After what seemed like an age Claudia and the king moose stopped their loud calling but neither relaxed. How could they? By now the beautiful meadow, a place where Harri and Oli had spent many happy days playing was packed with wolves and bears. Everywhere on all sides slowly bearing down on the two moose, four children and old dog Jasper gathered on a small hill in the middle of the wide open space.
“Harriet! do something,” said Oli.
“What exactly?” said his sister.
“I don’t know but this is getting really silly, Claudia is good at running away let’s all get on her and run away.”
“No one is going to run away today,” said the moose king. “I am the King of this forest and these troublesome wolves will once and for all do as they are told. They have been causing far too much mischief its time the forest went back to normal.”
He did look impressive the children were sure of that, huge and powerful with the best set of antlers anyone had ever seen. The faded red collar the children had travelled far to return to him now looked bright and shiny. What a difference to the sad animal they had found in the undergrowth just a few hours earlier. Harri and Oli sat quietly but rather scared sure that something terrible was about to happen.
By now the wolves had formed a tight circle surrounding the small group of friends it must only be seconds before the bravest amongst them would launch an attack. Snarling, spitting and howling wolves were now competing for space in the meadow with thumping, stomping and growling bears.
Claudia who was standing next to the moose king and carrying the two younger children had now began to tremble, she too was wondering what the king of the forest had planned. Harriet reached across and gently stroked the big moose, it made her sad to see such a big creature so scared. Just then the moose king began his loud and powerful call, halting the nearest wolves in their tracks but then slowly the creatures behind began to stop until every wolf and bear in the meadow had stopped just a few feet from the little group of friends on the small hill.
High above the meadow a group of eagles were soaring, Oli never knew there were so many eagles in the whole of the forest. Then Harriet suddenly grabbed her brother’s hand at the same time as the king moose stopped his calling.
“What now”, cried Oli shouting at the top of his voice, which wasn’t at all necessary as the King moose had stopped making noise seconds earlier.
“Look”, said Harriet “Look over there.”
Oli followed her pointing hand and gaze towards the edge of the meadow where they had first entered from the forest all those years ago as young children. Walking slowly out of the forest was a moose, then another and another. Slowly more began to appear from the dark undergrowth.
Oli was so excited he began to clap and cheer, at least until the king moose gave a snort of disapproval,.
“You better be quiet Oli”, said Harri ” I don’t think this is over yet these wolves aren’t budging, whats happening Claudia?”
“I’ve never seen anything like this Harriet, moose normally live a solitary life coming together like this is something that doesn’t happen very often. I think the day has come for the king moose to regain control of his forest. They must have stopped while they work out what to do next, moose are big, clumsy creatures they wont want to be caught in this meadow if something startles them.”
By now there were hundreds and hundreds of moose all around the edge of the meadow, slowly they began walking towards their king, there was a little howling and hissing from wolves and growling and thumping from bears. Then though the eagles began swooping and plunging towards the crowd straight at the wolves and bears, then the moose got the same treatment. In a flash the whole atmosphere changed to one of anger and panic. There was noise, a tremendous noise from hundreds of huge, heavy, clumsy moose running banging and bumping into each other.
There was dust and stones flying everywhere, the wolves and bears began to fight back biting and clawing at the moose nearest to them, this really was the wrong thing to do as it drove the moose into a wild frenzy calling, charging, rearing up. They were banging into each other and just trampling over the poor wolves and bears who were being knocked from their feet and trampled in the dirt. The river had disappeared under a mass of animals and a cloud of mist and dust rose above the melee. The scene was incredible, blue sky with hundreds of eagles soring and diving, the huge green forest going as far as the eye could see and the area once filled with a lovely green meadow. Now the scene of a battle the like of which the forest had not seen for a long time.
“We are fine,” said Claudia looking across at the children, “the moose know what they are doing, I know it doesn’t seem like it but we are safe.”
Then the first of the wolves yelping and howling staggered to its feet after being knocked over yet again and off it ran into the forest. A bear nearest the forest decided that enough was enough and very soon one or two animals running away turned into a flood. They had realised that with this many moose in such a crazy mood then they couldn’t possibly win.
The meadow was a sight the children would remember all their lives, hooves, antlers, fur, claws and gnashing teeth all mixed within a cloud of dust and water spray, how the wolves were not seriously hurt was hard to see. The thing that helped them was that they were fast and dodged and ducked out of the mass of rampaging moose. Gradually more and more wolves and bears began to flee the meadow, it was clear that they had lost the day. The forest was going to get back to normal with the moose king running things the way it always had been.
“Well that’s sorted,” said Oli in a rather matter of fact way “Maybe we can get home now for tea, I am starving.”
The meadow was clearing, the moose calming down some grazing others wandering back into the forest. The very last of the wolves were disappearing into the forest and back to the distant lands from where they had come.
“Oli is right Claudia, its wonderful that everything has worked out for the moose king and the forest is back to normal but we should be getting back. Its been three days since we left,” said Harri.
“You are right Harriet I’m sure it will be fine to take you back now,” said Claudia.
“OK good if the moose king will let us down we will go home, Jasper? Where’s Jasper?” said Harri.
The old dog had been standing right by Claudia’s side as the melee had started but now had gone. The children scanned the meadow the dust finally settling just a few moose now remaining and there in the distance laying on his side perfectly still in the trampled meadow grass was their faithful old friend, Jasper.
