Poem at the beginning of the book

Old stories told by travelers,
Great songs that bards have sung,
Of Mossflower summers, faded, gone,
When Redwall’s stones were young.
Great Hall fires on winter nights,
The legends, who remembers,
Battles, banquests, comrades, quests,
Recalled midst glowing embers.
Draw close now, little woodlander,
Take this to sleep with you,
my tale of dusty far-off times,
When warrior hearts were true,
Then store in it your memory,
And be the sage who says
To young ones in the years to come:
“Ah yes, those were the days.”

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Inscription on the bell, as told by Joseph (p. 32)

“I will ring for wedding times, when two hearts unite.
I will toll the hours out, all daytime and through night.
I will wake good creatures up, from their beds each morning,
Or toll when they’re in danger, a clear and brazen warning.
For all the family, son and daughter, husband and goodwife,
I will boom a sad farewell, when they must leave this life.
For many great occasions, for many different reasons,
Listen and my voice you’ll hear, throughout the changing seasons.
Though I may boom, clang, peal or toll, command and use me well.
But hark, beware the evil ones who would misuse this bell.”

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Sung by Dandin (p. 57-58)

“It happened in the springing time,
When all the leaves were green,
And once again Abbess Germaine,
A-baking cakes have been.
She stirred them good and mixed them fine,
With honey, nuts and flour,
Then put them out to cool awhile,
Until the teatime hour.
But then along came bold Sir Gonff,
His eyes a-twinklihng bright.
A cake he’d set his heart upon,
For suppertime that night.
He took the greatest caake of all, from off the window ledge
And hid it in a secret place, close by the forest edge.
The abbess came to check her cakes, about the mid-noontide
And found the mousethief with a bow, and arrows at his side.
‘Why stand you there O Gonff,’ said she,
‘With bow and arrows armed?’
‘My good Abbess,’ the thief replied, ‘You must not be alarmed.
I saw an eagle steal your cake, he swooped then flew away.
So I stand guard upon your cakes lest re returns today.’
The Abbess chose another cake, which to Sir Gonff she gave,
‘Take this reward, young mouse,’ she said, ‘because you were so brave.
And when upon each backing day,my lovely cake I make,
I’ll save a special one for you, for your kind actions sake.’ “

**********

Sung by Willyum (p. 59)

“Oi luvs a woodland stew, oi do; Oi do loik apple tart,
An’ good October ale that foams is dear unto moi ‘eart.
Of rabs’rry cream oi oft do dream, et makes moi eyes to shine,
‘Tis a fact that oi loiks anythin, when oi sets daown to dine.
O mole, mole, daown thee ‘ole, doant you’m eat none o’ mine,
Else oi won’t get a bite to ate, when oi sets down to diiiiiiinnnnneeee.”

**********

Recited by Saxtus (p. 60)

“The wind’s icy breath o’er the land of death
Tells a tale of the yet to come.
‘Cross the heaving waves which mark ships’ grave
Lies an island known to some,
Where seas pound loud and rocks stand proud
And blood flows free as water,
To the far northwest, which knows no rest,
Came a father and his daughther.
The mind was numb, and the heart struck dumb,
When the night took the child,
Hurled to her fate, by a son of Hellgate,
The dark one called The Wild.
You whom they seek, though you do not speak,
The legend is yet to be born;
One day you will sing over stones that are red,
In the misty summer dawn.”

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Sung by Tarquin (p. 70 and 71)

“If I were a stone I’d lie alone
Amid the earth and clay-o,
‘Til some good beastie picked me up
And threw me faraway-o.
Lolly too diddle um
Rinky doo skiddle dum.
There’s bread ‘n’ cheese ‘n’ cider,
Said the hedgehog maid who sat to supper,
But now ‘tis all inside ‘er.”

“Now my grandpa, he was by far
A dreadful fat old liar.
‘It’s cold in the river tonight,’ he said,
And he sat upon the fire,
‘Til my old grandma came along
And hit him with a ladle.
‘There’s another egg been cracked,’ she laughed,
As she sat him on the table.
Doodle oo lolly tum
Tiddly oodly iddly um.
I loved a rabbit’s daughter,
And she fed me on pots of tea
Made me out of boiling water.”

(p. 74)

“O Rosie the Hon, you’re certainly the one,
I’ll bet my bally life,
With your cute little nosie, beautiful Rosie
You’d make a lovely wife...”

