The harvest was over and summers bright days had turned to the mists of autumn. Alexander Brown put on his old jacket and taking the barrow set off along the hedgerows to collect a load of "old man's beard". This was needed to help decorate Pickledeen Church for the harvest festival which was to be held the next day. Soon the barrow was full to overflowing with the fluffy heads and green stems, and Alexander trundled it along to the church porch.

"Do you think this is enough or will we need some more" he asked Bridget Vole who was in charge of the arrangements. Bridget look at the pile of greenery as he carefully laid it on the floor.

"Well it does not seem to go far," she said, "by the time we have draped it round the font and used it to bind the corn to the alter rail I should think we will need at least one more load, if not two."

"Can I go and help collect it" asked Vincent cheerfully. Bridget looked at her son thoughtfully and noted his eager face and expectant eyes. Vincent was very fond of Alexander and always took the opportunity to help him if he could.

"If Uncle Alexander does not mind you can, but you must do just as you are told and not get in the way."

"I will be good" promised Vincent excitedly as he set off with Alexander, telling him all about his new school. Soon they had picked another barrow load, and with his arms full as well Vincent led the way back to the church.

"Oh dear you are loaded up" exclaimed Judith as he staggered down the nave, "put it down there by the pulpit and we will sort it out later."

Just then there was a squeal of laughter and Betsy Daw came running round the corner right into poor Vincent nearly knocking him over.

"Now, not so much running about" admonished Mama Daw, "you'll cause an accident if you don't mind, go and find a quieter game to play, or better still find a job to do. The aisle over there could do with a good sweep with brush and pan.

"All right Mama", said Betsy and Jonathan, "we will soon have that tidied up." They quickly found a broom and brush and pan, and began clearing up the bits that had dropped.

"Do you want to see up the tower." enquired Christopher Church as Betsy dropped the last sweeping into a sack. "We could have a game of hide and seek".

"Oh, yes please" said Jonathan, so he and Betsy followed Chris to the tower. Vincent and Valerie Vole were already there.

"How do we get up" Valerie enquired, "the door seems to be locked."

"We use the rope." Chris replied, "it's quite easy really." and he clambered onto the back of a chair from which he could reach a rope looped over a hook on the wall. It looked a long way up as Vincent and Valerie gazed above to where the rope disappeared through a hole in the ceiling. They were not very good at climbing and noted how the rope swung about as Chris climbed up it.

"It`s all right, we will help you" said Betsy, who was rather proud of how well she could climb. So with Betsy helping Valerie and with Jonathan in the rear giving Vincent a paw they made their way up the rope and through the hole into the room above. Jonathan was just stepping off the rope when there was a clatter and whirr from somewhere above, followed by a frightful clang of one of the great bells that hung in the room they had just entered.

"Oh, whatever is that" cried Jonathan as he flung himself to the floor.

"That's just the old clock striking" explained Chris, "it makes a terrible din but does no harm. Come on, let's have a game of hide and seek. Jonathan was last up so he must be first to seek.

"Oh, all right" Jonathan agreed. His eyes were just getting used to the dim light that came through the slats that covered the windows. There were many places to hide here, posts and boxes and beams, and above them the great bells hanging from their trunions.

While Jonathan covered his eyes and counted slowly to ten the others scampered away to hide.

"Coming" he called when he had reached ten. All was mousy quiet in the belfry except for the ticking of the clock from somewhere above and the occasional suppressed giggle from behind a beam. Soon he had caught Vincent and Betsy hiding beneath a trunk. Betsy heard Valerie sneeze and found her in a dusty corner behind a post, but Chris had quite vanished and it was some time before Valerie spotted him peeping out from one of the bells.

"That had you puzzled," he cried as he took a flying leap onto a pile of sacks, "now its Vincent's turn."

So the game went on with much hilarity, but by the time it was Chris's turn to do the finding new hiding places were becoming hard to find. Then Jonathan noticed a door leading from the belfry and peeping round it he saw a flight of steps leading to the room above. Here the ticking of the clock was much louder and in the light from the narrow windows he could see the mechanism above him and the swinging pendulum below it. But otherwise the room was bare with nowhere to hide. Jonathan had just decided to go back to the belfry when Chris called out that he was coming.

Quickly Jonathan took another look round and saw in the far corner what appeared to be just the place, a sort of hole let into the floor. It had a hard rocky bottom with a smooth rope fixed to its centre, and there was a mysterious narrow gap all round it. But it was just deep enough for Jonathan to duck down out of sight.

The ticking of the clock was very loud now, indeed he could almost feel it. Down below he could just make out the scuffling of Chris as he hurried round the hiding places, and the muffled squeaks of excitement as he came upon one of his companions. Soon they were all scurrying about calling for Jonathan, but trying not to giggle he stayed just where he was.

Suddenly there was a clatter and loud whirr, at first it startled Jonathan, but he quickly remembered that it was just the clock beginning to strike. Clang, went the bell, Jonathan covered his ears. Clang it went again, and Jonathan felt a strange rubbing against his fur where he leant against the side of the hole. Looking up he was surprised to see that the floor above seemed further away. For a third time the bell clanged and as it did so Jonathan distinctly saw the hole get deeper, now it was far too deep for him to scramble out and the rope fixed to the centre was too smooth to climb, besides it was a long way up to where it disappeared into the workings of the clock.

