Mattimeo

Chapter 55

Extract from the diary of Tim Churchmouse, Recorder of Redwall Abbey:

It is the summer of the Rosebay Willowherb!

Great masses of the pink mauve flowers nod their heads by the sides of our Abbey paths. Seven seasons

have passed, counting the Autumn of the Warriors’ Return, and this will be my second season as Recorder.

John, my father, retired. He is now helping the Abbot to compile a great volume of Mossflower recipes. Strange,

when I was young our Father Abbot was an old mouse, yet still he carries on changeless as ever. I think he will

outlive us all.

The slaves who were freed from the evil of Malkariss have all settled here. They are our Brothers and

Sisters now, and a happier band you could not meet. The Sparra colony is growing and flourishing in our

roofspaces, though now it is called Warbeak Loft. Sir Harry the Muse lives up there with them. He was elected

Leader and Poetry Instructor. Several times now he has resigned in despair at the Sparra language, though his

love of authority always leads him to be re-elected.

Redwall is surely a place of curious happenings, not the least of which is the adoption of Cheek by Basil.

There was much amusement three seasons ago when he became officially the hare’s young one. Now he calls

himself Cheek Stag Otter, and the impudent rascal has also adopted all Basil’s mannerisms (and his appetite

too).

Stryk Redkite is at present paying us a visit. She has a mate, a huge fellow named Skine, and they have

their first eggchick too. Sister May was delighted at their announcement that the young one is to be named

after her. However, she insists on the little female being called May and not Sissimay.

Ambrose Spike is revelling in his latest title, High Keeper of Cellar Keys, and the entire family of Jabez

Stump — Rosyqueen his wife and their ten hungry daughters — are living in the wine cellar with Jube.

Ambrose has put in an order to the Foremole for the cellars to be extended, and it will be attended to

immediately after the mole crew finish enlarging and lining the tunnels they dug during Ironbeak’s siege. They

are a useful underground system, particularly in deep winter snow.

The Guosim marched off into Mossflower again; they were born to wander. Flugg is a strong Log-a-Log, wise

too, and he brings them to winter here every fourth season. They are good allies.

Rollo and Cynthia Bankvole are bellringers, just as Tess and I once were. Rollo’s latest yearning is to

become a squirrel and join the band of Sam and Elmtail to become part of the Mossflower Patrol. That Rollo, he

will probably want to be a badger next.

Constance is getting ready to sit out in the sun and take things easy. She is teaching Auma all she knows,

and some season soon Auma will become the Mother of Redwall. She is dearly loved by every creature in our

Abbey. Orlando is Constance’s firm friend and they are seldom apart. His axe hangs in Great Hall. As Lord of

the Western Plains he only has to stand on the west battlements to survey his lands.

Last summer the Churchmouse family was united to the Warriors, much to the delight of my mother and

Cornflower. Mattimeo and my sister Tess were married. Our parents like to sit out in the sun a lot, my mother

and father, Cornflower and Matthias. Like all life, they are growing no younger. They prefer to talk of the old

times with friends, and that is good. They deserve a little rest and peace after bringing us up, though Matthias

still joins Basil and Orlando to train the defenders.

It is difficult to believe that we have all grown from young scamps into responsible creatures. But I am

rambling, I will finish my writings and go outside into the sunlight, to the ceremony and the feast at the main

gate. Forgive me for not telling you earlier, but today we have a new Redwall Champion and a naming party.

Matthias is to place the great sword in the paws of his son Mattimeo, and he will be our Abbey Warrior from

henceforth; there is one scamp who made doubly good. Did I not tell you? Tess and Mattimeo have a little son

and I am an uncle! My mother and Cornflower chose the new baby’s name; he is to be called Martin.

So the legend of Redwall has come full circle, through Martin to Matthias, from Matthias to Mattimeo,

and finally back to the little life we are all so proud of: Martin, Son of the Warrior. The bells are tolling for the

ceremony, so you will have to pardon me for hurrying off like this.

May your lives be as full and happy as ours, and may the seasons be kind to you and your friends. The

door of our Abbey is always open to any traveller roaming the dusty path between the woodlands and the

plains.

Tim Churchmouse (Recorder of Redwall Abbey in Mossflower country).

Front Flap

$23.99 USA

Slagar the fox contemplated Redwall Abbey, his twisted face hidden beneath a

sinister harlequin hood. How he hated the peaceable Abbey creatures; how he hated

the fearless mouse warrior Matthias, whom he held responsible for his injuries.

Gathering his mercenary band of rats, stoats and weasels about him, he prepared for

his hour of vengeance.

