Ballad of Tammo

Sometimes I sit here through the night,
Dreaming of those far-flung days,
I’ll gaze into the fire’s warm light,
As if into some sunlit haze.
And here they come, those comrades mine,
Laughing, happy, brave to see,
Untarnished by the dust of time,
Forever fresh in memory..
The way we marched, the feasts so grand,
I’ll tell you of them all,
From Salamandastron’s west strand,
And north up to Redwall.
Of high adventrues each new dawn,
As side by side we stood in war,
This tale is told that you may learn,
Just what true friends are for.

**********

Said by unknown ferret (p. 11)

“Gormad has left us for Dark Forest’s shade,
And the wind cannot lead Rapscallions.
Let the beast stand forth who would be Firstblade,
To rule all these wild battalions!”

Sung by Whinn (p. 20-21)

“Blow cobwebs out of the corners, the corners, the corners,
Throw open all your windows
To welcome in the spring.
Now the icicles are shorter,
And turning fast to water,
Out yonder o’er the meadow,
I hear a skylark sing.

All through the earth a showing, a showing, a showing,
The green grass is a growing
So fresh is everything.
Around the flow’rs and heather,
The bees do hum together,
Their honey will be sweeter
When ‘tis made in spring.”

**********

Long Patrol Chant (p. 43-44)

“O vermin if you dare, come and visit us someday,
Bring all your friends and weapons with you too.
You’ll find a good warm welcome, let nobeast living say
That cold steel was never good enough for you.

You won’t find poor helpless beasts all undefended,
Like the old ones, babes, and mothers that you’ve slain,
And you’ll find that when your pleasant visit’s ended,
You’ll never leave ous shores again.

All the cowards of the land and you flotsam of the sea,
Who murder, pillage, loot whene’er you please,
There’s a Long Patrol a waitin’, we’ll greet you cheerfully,
You’ll hear us cry ‘Eulalia’ on the breeze.

‘Tis a welcome to the bullies who slay without a care,
All those good and peaceful creatures who can’t fight,
But perilous and dangerous the beast they call the hare,
Who stands for nought but honor and the right.

Eulalia! Eulalia! Come bring your vermin horde,
The Long Patrol awaits you, led by a Badger Lord!”

**********

Martin’s message to Arven (p. 56)

“Watch you ever the southlands,
And beware when summertide falls,
A price will be paid for these stones we hold dear,
Though war must not touch our walls.”

**********

Famous Marching Air (song) of the Salamandastron (p. 73)

“O its hard and dry when the sun is high
And dust is in your throat,
When the rain pours down, near fit to drown,
It soaks right through your coat.
But the haes of the Long Patrol, my lads,
Stout hearts they walk with me
Over hill and plain and back again
To the shores of the wide blue sea.

Through mud and mire to a warm campfire,
I’ll trek with you, old friend,
O’er lea and dale in a roaring gale,
Right to our journey’s end.
Aye, the hares of the Long Patrol, my lads,
Love friendship more than gold.
We’ll share long days and tread hard ways,
Good comrades, brave and bold!”

**********

Sung by Russa (p. 74)

“This ain’t a sword, it ain’t a spear,
An arrow, nor a bow,
‘Tis just a thing I carries ‘round
With me where e’er I go.
It cannot talk or grumble,

And never answers back,
But it can sniff out vermin
An’ land ‘em such a crack!

O my liddle stick o’ wood, my liddle stick o’ wood,
Whacks here’n’there an’ everywhere,
No weapon’s half as good,
An’ I am tellin’ you,
My friend so stout’n’true,
This liddle piece o’ timber
Has always seen me through.

It’ll wallop a weasel, sock a stoat,
Or fling a ferrat from ‘is coat,
‘Twould knock a fox clean out his socks,
My liddle stick o’ wood!”

**********

Sung by Redwallers (p. 109-110)

“Oh, seed is in the ground an’ up comes a shoot,
Seed is in the soil an’ down goes a root,
Here comes a leaf an’ there goes a twig,
Seasons turn as the tree grows big!

Saplin’ bends with the breeze at dawn,
Wearin’ a coat of bark t’keep warm,
Growin’ lots o’ green leaves ‘stead o’ fur,
Birds go a nestin’ in its hair.

Some gets flow’rs as they spread root,
Some gets berries, some gets fruit,
Trees grow t’gether in a glade,
All through summer that’s nice shade.

