"Now before we carry on with the story I would like to dedicate it especially to Ayiliya Byrne, my beautiful Great Niece who lives in Kent. I know she loves animals and I'm sure she will love Sandy/Gus and Carrie-anne as well as Marus and Rascal and all the strange animals and  friends they meet on their  journey around the country-side."

The Tales of Sandy Bramblefield

 Tale One – Saving the Village

 
         Boulder after boulder continued to cascade down the steep mountain side, already Bramble Cottage and River-side Croft lay waste under the rubble that was quickly filling the pass between the Bryn and the Berain. The small road into and out of the tiny hamlet of  Bramble-way, was impassable, and what was even worse  was the way the falling rocks were now  beginning to find there way into the raging river.
“I tell you Doris, if these rocks keep falling all night we shall wake up drowned in the morning.” Sandy said shaking his head from side to side as he looked at the water level rising on his legs.
“If we drowned and wake up in the morning that will be a miracle in itself.” Doris said without looking up from her task in hand, "and if you used you hands more to build this dam, hopefully we will not drown at all, Sandy Bramblefield. Now get your great paws down here and help me with this dam, Jeremy said he wants it at least ten foot high.”

“Oh look Doris! I think that’s your kitchen table over there.” Sandy said a broad smile on his hairy face, “It only has two legs left, poor thing.
“Sandy” Doris yelled at the top of her voice, which was instantly drowned out by the noise from the river. “It is our job to try to stop the water getting into the hamlet from this left bank, now will you move them boulders over here now please?”
Sandy muttered something under his breath, before walking over to the nearest boulder and picking it up as if it were a feather he threw it over to were Doris was standing, who only just managed to get out of the way before it landed with a heavy splash on the edge of the river bank.
“For goodness sake Sandy what are you trying to do now? That almost landed on top of me. Sometimes I wonder if you were born with any brains at all.”
“I didn’t mean for it to land so close Doris, honest I didn’t, I was trying to get it so you wouldn’t have to lift it yourself, it is very heavy. I really am very sorry Doris.”
“I should blooming well hope so you great oaf Sandy Bramblefield” Doris said as she picked herself up and dusted some of the mud off her coat.  With that she turned on her heels and started to walk away from the apologetic bear.
“Where are you going Doris?” Sandy shouted as she walked away, I didn’t mean it honestly I didn’t. I just got carried away. I'm sorry!
“I’m off to find Jeremy he will have to find someone else to help you finish building it, I really don’t want to end up squashed.” Doris shouted back as she carried on walking up the path.

         Sandy stood there, he felt really awful, ok, so he was a bit clumsy, you might even say he was heavy handed, but he was all heart. The fact that his brain and his heart walked two separate paths just made it a little harder to co ordinate his good will and his daftness. 

He shrugged his shoulders and carried on working on his own, within no time at all, the dam was almost in finished only a couple more large rocks and it would be watertight. The small cottages that lay all along the bottom of the mountainside were safe.  The group of bears on the opposite bank had worked furiously to keep up with Sandy, now they moved back away from the dam as Sandy moved himself into place, carrying with him a rock, so big  that very few bears could have moved together let alone on their own.  He dropped it into the hole and immediately the water in the river turned away from the village and raged down towards the weir which was a few miles further down the Ellewy.

  A huge cheer went up from the rest of the villagers, there were quite a few there who remembered the last time the mountains descended into the small pass.  

 The Bryn side of the mountain had always been a bit temperamental. Sandy’s own father had been killed in the land slide of forty seven, but since then there had never been such terrible storms, and without doubt they had had lots more rain and strong winds than ever before, this time another avalanche further up the stream had raised the level of the water and as the current increased the base of the Bryn collapsed and now there was a full scale rescue going on to save the Brambleway.

Sandy stood up admiring his work and he bowed low to the bears who were applauding him, a huge smile upon his big, brown hairy face. When the applause turned to screams, Sandy didn’t notice. And the next minute the sound of the falling boulders made him look up. He didn’t have time to move out of the way and the last the villagers saw of him was his huge head fall forward, as a massive boulder landed on top of his shoulders. Sandy was already unconscious when he was sucked under the waves that carried his body down stream towards the weir and certain death.