Badger, Everyone and others in “The Wood in Danger”

My late father remembered it, when those men first started cutting down our trees... to build their brick and glass boxes. It was called the Oath of Mutual Protection.

Oath of Mutual Protection?

It's a promise not to...

... Frighten?

... Terrorize or consume one another.

Not... eat... one another? Who's the sssnake supposed to survive?

Quite. So if you'll all raise your right paw... [Owl looks at her wings] or claw. [Owl raises her right wing] And repeat after me. I, name of animal.

I, name of animal.

No! I, Toad! Or um...

I, Rabbit.

Yes.

I, [Fieldmouse, Rabbit, Hare, Squirrel]

Do solemly swear...

Do solemly swear...

Not to swallow anybody.

Not to swallow anybody.

Not to swallow... [whispering] Except when nobody's looking.

...While on route to this place of Toad's. Toad will obviously be our guide on your journey.

And, leader!

Um, just guide, I think, Toad. But, Toad is right. We will need a leader. Someone we can look up to. Someone cunning and courageous and...

Preferably not a snake? Ahahahaha! [Everyone laughs, except Adder who glares at Weasel] Joking! [gulps]

I therefore nominate... Fox, to be our leader.

Fox?

Huh?! Are you off your trolley?!

Why Fox?

Thanks a bundle, Badger.

[scared] Fox? But why Fox?

No, no, no, no, Fox has all the right qualities, Hare. He's an experienced traveler, er, roams far and wide over all sorts of terrain and he's used to scavenging.

Huh!

Oh, don't be like that, Owl. We can't all be leader. Now, I'm sure we've got lots of things to do before we leave [Rabbit, Hedgehog, Fieldmouse and Squirrel leave], eating our last few berries and, er, cleaning our fur coats. So just don't forget... midnight!

We meet by the Great Beech of midnight.

Midnight! Midnight! Midnight at the Great Beech! Midnight at the Great Beech!