"It was a frosty afternoon." "The air was crisp and cold." "The leaves and berries sparkled in the sunshine." "Brambly Hedge was alive with excitement as the mice prepared for their Midwinter celebration." "Merry Midwinter, Dusty!" " Have you seen Primrose?" " Sorry!" "Can't stop!" "What a rush everyone's in." "Isn't it exciting!" " Yes, but we have to..." " Get that message to Primrose." "The festivities would begin when everyone gathered in the Old Oak Palace." "For Primrose Woodmouse and Wilfred Toadflax, hauling in a giant log and watching it burst into flames was one of the best parts." " Tie those ropes tightly!" " That's right!" "Those ropes have to hold all the way to the Old Oak Palace!" " Could you grab that rope?" " Mm-hm." " Now pull." " Ow!" "Wilfred, that's my tail!" "(Laughs ) Sorry, Teasel." "Hee-hee." "Now." "One, two, three and pull!" "( Grunting )" "Primrose!" "Primrose!" "Hello, Grandma, Grandpa." "Have you come to help?" "(Laughs ) Oh, no!" "I'm far too old for that now." "But when he was young, he was one of the strongest log haulers in the meadow." "Was I really?" "( Chuckles )" "Ahem!" "Anyway, Primrose, your papa..." " Wants to see you." " Now?" " That's what he said." " But why?" " He didn't say." " Will you come with me?" " Now?" "And miss hauling the log?" " We won't be ready for ages!" "Hurry." "Your father said it was important!" "Last one to the Old Oak Palace is a stoat!" "Hee-hee!" " Hello, Basil!" " Hello." "Where are you going?" "Would you help with the holly?" "We need so much for the Great Hall." " Here's some for you." " We don't have time." " Of course you have time." " Get a grip and pull." " Ohh..." " ( Grunting )" "Oh." "Ah!" " Here we are, Papa!" " Primrose!" "Wilfred!" "Splendid." "Splendid!" "Something awful has happened." " But you two can save the day." " How?" " Poor Conker here..." " ( Coughs )" " ...has lost his voice." " ( Coughs )" " ( Croaks ) Can't say a thing!" " That's terrible!" " How can you recite the poem?" " I can't!" " Oh, no!" " So, Primrose and Wilfred." "Will you recite the Midwinter Poem this evening?" " Us?" " But..." "I already have a job." "I'm going to sit on top of the log." "I can't believe what I'm hearing!" "You can sit on the log any year!" "But it's a great honour to be asked to read the poem." " Is it?" " It is!" "Especially this year." "As we will be telling the story of C umulus Nimbus." " The mouse who wrote the poem." " It's a wonderful story." "I love the part where Princess Rosa..." " (Primrose ) She's an ancestor!" " Very distant." "But she may have lived in this very oak." "The part where she and C umulus Nimbus..." "He was the first mouse to go exploring!" "And he sent back letters to his bride-to-be." " Or so the story goes." " I wish it were true." "True or not, my favourite part is the Midwinter Poem." "Someone has to recite it." "And that someone is us!" "I like coming to the rescue!" "But we don't know it ." "Well, let's go and practise." "We haven't got much time!" "Right, no one will bother us here." ""When the days are the shortest, the nights are the coldest..."" "(Repeats lines )" "Ah." "Ah, now..." "Hmm." "Too heavy." "Now too light." "Ah!" " This will do nicely." " Right." "Now let's try it again." " (Both ) When the days..." " Look out!" " How are you getting on?" " This is hopeless!" "We could go back to the log." "I wonder if they've tied it up." "We can't give up." "We just need a spot to practise." "Let's go and ask Mama." "(Hums happily )" " Here's another batch ready." " Right you are, Lady Daisy." "I don't know how we manage to eat so much, but we do!" "As Primrose and Wilfred entered, their noses twitched as the smell of blackberry wafted towards them." "Primrose's mother was baking Midwinter biscuits." " Hello, Mrs Crustybread!" " Primrose!" "Wilfred!" "Isn't it wonderful that you'll be reciting the poem!" "That's what everyone says." "But we can't find anywhere quiet to practise." "(Laughs ) It's not a quiet day." "Mind your backs!" "Here I come!" "Why don't you try the attic storerooms?" " No one will be going up there." " That's a brilliant idea!" "Take some biscuits and juice up with you." "An even more brilliant idea!" "Thank you." "(Door creaks open )" " Wow!" "Look