But there would be no heroics for Slagar the cruel, no courageous battle plans.

He knew too well that the power of the legendary Redwall sword had vanquished

more terrible enemies than himself.

His scheme was much more cunning and would strike at the very heart of all

the Abbey held dear. Above everything Redwallers loved and cherished their young.

Slagar would steal them from under their very noses, and Mattimeo, Matthias’s

headstrong young son, would be the biggest prize of all.

With robust humor and a fiercely romantic spirit, Brian Jacques once again

brings to life the brave and adventuresome creatures of Mossflower Woods in the

final epic of the classic Redwall trilogy.

PHILOMEL BOOKS

a division of

The Putnam & Grosset Group

200 Madison Avenue

New York, NY 10016

9004

Rear Flap

BRIAN JACQUES was born and bred in Liverpool. He has worked as a docker, long-

distance truck driver and stand-up comedian. He began his writing career as a

playwright, and his stage plays Brown Bitter, Wet Nellies and Scouse have been

performed at the Everyman Theatre in England. He is now a presenter for BBC

Radio Merseyside and hosts his own program, Jakestown.

His first novel, Redwall, was published to universal acclaim in 1986. Mossflower

followed in 1988 and won equal praise. Both books have been nominated for the

Carnegie Medal in England. But the real testament to Brian Jacques’s achievement is

in the hundreds of letters he has received from children who have been touched by

the magical world he has created.

Praise for Mattimeo

“A heroic adventure on the grand scale and in the grand style, spacious, high-

hearted, multidimensional. The animal heroes and villains play out a drama of epic

proportions, with room for humor, songs, poetry, and the unflagging excitement.

These small creatures grower larger than life — or, better, every bit as large as life.

It’s a splendid conclusion to the trilogy.”

—Lloyd Alexander,

Newberry Medal winner,

The High King

Jacket Art © 1990 by Troy Howell

Publication Info

MattIMeo

BRIAN JACQUES

Illustrated by Gary Chalk

PHILOMEL BOOKS

NEW YORK

Copyright © 1990 by The Redwall Abbey Company, Ltd.

Illustrations Copyright © 1990 by Gary Chalk

First published in 1989 by Hutchinson Children’s Books, Ltd.,

an imprint of Century Hutchinson Ltd.

First published in the United States of America by

Philomel Books, a division of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers

345 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

All rights reserved.

25 27 29 30 28 26

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jacques, Brian

Mattimeo / by Brian Jacques. p. cm.

Sequel to: Redwall.

Summary: Mattimeo, the son of the warrior mouse Matthias,

learns to take up the sword and joins the other animal inhabitants

of Redwall Abbey in resisting Slagar the fox and his band of

marauders. Sequel to “Redwall.”

ISBN 0-399-2174-X

[1. Mice — Fiction. 2. Animals — Fiction. 3. Fantasy] I. Title

PZ7.J15317Mat 1990 [Fic] — dc20 89-37005 CIP AC

Version Info

UC TXT

Scanned by Unknown Hero

v 1.0 HTML

Proofed 2008-10-02 against printed book

Added italics and section breaks

Added map, publication info and flaps

Changes/corrections to the printed book

section break before ‘After tea’

Jess, it’s the young uns!. / removed extraneous period

as the ten daaughters / daughters

John looked up in suprise / surprise

Ironbeak’s seige / siege

hasty decent / descent

a-testin” / a-testin’

Possible errors in text:

Picknicking / Picnicing

The silken masked fluttered / mask

cross with this piece, Orlando. Hold the axe still / piece. Orlando, hold

inconsistent spelling of Methuselah / Methusaleh

inconsistent spelling of Slagar / Slager

inconsistent spelling of Streamsleek / Streamsleak

inconsistent spelling of skilfully / skillfully

Ragwing called Ragclaw once

Grubclaw called Grubwing once

underhang / overhang

Yggah / Yaggah

sparras / Sparras (capitalization)

churchmouse inconsistently capitalized (The Churchmouse followed vs The churchmouse broke / The churchmouse

struggled / The churchmouse stroked)

Continuity problems:

their fallen friends, a young mousemother / she was a bankvole, not a mouse

There’s supposed to be a band of slavers with at least three captives / there are at least five (Tim, Tess, Mattimeo,

Cynthia, Sam)

Slagar tells his band they are selling the slaves “In the Kingdom of Malkariss!”, yet later he says “Only one creature

knows where we’re going: me” and when the remainder of Slagar’s band is captured, they have no idea where he went

“Abbot Mordalfus was having a serious try” at solving the riddle, yet when asked if he had tried to solve it, said “No, I

think it only fair that I stay as judge”