Lots o’ trees make a wood,
Just the way that good trees should,
Ole dead trees when they expire
Keep my paws warm by the fire!”

**********

Said by Arven (p. 113)

“Night comes soft, ‘tis daylight’s end,
Sleep creeping gently o’er all,
Bees go to hive, birds fly to nest,
Whilst pale moon shadows fall.

Silent earth lies cloaked in slumber,
Starsstanding guard in the skies,
‘Til dawn steals up to banish darkness,
I must close my weary eyes.

Safe dreams, peace unto you, my friend,
Night comes soft, ‘tis daylight’s end.”

**********

Sung by Clubrush (p. 133)

“You ‘orrible lollopy sloppy lot,
You idle scruffy bunch!
I’ll ‘ave yore tails off like a shot
An’ boil ‘em for me lunch!

You lazy loafin’ layabouts,
‘Ere’s wot I’ll do fer starters
If you don’t lissen when I shouts,
I’ll ‘ave yore guts fer garters!

O mamma’s darlin’s, don’t you cry,
Yore dear ole Sergeant’s ‘ere,
Those foebeasts, why, they’re just small fry,
‘Tis me you’ll learn to fear!

I’ll ‘ave yore ears’n’elbows,
You sweepin’s o’ the floors,
An’ long before the dawn shows,
You’ll ‘ave marched ten leagues outdoors.

O dreadjul ‘alf-baked dozy crowd,
I’ll stake me oath ‘tis true,
Long Patrol Warriors, tall’n’proud,
Is wot I’ll make of you!”

**********

Lively marching chant sung by Tare and Turry (p. 145-146)

“As I marched out one sunny day,
O lairo lairo lay!
I met a hare upon the way,
O lairo lairo laydee!
With ears like silk, and eyes so brown,
And fur as soft as thistledown,
She smiled at me an’ that was that,
My poor young heart went pitter pat!

O pitter pat an’ eyes of brown,
She looked me up an’ looked me down,
I ask you now, what could I do,
I said, ‘Please may I walk with you?’
We walked together all that da,
O lairo lairo lay!
As laughingly I heard her say,
O lairo lairo laydee!

‘Pray tell to me, O brave young sir,
Are you a wild an’ perilois hare
Who thinks of nought from morn ‘til night
But march an’ sing, an’ charge an’ fight?’
So I said o this creature fair,
‘To march an’ fight is my intent,
The Long Patrol’s my regiment!’

And then upon that sunny day,
O lairo lairo lay!
She turned from me an’ skipped away,
O lairo lairo laydee!
She said, ‘I fear that we must part,
Sir, I would not give you my heart,
That Long Patrol, alas alack,
Those hares march off an’ ne’er come back!’

O ne’er come back an’ Long Patrol,
While rivers do flow an’ hills do roll,
I’ll march along my merry way,
An’ look for pretty hares each day!”

**********

Grace (p. 188)

“Thanks to seasons an’ jolly good luck,
We’ve all got a sword an’ a head,
An’ the way we’ll tuck into these vittles
Will show that we’re living, not dead.”

**********

Abbey Birthing Song sung by Craklyn (p. 190)

“O here’s to the little ones,
Sunshine on all,
As we grow old’n’small,
May they grow tall,
Not knowing hunger or winter’s cold bite,
Fearing no living thing, by day or night,
Strong in the heart, and sturdy of limb,
Making us proud to know of her or him.
Here’s to the life we love, honest and new,
Grant all these hopes and dreams come true,
With each fresh dawn may joy never cease,
Long seasons of happiness and peace!”

**********

Sung by Pasque (p. 191-192)

“O mother, dear mother, O mother come quick,
Calamity lackaday, bring a stout stick,
There’s hares on the mountain, they’re all rough’n’big,
A cuttin’ up capers an’ dancin’ a jig!

They wear rusty medals an’ raggy old clothes,
There’s one with an apple stuck fast to his nose,
Another’s go seashells all tied to his back,
There’s hares on the mountain alas an’ alack!’

‘O daughter, my daughter, now listen to me,
Such rowdy wild pawsteps I never did see,
Run into the house quick an’ cover your eyes,
An’ I’ll give those ruffians such a surprise!’

A hare in a frock coat so fine an’ so long
Scraped on a small fiddle an’ banged a big gong,
He seized the poor mother an’ gave a big cry,
‘Let’s warm up our paws with a reel, you an’ I!’