(p. 94)

Oh, it’s hard and dry, when the sun is high
And dust is in your throat,
When the rain pours down, near fit to drown,
And soaks right through your coat.
But the hares of the long patrol my lads,
Stouthearts they walk with me,
Over hill and plain, and back again,
By 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.
Yes, the hares of the long patrol, my lads,
Love friendship more than gold.
We’ll share good days, and tread long ways,
Good comrades brave and bold.”

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Dandin’s tribute to Abbot Bernard (p. 95)

“Long may you rule, Father Abbot,
Long may you reign over all
the woodlands of Mossflower
And the Abbey of Redwall.
When I was a young mouse I learnt at the knee
Of the Father of Readwall,
The lessons for you and the lessons for me
From the Father of us alll.
In those good Dibbun days, I learnt many kind ways,
To be honest strong and true,
And wherever I go, I’ll remember alwys,
That I learned them, sir, from you.
Long may you rule, Father Abbot,
Over all of these creatures and me,
And may we say in our own simple way,
Have a happy Jubilee.”

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Directions to get to Terramort (p. 126-127)

“If I were a fool of any sort,
I’d leave Redwall and travel forth,
For only fools seek Terramort
Upon the pathway leading north.
This trail brings death with every pace;
Beware of dangers lurking there,
Sticklegs of a feathered race
And fins that in the ford do stur.
After the ford, one night one day,
Seek out the otter and his wife.
Forsake the path, go westlands way,
Find the trail and lose your life.
When in the woods this promise keep,
With senses sharp and open eyes,
‘My nose shall not send me to sleep;
For buried ones will surely rise.
Beet the hllow oak and shout,
‘We are creatures of Redwall!’
If a brave one is about,
He’ll save any fool at all.
Beware the light that shows the way,
Trust not the wart-skinned toad,
In his realm no night no day.
Fool, stay to the road.
Where the sea meets with the shore,
There the final clue is hid;
Rock stands sentinel evermore,
Find it as I did.
The swallow who cannot fly south,
The bird that only flies one way,
Lies deep beneath the monster’s mouth,
Keep him with you night and day.
His flright is straight, norwest is true,
Your fool’s desire he’ll show to you.”

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Sung by Mariel (p. 136-137)

“The winter O, the winter O,
With cold and dark and driving snow,
O not for me the winter O,
My friend I tell you so.
In spring the winds do sport and play,
And rain can teem down anyday,
While autumn oft is misty gray,
My friend hear what I say.
When summer sunlight comes each morn,
The birds sing sweet each golden dawn,
And flow’rs get kissed by every bee,
While shady stands the tree.
the summer O, the summer O,
Amid its golden peace I go,
From noon to lazy evening glow.
My friend I told you so.”

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Sung by Tarquin (p. 172)

“A hare beyond compare, so spiffin’ and so fair,
O Rosie, Rosie, dear my honey Hon,
I wouldn’t swap your affections for a heap of confections,
Not for...blackb’rry pie, oh my oh my.
October Ale would surely fail,
Summer salad couldn’t stop my ballad,
Hazelnut pudden’d just taste wooden,
As for cheese on toast it’d mmake me weep.
Feel so hungry, Rosie, I’d better go...to...sleep...”

(p. 202)

“If you’re ever caught by the Flitchaye
And the situation looks grave,
Then call for a McGurney,
The bravest of the brave.
He’ll fight all night
And battle all day
Until you hear those Flitchaye say,
‘Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on us all!’”

(p. 211)

“Old missus hedgehog, here’s what she likes,
A fat little husband with lots of spike,
And a quarrel with a squirrel
Who wears flowers round his middle,
And a chestnut for her supper on a winter’s night...”

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Rowing chant of the slavedriver (p. 300)

“Up an’ one, an’ down an’ two,
Bend your backs an’ curse your birth.
Up an’ one, an’ down an’ two,
Pull those oars fer all your worth!”

“Up an’ one, an’ down an’ two,
Some have backs without no hide.
Up an’ one, an’ down an’ two,
Here’s a gift from me to you!”

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Sung by Tarquin (p. 346)

“On the old brown path from north to south
Is a place you’d love to stay in.
Come one, come all, to old Redwall,
And hear what I am sayin’.
There’s an orchard there that’s fat and fair
With apple, berry, plum and pear.
There’s a pond with fish and all you’d wish
To grace a supper table dish.
They’ve a nice soft bed to rest your head,
Or sleep beneath the trees instead.
If you meet the Abbot then be sure to shake him by the paw.
On the old brown path from north to south
It’s peaceable an’ free where
Our Abbey stands amid woodlands,
I’m sure you’d love to be there!”