"Help!" called Jonathan, "help, I can't get out." But no one heard him. The others had given up calling and thinking that he had already made his way back to the church below they went down the rope and were soon being organised to help clear up. Vincent did go up to the clock room, but seeing no possible hiding place he had followed the others, he could hear Mama and Papa Vole calling for him. And since the bell was still sounding loudly he did not hear Jonathan's cry for help.

So busy were they all with the clearing up that no one missed Jonathan until it was time to go. And since they were all chattering excitedly they failed to hear the distressed cries for help from two floors above.

"Where is Jonathan" called Papa Daw as they gathered at the church door.

"Jonathan, come along, we are going now" cried Betsy, but no Jonathan appeared, by now he was fast asleep curled up in his hiding place, tired out after all his calling for help.

"When did you last see him Betsy?" Mama Daw enquired.

"While we were playing hide and seek in the tower, we thought he had come back down on his own, as we could not find him anywhere."

"Oh, my" wailed Mama Daw, "what can have become of him, has Oswald Owl got him." A great sob welled up inside her.

"No, I am sure Oswald was not around" said Christopher, "perhaps he is still hiding after all."

"We had better go and have another look" said Walter, "and a lantern would be a good thing to bring, it is so dark up there."

"I will go and get one at once." said Chris as he hurried off. Soon he returned with the lantern and Joshua Church had come too with the key to the tower. Hastily everyone clambered up the steps to the belfry just as the clock began to strike again.

The noise woke Jonathan with a start and he was just in time to see a great gap open up in front of him, in fact if he had not grabbed the rope that held the weight he might have fallen right off.

"Help," he called again, "Help, I can't get down."

Everyone looked up into the corner from where the cry came.

"Look, he's up there on the weight of the clock" cried Christopher.

"However did you get up there?" asked Joshua.

"I didn't get up, the floor kept dropping down." and he explained just what had happened.

"Dear dear, how will we get him down" exclaimed Mama Daw, but she was relieved to see that at least he was safe.

"We could wait until the weight reaches the belfry floor," said Joshua, "though that wont be till next Tuesday sometime."

"Let's go up to the clock room," suggested Alexander "may be we could get a rope down to him."

But from up in the clock room they still could not see a way to help. The only ropes that they could find were those fixed to the bells, besides Jonathan was so scared of falling over the edge that he clung tightly to the wire rope holding the weight.

"What we need is a ladder," said Alexander, "but it would have to be a small one, we would never get a big one up those winding stairs.

"How about a large bit of wood," suggested Chris, "I am sure that I saw some loose pieces in the belfry."

"Hmm, its worth a try." Alexander mused as he carefully gauged the distance down to Jonathan. So he followed Chris back down to the belfry where they sorted out some pieces of wood left over from repairing the floor.

"I think this one should do," said Alexander at last, "let's give it a try". So with Walter Vole helping he carried the plank to the room above and began to lower it down the hole. It took quite a few willing helpers to hold it steady so that it did not drop off the edge of the weight, but at last it was in place. It was just long enough to reach to the top of the hole.

"Who is going down?" enquired Joshua, "I am afraid I am not very steady these days and I can,t climb like I used to.

"I'll go." Volunteered Chris excitedly, I am good at climbing."

"No, I think it had better be one of the grown ups", said Alexander, "I shall go myself, now Walter if you will just give me a paw."

"Oh, do be careful" cried Katie, but secretly she was rather proud of Alexander's brave resolve.

Just then there was a click an a brief whirr from above.

"The clock." exclaimed Joshua, "It is just about to strike, you will have to be quick."

Already Alexander was down on the weight and helping a trembling Jonathan to climb the plank. Quickly he followed, pushing Jonathan gently over the edge where Mama Daw was ready to comfort him. Reaching up Alexander grabbed the edge of the hole where more helping paws were ready to pull him up. And it was not a moment too soon, for as he clambered up the clock made a clunk and clang and began to ring out the hour.

"Oh, my what a din" cried Katie as she put a paw round Alexander's shoulder, "and whatever is that" she exclaimed as the sound of a terrific thud from below could be heard above the sound of the bell. It was the plank up which Alexander had just climbed, it had slipped right down the hole and onto the floor below, fortunately no one was near it as it fell.

Then with much relieved laughter they all went back down to the church and Joshua locked up the tower again, but only after making sure that everyone was accounted for. In a very short while they were on the way back to their homes wishing each other good night.

Oh, Alexander I do think you were brave" said Katie as he saw her home.

It was nothing really, I am quite used to scrambling up bits of wood in the pantry." explained Alexander humbly.

At the service next day the church looked splendid, with all the fruit and vegetables and flowers. The corn at the alter rail glowed in the sun shining through the windows, and the "old man's beard" sparkled round the font and pulpit. During the quiet of the prayers the clock chimed out in the tower above and Jonathan said a prayer of thanks of his own for his rescue the day before.

Katie squeezed Alexander's paw and gave him a knowing wink.