‘O mother, sweet mother, oh may I look now?’
‘Come stir y’stumps, daughter, an’ look anyhow,’
As she whirled around the good mother did call,
‘There’s a handsome one here with no partner at all!’

‘So batter that drum well an’ kick up your paws,
I’m reelin with mine an yore jiggin’ with yours,
A leapin’ an’ twirlin’ as cares fly away,
Those hares on the mountain can call any day!’ ”

**********

Sung by Moles (p. 193)

“October Ale, ‘tis brewed when summer’s done,
From hops’n’yeast an’ barley fine,
With just a pinch of dandelion,
A smidgeon of good honey, a taste of elderflower,
An’ don’t forget the old wild oat
Culled at the dawn’s first hour.

We puts it  up in casks of oak,
All seasoned well with maple smoke,
Then lays it in cool cellars deep,
Ten seasons long to sleep.

October Ale, no drink so good’n’cheery
In winter by the fireside bright
To warm your paws the whole long night,
Or after autumn harvesting, to rest an’ take your ease.
Just sip a tankard nice’n’slow,
With crusty bread an’ cheese.

‘Tis wholesme full an’ hearty
For any feast or party.
We’d tramp o’er forest hill an’ dale
For good October Ale!”

**********

The Moaning Green Recruit (p. 214)

“O ‘tis up at dawn every morn,
The flag is flyin’ high,
Why did I join this Long Patrol,
O why O why O why?

I march all day the whole long way,
Me footpaws red an’ sore,
If I get home I’ll never roam
No more no more no more!

O watch that line, step in time,
Through sun’n’rain an’ snow,
Would I sign up again to go,
O no no no no no!

The Corporal shouts, the Sergeant roars,
As like a snail I creep,
Just get me to that camp tonight
An’ let me sleep sleep sleep!”

**********

Spoken by Tammo (p. 220-221)

“Spring is done now, summer calls,
This season frought with wartime’s fear,
Fate says Damug will ne’er see our walls,
Battle must take place, though not here.
Manycoats will know the way,
So go with him, De Fformelo.
A soothsayer knows what to say,
Secrets Warfang longs to know.
One day Redwall a badger will see,
But the badger may never see Redwall,
darkness will set the Warrior free,
The young must answer a mountain’s call.”

**********

Note on side of tunnel wall (p. 257)

“Turn at the lowest stair,
Right is the left down there,
Every pace you must count,
At ten times paws amount,
See where a deathbird flies,
Under the hunter’s eyes,
Radient in splendor fair,
Ever mine, hidden where?
   Verdauga, Lord of Kotir.”

**********

O’er the Hills (p. 289)

“O’’er the hills an’ far away,
‘Twas there I left my dearie,
An’ as I left I heard her say,
‘Come back to me d’ye hear me,
Y’may eat cake an’ drink pale wine,
But come back home at autumn time,
An’ on fresh bread’n’cheese you’ll dine,
For no one brews good ale like mine.’

O fields are green an’ skies are blue,
Ole woods are high an’ full o’ loam,
But hearken friend I’ll tell you true,
Ain’t no place in the world like home.

O’er the hills an’ far away,
‘Tis there my home’s awaitin’,
The season’s shorter by a day,
Whilst I’m anticipatin’
A logfire made from cracklin’ pine,
An’ washin’ dancin’ on the line,
As blossoms ‘round the door entwine,
Hurrah, for there’s that dearie mine!”

**********

Sung by Tansy (p. 304)

“If I were a leaf upon a tree,
Then I would live right happily,
I’d grow up flat and green and big,
Unless of course I was a twig,
A twig with a leaf upon its end,
And then the leaf would be my friend,
I’d grow to such a wondrous length,
And from my branch I’d take strength.
If I were a branch upon a tree,
With leaf and twig for company,
I’d grow so round and fair and trim,
Spruting from a great stout limb,
But if I were a limb all thick and wide,
Branch, twig, and leaf I’d hold with pride,
And they would all depend on me,
And the mighty trunk of my big tree.
Then if I were a tree with bark for husk,
I’d stand up firm from dawn ‘til dusk,
And limb, branch, twig, and leaf would be,
All through the season part of me!”

**********

Pasque Valerian's Poem (p. 352)

Slumber through twilight, sleep through the dawn,
Bright in our memory from first light each morn,
Rest through the winter beneath the soft snow,
And in the springin, when bright blossoms show.

Warriors brave, who gave all you could give,
Offered your lives so that others would live.
No one can tell what my heart longed to say
When I had to leave here, and you had to stay.