Badger and Mole stopped.
They stood in one of Badger's many tunnels.
Some of the wall was brick.
There were stone arches overhead.
“You didn't build it?” said Mole.
“What do you mean?”
“The Wild Wood was once a city,” said Badger.
“People walked, talked, and slept here.”
“People?” asked Mole.
“Yes,” said Badger.
“They built a grand city with towers and walls.
They thought it would last forever.”
“What happened to them?” asked Mole.
“Who knows?” said Badger.
“People come, stay for a bit, and go.
That is their way, but animals remain.”
“What happened to the city?” asked Mole.
“Plants grew in the empty streets,” said Badger.
“The buildings fell, and trees took root.
Soon soil covered the stones.”
“And the animals came back?” asked Mole.
“Yes,” said Badger.
“The Wild Wood was full of animals again.
When I came, I just dug out the rooms I needed.”
“But why is the Wild Wood so scary?” asked Mole.
“Well,” said Badger, “there are all kinds of animals.
Some are good, and some are bad.”
Mole thought of the faces in the wood.
“I know,” he said with a shiver.
“Don't worry,” said Badger. “You're my friend.
I'll tell them all not to bother you again.”