Page 46 - Book 8 Matty Hedgehog and the Paper Chase

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Matty Hedgehog and the Paper Chase
Tilly invited Sadie for a herbal coffee in the Hog Bakery. She’d been given the key to keep an eye on the shop and flat above. Now that it had been closed for a while, the bakery had lost its wonderful aroma, and the shelves and display areas lay empty.
‘I hope Betsy will change her mind. It’s not the same,’ Sadie said dreamily as they sat down at a small table. ‘Saskia Duck used to work here. Did you ever meet her, Tilly?’
‘No, I didn’t, but the girls have told me countless stories about young Leo and how naughty he was. I expect that he and his brother and sister have grown.’
‘I never told a soul why she left the garden. After Henry died, Saskia felt isolated and alone and longed to return to a duck community. As a single parent, it didn’t suit her here, and I know that she was upset when the head teacher, Miss Goose told her that her ducklings qualified to have free school dinners. Saskia felt that she had lost her independence. When she heard of a large community of ducks further down the valley she came to see me to ask what she should do. I told her to give it a try.’
‘I expect we shall hear more if she comes to visit,’ said Tilly thoughtfully. ‘Meanwhile, what are we going to do about those chickens?’
The animals sat for a while longer discussing all the pros and cons of them remaining in the garden.
‘The big one is called Adeline, and she is their leader according to Simon Blackbird. He said that she never stops talking from dawn to dusk,’ laughed Sadie as she said goodbye.