at all this!" " The perfect place to practise!" "Let's see. "When the days are the shortest..."" " Was this yours?" " Oh, yes." "I grew out of it." "You say, "The frost is the sharpest, the year the oldest."" "Wilfred?" "Wilfred!" " I want to see what's in here." " We don't have time!" " Oh." "It's just letters." " Oooh." "They look really old." "Want a biscuit?" " Before I eat them all?" " No, thanks." "I wonder what else is in here." "What's this?" "( Gasps ) A key!" "Isn't there a bit in the poem about dressing up?" ""Dress in your richest and finest and best!"" " I'll do that part!" " (Laughs )" ""Dress in your richest and finest and best!"" " Hey." "Where does this go?" " I don't know." " Let's open it!" " Urgh!" "I can't." "It's locked." "Ooh!" "I can see some stairs." "If there's a keyhole, there must be a key." "And I think I just might have it here!" " Oh." " It fits!" "Their hearts were pounding as they peered into the darkness." "Where would the staircase lead them?" "Sh-shall we see what's at the top?" "Eek!" "Come on." "The m idwinter afternoon gently gave way to evening - an evening filled with excitement and promise." "Mr Toadflax and the others had started hauling the log, encouraged by the Apples, Basil and old Mrs Eyebright." "Keep going!" "You're almost there!" " It's a good log this year." " It will make a lovely blaze." "Too bad Wilfred is missing my favourite part of the festival." "My favourite part is that first cup of your punch. (Laughs )" " J ust as we light the fire." " Oh, you are too, too kind!" "Meanwhile, Primrose and Wilfred climbed the stairs, not having any idea where they would end up." "Suddenly, the stairs came to an end at a mysterious door." " I wonder what's in there." " Only one way to find out!" "( Grunting )" "Wow!" "As the door opened, the mice stared in amazement." "They were standing in a magnificent room." "It seemed very, very old." "Everything was dusty and the air smelled strange." " Where are we?" " I don't know." "I've never been here before." "Maybe your ancestors lived here in the olden days." "Wilfred!" "Look at these!" "They're just right for tonight!" "Oh! " And dress in your richest and finest and best!"" " I wonder where that goes." " Only one way to find out!" "( Creaking )" "As Primrose and Wilfred set off to explore, the log procession approached the Old Oak Palace." "Time for the song!" "Basil, give us a note to start on." "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear." " What is it, Basil?" " I left my fiddle at the lodge." " I won't be long!" " Don't hurry, Basil!" " We like sitting up here!" " Yes. (Laughs )" " We could sit here all night!" " Yes. (Laughs )" " Watch this!" " Teasel...!" "# Merry, merry Midwinter... #" "Oof!" "(Laughs ) And a merry Midwinter to you too, Teasel!" " Ooh, well caught, Pip!" " (Laughter )" "Far away from the festivities below," "Primrose and Wilfred had found secret rooms." "There was a dining room." "A butler's pantry." "A small kitchen." "And several bedrooms, including a beautiful nursery." " This is amazing!" " They had a lot of toys!" "And a lot of clothes!" "You could wear that tonight!" "It's perfect for our poem." "What else is in there?" "Oh, look!" "Isn't this one pretty?" " Who wore these things?" " What about this?" "Hee-hee!" "Look, it fits!" " Oh!" "I bet that one itches." " Oh, yes." "(Wilfred) Let me try this on." "I want to see what we look like." " Not bad!" " Let me see!" "They'll be so surprised when they see us." "But let's not tell them where we got these." "It's our secret." " Good idea." " And now let's practise." " I'll start, then you come in." " Mm-hm." "Ahem!" "When the days are the shortest, the nights are the coldest," "The frost is the sharpest, the year is the oldest..." " It is awfully dark, isn't it?" " I can hardly see you." " ( Gasps ) Listen!" " (Faint singing )" "Oh, no!" "The Midwinter Log is here already!" " # Roast the chestnuts - # Heat the wine" "# Pass the cups along the line" "# Gather round, the log burns bright" "# It's warm as toast inside tonight!" "#" "Have you seen Primrose and Wilfred?" "They mustn't miss the lighting of the log." "I haven't seen them since they went off to the attic." "They'll soon be down