and a group of her friends were coming to visit her.  She quickly neatened up her nest, and was happy to welcome them into the hedge.

They felt safe in the hedge and they soon lay down and went to sleep.

Mippy woke first, and he quietly woke the young hedgehogs.

Before the flood Mippi had dug a tunnel just for practice and a bit of a fun.  It went down into the ground near the hedge, and came up inside the forester’s chicken coop.

He had been showing it to his dad when the storm swept though.

Now he invited the young hedgehogs to see it.  Storm water had made it wide enough for the hedgehogs to follow Mippi into the chicken coop.