Everyone was gathered in the Great Hall, from the smallest of Dibbuns to the oldest of elders. Delicious food was piled on top of the groaning wooden tables. Food was passed from paw to paw, with much merry making. Happiness itself was in the air, along with voices calling out for a dish of scrumptious whatnot just beyond the reach of the paw.

Actually, the happiness part was just a little misleading. Hares were stuffing themselves, causing those unfortunate enough to sit by them to starve. Dibbuns were smearing pudding and stuff all over their faces, the faces of their neighbors, and generally anything within reach. Those who cared for the Dibbuns tried to pull them out of their seats and up to the dormitories to take baths without getting the pudding on themselves.

Cregga Badgermum had to skip out on the feast because she was lecturing certain warriors about running around like Dibbuns fighting over a toy. The poor cooks were stuck in the kitchen, trying to supply the demands of the Redwallers who were fortunate enough to enjoy themselves. Those who had to clean up after the feast were looking at the messes sadly.

But enough about that. We�ll focus on the cooks for now; the hapless creatures who are forced to slave away in the kitchens while others eat their food. . .

�Hey, where�d all the shrimp gone to?� demanded Friar Hugo of Furrel, the assistant cook.

�What the heck? I�m the Friar! And who took all the hotroot?!� yelled Friar Bobb.

�Forget about that stupid Friar thing. We need to get the shrimp and hotroot soup out before the otters come kill us!� reflected Broggle.

The very thought of maddened shrimp-and-hotrootless otters caused the Friars and all the assistants to shudder momentarily and then continued their frantic search for hotroot and shrimp with more zest.

�Where is it?!�

�I have no clue!!�

�You should know! YOU�RE the Friar!�

�Hey, I thought you were supposed to be the Friar!�

�No, you.�

�No, it�s you.�

�But you said it was you first!�

�Nuh-uh, you said it first!�

�I FOUND THE HOTROOT and SHRIMP!!� yelled a triumphant Broggle.

�Yes! We found the stuff! And remember, I�M the Friar!�

�Quick, make the soup! And I�M the Friar, you broggle (�Hey!� yelled Broggle) �brained pompous boorish bird!�

A few seconds later, it dawned on the poor doomed beasts that there were only enough ingredients to make one measly bowl of soup.

�. . .� went all of them.

�We are so dead,� murmured all of them (isn�t it funny how they keep talking together?).

�Yo, wait a sec! WHO was the one who was supposed to gather the hotroot and shrimp?!� demanded Friar Bobb.

Everybeast in the kitchens went silent. Then slowly, all the heads turned toward Kurrain.

�Hey, don�t look at me!� the young squirrel exclaimed. �There was a, um, shortage of shrimp, yeah. And the hotroot erm, Veil stole because he uh, couldn�t find the hemlock (or whatever he used to try to poison the water. It�s been so long since I read it) and thought, um, it'll cause sufficient pain. Yeah!�

Soon, young Kurrain was surrounded by a sea of unbelieving faces, each determined to punish the one who would soon doom them.

�GET HIM!!!!�

�You dumb squirrel! You�ll get us all killed!�

The poor unfortunate soul was soon cornered. To his left and right were snarling faces, each wanting a piece of him. In front of him were fat Friars swinging dock leaves, ladles, spatulas, (no, of course there are no knives. This is a peaceful Abbey!) etc., around. He was going to be dead very soon.

At that moment, just before they started to maim Kurrain, the doors burst open. The otters flooded into the kitchens. They looked around eagerly for the cauldron of delicious watershrimp and hotroot soup that they knew had to be there. However, it was rather plain, even to the eldest of otters, that their beloved soup was not there. Heartbroken, they turned to the cooks as one. Seeing them cower caused their sadness to be wiped away thoroughly. Unfortunately for the kitchen workers, it was immediately replaced by hate.

�Reeeeeeedwaaaaall!!!!!!!!� screamed Skipper of Taggerung.

�Waaaaaater shrimp and hooooootroooooot!!!!� cried Skipper of Mattimeo

�Moi zooooooop!!!!!� yelled Grumm the Mole, who was pretending to be an otter for the moment, waving his ladle about.

Terrified, the cooks trampled the otters and ran out of the kitchens. Scenting fear, the otters (and one mole) quickly picked themselves up and gave chasing yelling war cries for their lovely, all time favorite, watershrimp and hotroot soup.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer- Yes, I DO own Redwall! *looks at bookshelf* Then again, maybe not. Sigh. So fine. Redwall belongs to Brian Jacques and certainly not me, because I�m too poor to own it and I definitely cannot write anything with a plot. Sigh. . .^_^ But I DO own Kurrain! But that�s only because I couldn�t be bothered to look through all the two Redwall books I have to find a name of a kitchen helper. >_< And the 'poor unfortunate soul' comment comes from The Little Mermaid, which belongs to Disney. Damn.