when they hear all the noise!" " The bramble wine for the log." " Thank you, Mrs Apple!" " Merry Midwinter!" " ( Cheering )" "They're going to light the log." "If we don't hurry we'll miss it." " Um..." "Here, put this on!" " Oh!" "Oh!" " This way!" " Erm?" "Oh." " Over here!" " Er..." " Wasn't it over here?" " I think it was this door." "Ohh..." "Primrose!" "This way!" "Aaggh!" "Primrose, how do we get out of here?" "While Primrose and Wilfred were trying to get out, in the Hall the celebration was about to begin." "As Mrs Eyebright thrust the taper into the fire, their thoughts turned to the spring." "To trees in blossom, to the first warm rays of sun and to the song of birds returning home." "(Fire roars )" " To spring!" " ( all) To spring!" "The bright flames licked the mossy bark." "Let the feast begin!" "(Happy chatter )" "Tuck in." "They're all home-made." "Come on, my dears." "I'm beginning to worry about Primrose." "Surely they couldn't still be in the attics." " Shall I go and fetch them?" " Mmm... yes, please." "Consider it done, my dear!" " Oh!" "It's no use." " We'll never get out of here." "And no one will ever find us because it's a secret staircase!" "Primrose?" "Primrose?" "Wilfred?" "They obviously finished practising." "They must be downstairs waiting for their big moment." "Well, I don't understand it." "We got in here, so why can't we get out?" "I don't know." "What are we going to do?" "Aagghh!" "( Cheering )" "The first one to entertain us tonight will be..." "Dusty Dogwood!" "I will now do my famous three acorns and a holly berry trick!" "So that's what he's been up to." "( Crowd) Ooh!" "Ahh!" "( Applause )" " Have you found them?" " They're not in the attic." "So they must be waiting to make an entrance." "Wheeee!" "( Cheering )" "(Mr Apple ) Thank you, Dusty!" "Well juggled!" "Now it's time for me to show you my shadow pictures!" " Guess what this is." " Ahh." "Wheeee!" "(Laughter )" "Aagghh!" "( Astonished gasps )" "Primrose!" "Primrose, look!" "I see there's been a change to the order of entertainment." "I..." "I..." "I am now proud to present Primrose and Wilfred!" " Ooh!" " Oh." "Um..." "Ahh!" "When the days are the shortest, the nights are the coldest" "The frost is the sharpest, the year is the oldest" "Then polish your whiskers and tidy your nest" "And dress in your finest and richest and best!" "For winter has brought you the worst it can bring" "And now it will give you" "(Both ) The promise of spring!" "Ahh!" "( Cheering and applause )" " Didn't they recite well?" " What lovely hats!" "You're next, dear!" "Ahem!" "It's hard to follow such a fine recitation, but follow it we must." "We have our beloved Midwinter Poem thanks to an extraordinary mouse named C umulus Nimbus." "The famous explorer!" "C umulus was supposed to return from his long journey on Midwinter's Day to make Princess Rosa his bride." "But as the day progressed, it seemed less and less likely that C umulus would arrive." "After the Midwinter supper, when the mice entertained each other," "Rosa decided to read a poem that C umulus had sent her." "As she got to the final line," "" And now it will give you the promise of spring" , there was a flurry of snow in the hall." "And a figure appeared." " ( Coughs ) Oh, my word." " It was C umulus!" "And so C umulus married the Princess." "Ahh." "( all) And they lived happily ever after." "( Cheering )" "I love that story." " And I like thinking it's true." " I know, Poppy." "But there's never been any proof." "J ust a moment!" "Look at these!" "What...?" "But these are the letters." "From C umulus!" "And what do I see here?" "The Midwinter Poem!" " Where did you find these?" " J ust up in the attic" "Where we found these costumes!" "Look!" "You're wearing the same clothes as in their portrait!" "Where did you say you found them?" "Um..." "Grandpa, I hope we didn't miss your shadow pictures." "No you did not!" "May I borrow that cloak, Wilfred?" "Of course!" "First of all, I'm going to do..." "A bat!" "As Mr Apple entertained the mice," "Primrose and Wilfred thought of the games they would play in the palace at the top of the secret staircase." "Soon their heads began to nod." "And in no time at all, they were both fast asleep."