Fiddler felt like his determined fearless self again as he marched over to the door of the house. Delta followed reluctantly behind, every sense of his on high alert.

Fiddler stopped a few inches from the door and shuffled into position under a great pink fuchsia. He held a paw out to stop Delta behind him, then turned and peered through the glass paneled door. “She went in here,” he whispered. “I can’t see her though.”

Delta looked into the house curiously. “You gave her a fright. She’s probably run away to hide.” He shrugged. “Oh well, looks like we’ll just have to call it a day.”

Fiddler reached back and grabbed Delta as the camera-rat tried to sneak away. “Hold it right there. We’ll just have to go in and look for her, that’s all.”

“In? As in, inside in? Like, in the house in? As into the very heart of danger in?”

Fiddler frowned at the rat and gave him a withering look. “Yes all right, thank you. If I could carry that great heavy camera I’d go on my own but as I can’t you’ll have to come with me.”

“If we die, Fiddler, I’m holding you responsible,” said Delta. He looked at the door. “How do you propose we get in anyway?”

Fiddler tapped the side of his nose knowingly. “Don’t you worry about that, my friend. Just keep quiet and follow me. I have a plan.”

Delta groaned and was about to protest but the mouse was off again. “I hope it’s a safe plan.”

#

Hazel sat in her father’s huge office tapping at the type writer. She couldn’t help but think that Fiddler and Delta were on a foolhardy venture trying to film humans. What if they got hurt? She frowned. She didn’t like to think of Fiddler in the hands of the humans and she already knew from the boasts of Marley that he had been in trouble with a cat.

Hazel sat up. She was a resourceful mouse, all she had to do was go to the humans’ village and bring Fiddler back. She smiled. She’d go to the village

herself.

#

“I am not going through there!” Delta protested loudly. “No way, you’re on your own!”

Fiddler stood to one side of the cat flap at the front of the house and looked at Delta desperately. “It’s the only way in! Come on, y’ big wimp, there’s no cat around.”

Delta stamped his footpaw stubbornly. “I’m not going through. The cat could be waiting for us on the other side for all you know with its jaws open ready for lunch.”

“Fine,” said Fiddler, going forward boldly. “You stay here whilst I go in and check it out. Is that okay with you?”

Delta nodded and then sat back to watch as the mouse cautiously went up to the cat flap. Carefully, Fiddler lifted the flap and peered inside the house. He felt a rush of adrenaline as he looked into a human dwelling for the first time. Slowly, he clambered through the flap and stood in the hallway.

“Wow!” he breathed, looking at the huge staircase before him. He jumped up and down, enjoying the feel of the spongy carpet beneath his feet. Everything was so big! He felt excited to be the first mouse brave enough to enter a human’s home and shivered apprehensively.

Fiddler heard the creak of the cat flap behind him, fearing the worse he dashed towards the safety of a small table and hid himself behind one of the legs. As he heard the cat flap shut, Fiddler dared look out. It was Delta.

Fiddler watched his camera-rat race towards him. “Decided to join me after all then?”

Delta grinned at his friend and peered out from behind the table leg, only just taking in the enormity of the house. “Couldn’t let you get eaten without me. Fiddler, I can’t believe we’re inside a human’s place.”

“I know!” cried Fiddler excitedly. “Think of the footage we’re going to get in this place!”

“I noticed Marley skulking about outside,” said Delta, turning serious.

Fiddler snorted in disgust. “Pah! Let Marley do what he likes. If we ignore him hopefully he’ll ignore us and let us get on with it.” He rubbed his paws together. “Come on, Delta, let’s get started.”

#

Marley hid in a flower bed outside the house. He narrowed his eyes and pulled Dogwood closer to his side. “Did you see them?”

Dogwood nodded. “Yes, boss, they went into the house.”

Marley laughed. “What fools! They’re goin’ to get themselves killed. Let’s hope they do, eh Dogwood?”

Dogwood scratched his head. “Why’s that, boss?”

Marley groaned. “Because that way they can’t possibly beat me.” He clenched his paw and ground his teeth. “I’ve won the National Wildlife Film award three times and I’m not about to let a young idiot like Fiddler beat me by filming humans! No, Dogwood, they better not come out of that house alive, ‘cuz if they do then I’m goin’ to do everything in my power to stop them winning.”

Dogwood sighed. “So what now, boss?”

“Now,” said Marley, “we look for our cat One-Ear. We still have an entry to film. Come, Dogwood!”

#

Hazel, not knowing which house Fiddler was at, had already searched the gardens of at least four other houses before she had been met by a grey squirrel who claimed to know what she was looking for.

The squirrel, named Fyre, had kindly directed Hazel to the right house, explaining that she had met Fiddler before and guessed that it was he who she was looking for. With a nod of thanks Hazel had hurried on her way.

The garden of Fiddler’s chosen house was slightly larger than any of the other’s that Hazel had searched and she found it quite tiring work as she carefully worked her way across the ground. Her nerves were on edge at being so close to where she knew humans to be and she found herself startled by nearly every new sound.

“Hazel!”

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard someone call her name. “Who’s there?” she called suspiciously.

“It’s Marley! Hazel, what on earth are you doing here?” Marley peered out from under a buddleia bush. “Get over here quick, you’re far too out in the open.”

Reluctantly, Hazel joined Marley and Dogwood under the bush. “Have you seen Fiddler?” she asked, hopefully.

“He’s gone into the house,” answered Dogwood.

Hazel groaned. “Oh no.” Then she straightened herself up. “Then I’ll just have to go in and get him out.”

“Pah!” scoffed Marley. “He’s an idiot that one, you’d be better off leaving him to his own devices.”

“He may be an idiot,” declared Hazel, “but he’s a brave idiot. Anyway, he might be in trouble, he’ll need my help!”

She looked towards the house and gulped. She didn’t fancy meeting with the humans but Fiddler and Delta were her friends, if they were in trouble then she’d save them. “Right,” she said, looking at Marley. “Don’t try to stop me. Fiddler here I come!”

Gathering her wits, Hazel rushed headlong towards the house.