RAMDreams - The Muskrat and the Mouse

~About The Muskrat and the Mouse~

The Muskrat and the Mouse is a children’s novel by R.A.Mildren.

In a land troubled by a mysterious, growing conflict between rodents and amphibians, Madysyn the muskrat and Damascus the mouse have been imprisoned by the powerful and ruthless Magistrate. Together, they must escape from their cells in Precipice Wall and make their way to Madysyn's home in the South, where they believe the secret to the conflict's origins may lie.

Journey with them as they encounter dozens of interesting characters, face danger and adventure and strive to prevent the war that threatens to break out and consume the entire land. You can download the audio book files below or subscribe to the podcast and receive each chapter as it becomes available.

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Audio Files ~ Podcast ~ List of Characters ~ Map ~ Artwork

~ The Muskrat and the Mouse Book I: The Escape - Audio Files ~
(A zip file of the entire audio of Book I will be made available soon.)
(Right click on links to save audio files to your computer.)

Prologue: A Light in the Dark

Book I: The Escape

Book II: The Road South
(These files will be posted soon.)

Chapter I: The Forbidden Place
Chapter II: The Rabbit and the Marsh
Chapter III: The Tea Bowl
Chapter IV: Flutterby Inn
Chapter V: The Dunes
Chapter VI: The Meeting at Mossturn Glenville
Chapter VII: A Healing and a Tearing
Chapter VIII: River Rocks and Chestnuts
Chapter IX: Sandhill Manor
Chapter X: “The Glory of the Line”
Chapter XI: The Beaver’s Tale
Chapter XII: Cider for Peace
Chapter XIII: Partings
Chapter XIV: The Shelter and the Storm
Chapter XV: Lazarus
Chapter XVI: Lost and Found
Chapter XVII: In the Home of Family
Chapter XVIII: Like Wind Through a City
Chapter XIX : The Bath House
Chapter XX: Home

~ The Muskrat and the Mouse Book I: The Escape - List of Characters ~

A note about the characters in these books:

In this story I refer to the characters as “people,” “animals,” and “creatures.” They are not human but nor are they the animals we see around us today. They stand somewhere on the wall that is set between the world of mankind and the rest of the animal kingdom.

Their lifespan is in most cases much longer than that of the corresponding creatures in our world. Their sizes are only similar to their counterparts in our world. Many of them that are quadrupeds in our world walk around in this story on their hind legs and have clever hands. Their intelligence much more resembles human intelligence than the animal intelligences we have witnessed in our world, giving them both many of the gifts and curses of the human mind and psyche. And finally the separation between species in this book is much narrower than in our world and the term "breeds" would be more appropriate than “species.” In fact most of the creatures belong to one imagined “superspecies” (as opposed to subspecies) but this story does not delve into a discussion on this complex subject as that would be better left to a story for another time about the years that came long before even the remote and forgotten Hidden Age.

Characters appearing in Book I:
(Names in bold denote major characters.)

Abacus: a salamander and former criminal
Abby: nickname of Abacus
Byrid: son of Lucinda the badger and Valender the ferret
Celera: a chipmunk; Farmer Dexty's sister
Damascus: a mouse poet
Danters: guard at Precipice Wall
Deidanna: a chipmunk; Farmer Dexty's sister
Dexty, Farmer: a chipmunk farmer
Frendis: gray squirrel; guard at Precipice Wall prison
Hasalinao: a red squirrel; twin brother of Martikaut and guard at Precipice Wall prison
Hass: nickname of Hasalinao
Kebix: a rat; guard at Precipice Wall
Lucinda: a badger; wife of Valender
Madysyn: the daughter of Horrance the frog and Sylvyna the muskrat
Magistrate, the: a rat; warden of the Precipice Wall prison and holder of several other positions of administrative power
Maka: nickname of Martikaut
Martikaut: a red squirrel; twin brother of Hasalinao and guard at Precipice Wall prison
Meisong: an owl poet (deceased)
Neiser: squirrel miller
Parradet: a gray squirrel; guard at Precipice Wall prison
Paralav: a pigeon poet (deceased)
Pipers, Mr and Mrs: two vole shopkeepers near Precipice Wall
Sandy: a muskrat; friend of Valender and Lucinda
Simantha: daughter of Lucinda the badger and Valender the ferret
Teeka: daughter of Lucinda the badger and Valender the ferret
Tracapot: toad pilot
Tysin: son of Lucinda the badger and Valender the ferret
Virgil: gray squirrel; guard at Precipice Wall prison
Ueragid: a beetle living in the walls of the Precipice Wall prison
Valender Cornelius: a ferret; husband of Lucinda and former criminal
Weslit: porcupine clerk at a communication shed in Manywaterston

New characters appearing in Book II:
(Names in bold denote major characters.)

Bauven: a mouse; son of proprietor of Flutterby Inn
Bettles: a beaver saving money to be married
Brenny: a newt; patient at Sandhill Manor
Cararay: an old lemming; patient at Sandhill Manor
Chepster: an old groundhog; patient at Sandhill Manor
Churana: a renowned painter (deceased)
Dinight: a vole; patient at Sandhill Manor
Erli Kigson: a woodchuck; creator of the common tongue and ancestor of Dr. Feinisi (deceased)
Elenii: a mouse; daughter of proprietor of Flutterby Inn
Fanatep: an amphibian who lives in Mossturn Glennville
Farer: (see Soriel Farender)
Feinisi, Dr: a woodchuck; the doctor running Sandhill Manor
Gither: a toad who lives in Mossturn Glennville
Hanbinar: a toad who lives in Mossturn Glennville
Hinfrey: a possom; patient at Sandhill Manor
Lazarus: a fox living in Cranuter's Ravine
Maybell: daughter of Welid
Prudy: foreman working on building a viaduct
Leuqued: a rabbit giving boat rides at Quebblan Marsh
Paboi Kigson: a woodchuck; ancestor of Dr. Feinisi (deceased)
Paiparapa: a rabbit; friend of Leuqued (deceased)
Penina: a patient at Sandhill Manor
Penikineshis: a rodent inventor who made many tools and machines(deceased)
Reinold: a toad who lives in Mossturn Glennville
Rixta: a rabbit; friend of Leuqued (deceased)
Ruby: a frog; son of Soriel Farender
Sagil: a heron living at Quebblan Marsh
Silas: a frog; son of Soriel Farender
Soriel Farender: a frog; Horrance's brother
Suser: daughter of Gither
Tabilough:: a toad who lives in Mossturn Glennville
Taminy: a mouse in love with Elenii
Welid: an amphibian who lives in Mossturn Glennville

~ The Muskrat and the Mouse Map ~
(To be posted soon.)

~ The Muskrat and the Mouse Artwork ~
This is a painting from Book I: The Escape. The scene depicts Damascus the mouse and Madysyn the muskrat at the pillar ruins described in Chapter IV: The Night in the Ruins. (More art to be posted soon.)

Click the image to view the full-sized image file (2000X1500 pixels).

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