Cieren Of Glaslyn Wood

Cieren had to cross the deep ditch to reach the safety of Glaslyn Wood.

Cieren felt very tired and hungry. Luckily it had been raining and the worms were not far from the surface of the ground. Cieren could smell them. His mouth watered , just thinking about a nice juicy worm! So first things first, he decided to dig. He had not dug far when he came across his first worm. Cieren devoured it ravenously. The screeching owl frightened Cieren. It was time to find safety before the dawn. A field was a dangerous place to be, especially with cattle grazing nearby. He did not want to be blamed for giving them a disease !

The most suitable place for him to sleep was underneath old tree roots. But, the only trees suitable were across the ditch and in Glaslyn Wood. “What am I to do?” Thought the tired little badger.

He looked around. In the distance Cieren saw what appeared to be an old shed without a door. ”I will investigate,” said, Cieren to himself. He ambled off at a very fast pace . At last he reached an old stone shed. He circled it cautiously sniffing, and snuffing. Satisfied it was a safe place to stay; he crept underneath and fell into a deep sleep.

Cieren dreamt about his family. He wondered how they were getting on. They had said their “Goodbyes” after deciding to separate. It was dangerous to travel in a group… Also they could not risk digging a large set, for fear of being discovered. He missed his family very much, but knew it was the right thing to do. Perhaps, one day when the cows were vaccinated, Cieren`s family could live together once more.

Unknown to Cieren (who was snug and warm) it grew cold. There was a sharp frost that night. The full moon shone brightly and appeared closer to the earth than usual. A million stars twinkled across the night sky. The little badger slept on. Winter was fast approaching!

Glaslyn Wood had for a long time been neglected. The brambles grew thickly on the woodland floor and choked the wild flowers. Brambles grew in the fir trees and strangled the new shoots deforming them. The trees grew into strange shapes.

Glaslyn Wood was dying!
Cieren slept soundly that night and all of the next day. The owl screeched! Cieren woke up with a start. He had been dreaming of his family. He wondered where he was and then... Remembering , uncurled his stiff body and crawled out from underneath the old shed. The fields and trees had been transformed overnight! Everywhere was white with frost crystals. The grass crunched underneath Cieren`s paws. "I am hungry," he thought. He tried to dig a small hole but the ground was too hard. "It's no good. I will have to go hungry." He said to himself. Cieren left the old shed and ambled back across the fields.

He reached the ditch and peered into it. Standing too close to the edge Cieren suddenly slipped in, but he didn't get wet! ...The ditch was frozen solid! "Well here I am in the ditch but how do I get out?" wailed Cieren to himself.

To be continued...