The very next morning Fiddler and Delta were making their way to the Village Hall ready for their grand finale, the dramatic ‘Gathering of Humans’. Fiddler studied the map that Hebe had given him intently and then looked at the quiet road that ran through the middle of the village.

“Which way from here?” asked Delta.

Fiddler scratched his head thoughtfully. “Left maybe?”

Delta took the map from his friend and smiled. “You’ve been holding it upside down. Left will lead us back to the wood. We need to go right.”

“Lead on then, oh rat-of-many-talents!” declared Fiddler, giving up his possession of the map. “Right, thataway.”

Fiddler and Delta followed the road for quite a while until it suddenly came to a stop and the Village Hall stood before them.

Fiddler hurried on, eager to set up the camera before the humans arrived. “Come on, Delta,” he called. “We’re nearly there now.”

#

By mid-morning the humans started to enter the Village Hall in dribs and drabs. Fiddler and Delta were stowed away behind a pile of staked chairs and were watching wide-eyed as the first few humans to arrive started to place all sorts of weird and wonderful objects on what looked to be stalls.

Fiddler’s mouth watered as the stall closest to where he was hiding was laden with cakes. “Are you getting all this, Delta? What are they doing?”

Happy that his camera was getting all the information, Delta straightened up and looked out at the humans. “They all look the same!” he whispered in amazement. “How can we tell which is which?”

Fiddler stifled a laugh and pointed out a very tall bald man to his camera-rat. “That one has no hair!”

Delta pulled a face. “Urgh! You don’t think it has mange, do you?”

Fiddler shrugged. “It wouldn’t surprise me, mate, half these things that humans have. Look over there, that’s our family!”

The face of the huge male was all too familiar with Delta. He saw the girl was nearby, looking at something on a stall whilst the youngster clung on to his father’s hand nervously. Delta glanced at Fiddler. The mouse had become very fond of these particular humans and always referred to them as ‘our family’. Delta just hoped that he’d be able to forget them once the film was complete.

“Look at them all,” said Fiddler, a little overwhelmed at the spectacle. “They’re truly amazing creatures!”

Delta shuddered, he wasn’t happy at being so close to so many. “Let’s just get the footage and get out of here, eh Fiddler?”

Fiddler nodded unconvincingly. “Sure, Delta. Get the footage and get out. That’s what we’ll do.”

“Good,” said Delta but he felt uneasy.

#

As the day progressed Fiddler had crept closer and closer to the humans. He watched from under one of the stalls, Delta just behind him. Fiddler stepped forward and reached out his paw.

“What are you doing?” hissed Delta, pulling Fiddler’s paw back. “Don’t touch one!”

Fiddler grinned at his camera-rat. “Don’t worry, Delta, me rat, they aren’t poisonous!” He nodded at Delta’s camera. “Get a shot of me touching one, go on.”

Delta sighed and pointed his camera at the over ambitious mouse. Fiddler took a deep breath, lent forward and gently touched the nearest human on the ankle. He turned back to Delta, expecting the rat to be impressed by his bravery. Instead, Delta didn’t even seem to notice him and was pointing wildly to something behind. Fiddler turned and looked.

The human he had touched had felt something brush her leg and now had her hand bag raised ready to flatten the two rodents. Fiddler’s eyes widened. “Run!”

Delta didn’t need a second bidding and together the two friends ran out into the middle of the hall. Humans screamed and jumped about as the two rodents dodged in between their feet.

“Why must you always go closer to them?” yelled Delta, swerving to avoid a table leg.

Fiddler jumped back as one of the humans stomped its foot down in front of him. He gasped and raced after Delta, knowing that once again the trouble was all because of his actions. He saw a door open ahead and cried out, “Quick, Delta, the door!”

Delta had nearly reached the door when suddenly he was kicked in the side by one of the humans. The rat lay winded and unable to get to his feet. Fiddler saw the human kick his friend and reach out its hand. He picked up the pace, determined to reach Delta first. “Don’t worry, Delta,” he muttered. “I won’t let them get you.”

Fiddler scurried up the nearest table leg, bounded along the top and launched himself through the air to land on the human's shoulder as it bent down to Delta.

The human shot upright and twirled about as he tried to dislodge the mouse. Other humans joined the fray, desperately trying to knock Fiddler down. To his credit, Fiddler hung on grimly keeping one eye on his rat friend all the time. “Go, Delta! Get out of here!”

Delta looked up to see Fiddler actually on one of the humans. He picked up his camera and limped towards the door. “Fiddler, come on, get down from there! We have to get out!” Delta watched as the humans now took to pulling Fiddler by his tail to get him from the man's shoulder. “Fiddler!”

Fiddler saw Delta was reluctant to leave without him. In typical Fiddler fashion he winked at his camera-rat as he was finally tugged free from the man. “Get out, Delta! Don’t worry about meeeee!”

Delta ran then and escaped the Village Hall. He kept on running until he was out of breath. He stopped outside ‘their family’s’ garden and slumped down.

He sobbed dejectedly. Fiddler was gone.