‘The Moles and the motorway men’
(A story about progress and conservation)
Mr and Mrs Mole were very happy couple.
A long time ago they had to move house when the big storm had destroyed the little home they had built for themselves near a river bank.
Mr and Mrs Mole decided after the storm that the next home they built would be very safe because they did not want to move house again, if there was another storm.
Eventually, after lots of searching, they found the perfect place to build their new home.
It was near the edge of a beautiful wood where bluebells flowered, birds sang so sweetly and the grass grew green.
Mr Mole found a lot of bushes growing closely together, above which stood a splendid oak tree. Nearby was a stream and all around the wood, the fields were full of carrots, cabbages, wheat and turnips.
Mr Mole was very pleased with himself at having found such a perfect place to build their new home.
He looked at Mrs Mole very proudly and said, "I do think we have found the perfect place to build our new home. It is in a beautiful place near to the water and with lots of food."
Mrs Mole agreed and said, "It is also very safe. There are no dangerous animals in this wood, but there are many things to keep us warm during the cold weather, and this splendid oak tree will be our special umbrella whenever it rains."
Mr and Mrs Mole settled down happily in their new home and soon became friends with all the other creatures in the wood.
The summer passed, then autumn and winter. When next spring came, Mr and Mrs Mole were happier than they had ever been. Mrs Mole told Mr Mole that she was going to have some baby moles.
They liked the idea of becoming Daddy and Mummy Mole. "Soon we will be known as 'The Mole Family' after the baby moles have been born," they said to each other.
Summer came and three baby moles were born. ‘The Mole Family' grew very happy and a lot noisier since there were now five of them instead of just two.
Whilst Mummy and Daddy Mole searched for food, the three baby moles played merrily and safely in their happy wood and nearby stream.
One day, a loud noise woke up ‘The Mole Family' and startled all the other creatures in the wood.
‘Groah– groah’ went the noise. It was one of the loudest noises ‘The Mole Family' had ever heard.
It was louder than any wild beast and was almost as loud as the last big storm, which had destroyed Mr and Mrs Mole's first home, before the baby moles had been born.
Eventually, Daddy Mole poked his head out of his house to see what the big noise could be. As soon as he saw the clear, sunny sky he knew that it couldn't be the noise of a storm.
He bravely, but slowly walked down towards the stream near the edge of the wood and stood upon a big rock, which allowed him to see all around.
Nearby, Daddy Mole could see a huge machine, lots of big lorries and many men in working clothes. The huge machine was eating up the ground and spitting it out upon the lorries.
This went on all day and the next day and the next and the longer it went on, the noisier it got.
Each day that passed, the huge machine called a 'digger' came closer to the wood and the noise continued to get louder and louder.
That night before the baby moles were put to bed, Daddy and Mummy Mole told them that they would have to move house and build a new home in a safer place.
The baby moles were sad and said, "But why do we have to leave a happy home, our wood and our friends?"
Daddy Mole told them that the men were building a big road called a 'motorway' and that he had heard one of them say to another man that it would pass by the edge of the wood. Another man had said that cars will travel along the motorway very fast.
"But why can't we stay in our happy home near our friends?" asked the three baby moles.
"Because," said Daddy Mole, "the motorway will pass between the edge of the wood and the stream. You see, we will not be able to reach the water safely if we stay here, and we all need water."
"Can we stay if I offer to fetch the water?" the bravest baby mole asked. "I don't mind running across the motorway to the stream every day if that means that we don't have to leave our happy home."
"And I'll do it as well!" said the second baby mole.
"So will I!" added the third baby mole.
Daddy and Mummy Mole cuddled three baby moles and told them that their suggestion was too dangerous. "It just isn't safe for anyone or anything to run across the motorway at anytime of the day or night," said Daddy Mole.
While the moles were talking, the motorway engineer who had been walking nearby, came close enough to their home and overheard them.
Very slowly, he popped his head down towards ‘The Mole Family’s’ home and said in a gentle voice, "Don't worry moles. I shall make sure that you do not have to leave your happy home just because you cannot get to the stream safely."
And you know, the kind motorway engineer kept his word.
When the big machines had eaten up all the ground between the edge of the wood and the stream, the motorway men went home for the night. Tomorrow they would fill in the ground with concrete and lay the motorway road with tarmac.
That night after all the motorway men had gone home, the motorway engineer came back. He brought with him a number of very long drain pipes on the back of a long, long lorry.
‘The Mole Family' watched him as he placed a big section of pipe across the bottom of the ground that had been dug out. He had to use a very tall machine called a 'crane' to do this.
Then over the next few hours, the motorway engineer joined up all the sections of long pipe he had brought on his lorry and made a very, very, very, very long pipe that he laid in the trench he’d dug out with the crane!
The pipe was so long that it stretched from the bushes at the edge of the wood across to the side of the stream.
Then the motorway engineer filled in the bottom of the road with lots of soil and earth until the long pipe was completely covered and couldn't be seen any more. He worked all night long and he had to use the big digger and the crane to get it finished in time.
When the motorway engineer had finished, he was very tired, but very happy.
He told the moles that the pipe was large enough for them to walk through. He said that the pipe was made of a special material called 'plastic' and would never break or rot beneath the ground. He said that when the motorway men had filled in the rest of the road with concrete and tarmac, that they would be completely safe, and that their special tunnel would be completely secret.
‘The Mole Family’ thanked their kind friend and went to sleep happily.
The motorway was finished and the cars had a nice big road to travel along. 'Everyone and Everything’ were happy.
‘The Mole Family' were able to go to the stream safely whenever they wanted to, and nobody ever found out about the secret tunnel under the motorway.
On the day that the motorway was finished, the driver of the huge digger machine said to the motorway engineer, "What is your helmet doing in my digger?"
The driver of tall crane said, "And what are your gloves doing inside my crane?"
The motorway engineer just smiled kindly and said nothing. But we know, don't we?
The end
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