Page 70 - The Black Deer and Charlie Rabbit

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The Black Deer and Charlie Rabbit
hooking a large section of Badger’s camouflage net between the trees. The netting merged with the leaves of oak, birch and hornbeam. The team had remained in the canopy and were waiting and watching. Alfie was the leader and he would give the command to unhook the net and let it fall to the ground. If the plan worked, the creature would be trapped underneath, whether it was a mink or a deer.
Today, most of the woodland animals, unaware of what was planned, still had the freedom to move around the wood, including the mink, but he hadn’t counted on the birds and squirrels watching his every movement from above. Charlie and Otter had ensured that there was only one path in and out of the enchanted garden.
Inside his home in the enchanted garden, Badger strutted back and forth in front of five animals. The group, Wisdom, had met for the last time: Daisy Rabbit, Cyril Rat, Yappy Pigeon, William Weasel and Otter.
They and Badger had come up with the plan to trap and destroy the black deer. If they were successful in capturing the deer in the net, they could remove the bands of gold around its antlers, and the creature would dissolve into the ground.
Badger thought it unlikely that the black deer would stay disguised as a mink. An animal that small would never be able to reach Sophia’s crown. He was certain that once inside the enchanted garden the deer would materialise. Despite the netting and barricades, the size and strength of the creature meant it could still grab the crown and escape from Barns Wood. The net was their only hope and time and again Badger went through the plan.