Later that evening as Fiddler and Delta gathered with other reporters in the room next to the main hall, Marley and Dogwood watched them secretly from behind a pair of flashy curtains. Marley watched Delta carrying the camera that contained Fiddler’s ‘A Gathering of Humans’ film. He turned to Dogwood.
“We need to distract them so that we can take the camera,” he said. “When I give the word, you run out and pretend that you're hurt. Try to get Fiddler and Delta over to help you, hopefully that big idiot rat will have to put his camera down and when he does I’ll grab it.”
Dogwood looked at his boss thoughtfully. “How do I pretend I’m hurt?” he asked innocently.
Marley glared at him, then angrily hit him round the head. “There! Now you won’t have to pretend. Go on!”
Poor Dogwood stumbled out into the middle of the hall rubbing his head. He moaned pitifully and staggered towards Fiddler.
Fiddler rushed up to the camera-rat and looked at him. “Are you all right, mate? You don’t look too good.”
Dogwood collapsed to the floor and shut his eyes tight.
“Delta, the poor chap's fainted,” said Fiddler. “Help me carry him to the medical room will ya?”
Delta put his camera down on the table and together he and Fiddler gently carried Dogwood out of the room.
From his hiding place, Marley sniggered delightedly. Dogwood had actually done something right for a change! While everyone was occupied with worrying over the camera-rat he slipped out and took Delta’s camera. With a quick look to make sure no one was watching him, he sneaked away.
#
It was now nearly time to show the films for the competition. Fiddler, Delta, Hazel and her dad, and senior reporter Marley and his camera-rat were all sat around a table specially prepared for Channel 1.5.
“Well, you didn’t take long to recover, eh?” said Fiddler cheerily to Dogwood.
Dogwood looked at Marley and said nothing.
“Shh!” cautioned the Boss. “The first film is about to be shown and judged.”
Fiddler watched as the vole Sessile Streambank was handed the first film to play. The big white screen at the front of the hall flickered and came to life. It was a film about sparrows.
Fiddler nudged Delta excitedly. “Ours is much better than this, mate.”
Delta smiled. “It’s Marley’s film up next.”
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Fiddler watched Marley go up on stage to present his film to Sessile Streambank. He sat and listened to his film on cats and glanced over at Delta, who looked far too impressed with the footage for his liking. When it was all over Marley smiled smugly at Fiddler.
“Well? Good, wasn’t it?”
Fiddler smiled back. “Ours next. Then we’ll just see whose film the judges like best.” He looked at Delta. “Take the camera up to the stage now, mate.”
Delta looked about. “Uh, Fiddler, where is the camera?”
Fiddler instantly looked at Marley. “You! Where’s our camera?”
Marley shrugged. Up on stage, Sessile Streambank called out for Fiddler’s entry again.
“Uh, just play the next film please. sir!” called Hazel. “We’ll be with you in a minute!”
As the next entry was played Fiddler glared angrily at Marley. “You’d do anything to stop me wouldn’t you? Where is it?”
The Boss desperately tried to calm his two reporters down as they argued a bit too loudly for his liking. “Hazel, take them outside and try to sort this out, please!”
Hazel stood up, expecting the two mice to do the same. Instead Fiddler stayed put and pointed to something hanging from a chandelier way above their heads. “You’ve put it up there!” Despite both the Boss and Hazel trying to hold him back, Fiddler jumped up onto the table, bounded over to the next and started to climb the curtains.
Marley laughed. “He’ll never get it!”
Fiddler pulled himself paw over paw up the curtains until he was stood on the pole at the top. He looked across to the chandelier where Delta’s camera hung by its straps and then down to the reporters who were all watching him below, and readied himself for a jump.
The audience gasped. ‘He’ll never make it!”
“Go, Fiddler!” yelled Delta, standing up. “You can do it, one giant leap!”
Fiddler braced himself and leapt. He sailed through the air and then suddenly the breath was knocked out of him as he grabbed the camera. Below him the audience cheered. Fiddler swung about unable to get the camera down.
“Delta, help me!”
“I’ll catch you, Fiddler! Undo the straps!”
Fiddler had total trust in his rat friend and struggled to undo the straps. He fell and landed heavily in Delta’s arms.
The audience were still applauding as Fiddler got to his feet. He went to the stage and handed the camera to Sessile Streambank.
Then all were silent and captivated by the film. Marley slouched down in his chair and pouted moodily. When the film had finished, Sessile Streambank wiped his brow.
“Well!” he declared. “I think we’ve found our winner.” He looked across to the panel of judges to confirm and they all nodded. The vole cleared his throat and announced formally, “H’anda the winner of this year’s National Wildlife Film Award issss Fiddler from Channel 1.5 with his film ‘A Gathering of Humans’!”
Fiddler leapt up from his seat and was patted heartily on the back by many of the other reporters. He looked at his camera-rat. “I’m not going up there on my own, mate. Come on.”
Fiddler and Delta made their way to the stage, both grinning from ear to ear. Fiddler took the golden statuette and held it high above his head. “Thank you! I’m fearless Fiddler, tamer of the humans! I’ll be here all night signing autographs and. . .”
Delta chuckled and ushered his over excitable friend back to the table where Hazel hugged them both fondly and nodded towards where Marley had now fainted. “Well done,” she said, then laughed happily. “Very well done!”
“Can you believe it?” Fiddler grinned. “We won, Delta! We won!”
Delta smiled. “You always said we would.”
Fiddler laughed and tugged his friend’s ear. “And next year, Delta, we’ll win it again. I already have an idea. Owls, Delta, hunting owls! It’s going to be fantastic.”
Delta groaned and shook his head despairingly. “Fiddler . . !”