An Unauthorized Visit to the Garden - Excerpt from the groundhog story

The day grew hotter, and the draw of the gooseberry bushes was strong. These bushes were covered with large, sharp thorns. He would be safe beneath them, especially if he lay very still. Looking around once more, Charles noticed that Mama Wood had moved into the tallest grasses and settled herself for sleep. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing regular. Silently, Charles slipped into the tunnel leading to the den.

Quickly he made his way to the main passage, then on down the garden path. He emerged, at length, outside the vegetable garden. His whiskers prickled with nervousness. Charles swiveled his small ears in all directions, listening for danger. He sat up and looked around. All seemed quiet. He could see the inviting vegetables in the garden, and his mouth began to water, his stomach to growl. He looked to his left – yes, there was the spot, flat and rectangular, where the grasses had been recently crushed. It seemed, in fact, as though something had stood in that spot for quite a bit of time, but whatever it was, it was no longer there, just as it had not been the last time he had looked at the area. Whatever could that have been? A large animal?  But it was too regular in form for that. He considered whether it might be another cinder block, such as had been used to block up the garden tunnel, but the area was longer and a little wider than that. Looking at the flattened grasses, Charles felt a knot of unease in his gut. Still, he told himself, the mysterious rectangular spot lay on his left, and the gooseberry bushes grew to the right. He was going to the bushes after all, so why worry?

But first there was the vegetable garden right in front of him. What harm would it do to just visit it briefly before going for his nap? Mama Wood need never know. Glancing all around one last time, Charles lowered himself to his belly and slipped under the fence.

Ah, the glories of the forbidden garden! Whole rows of juicy carrot greens, and if he dug just a little, he could get the sweet carrots as well. Late young tomato plants, not yet in bloom. Beds of lettuce, green or red, and tender to the tongue. All around him Charles saw and smelled vegetables. He ran from one to the next tasting them, savoring their varied aromas and flavors. He chewed and nibbled until his stomach felt full and heavy. Satisfied at last, Charles wriggled back under the fence to leave the garden. He had eaten so much, he was obliged to dig a shallow trough in order to squeeze through. Even so, his back hurt from the scrapes given him by the bottom of the fence.

Charles left the garden satisfied and exhausted. Now would be the perfect time for his siesta. Heading away from the flattened patch, Charles arrived at the row of five large gooseberry bushes. Without hesitating, he disappeared under the center bush and lay down. It was shady here, well protected from the heat of the midday sun. Charles stretched out luxuriously and was soon fast asleep. He dreamed of vegetables, and of his missing sisters. They were talking in a strange language he did not understand. Their voices seemed loud and unusually resonant. They had picked a huge cabbage and were carrying it away, grunting a little with the effort. As their voices faded, he thought he heard his mother saying, “This must be what happened to Charlene and Charlotte. How will I ever get out and warn Charles? I can’t even turn around in here!”