Once upon a time there were  forests full of animals and birds and insects that enjoyed a peaceful life and it was safe for the  old Widow Mrs. Humble Bunny to leave her cozy home with her picnic basket to take long walks after tea time most mornings.  Mrs. Bunny would often leave a note for her nephew to join her for lunch in the Hollow, as she did THIS spring day.

As she ambled along the path she thought of her late husband and how the thieving Fox family had recently moved into the community as well as the clumsy young  Eagle; and disturbed the peace.

Old Missus Humble Bunny on her walk.

As Mrs. Bunny reached the rose hedge that morning that surrounded the Hollow she saw the clumsy young Eagle swoop by. Mrs. Bunny heard screeches and loud Ravens' chatter from above her and saw the flock of crows circling the Hollow; noisily squawking. She feared for her life. She dropped her picnic basket on the close by bench and she hid in the brambles to peer beneath them in safety. She moved closer to the edge of the Hollow to see what was causing the ruckus. Somehow, in her frenzy Mrs. Bunny had dropped her glasses.  

Old Mrs. Humble Bunny could not see clearly without her glasses.

Soon things quieted down as the Ravens and Crows dispersed. Mrs. Bunny hopped out of the brambles only to be buffeted by Brigadier Badger who was rushing by toward the Hollow stuttering, "Oh me, oh my!". He did not even apologize for bumping her aside.

Mrs. Bunny then found that her picnic basket was gone from the bench. She searched but to no avail. So she started toward home. Then she noticed something. 

Her nephew Mr. Brown Bunny was laying beyond the bench unconscious on the pathway!    

Soon Brigadier Badger returned with the news that Foxy had been murdered in the Hollow. Foxy lay there on his back dead.

The Brigadier helped Mr. Brown Bunny to his feet and took notes about the disappearance of Mrs. Bunny's picnic basket. He advised them to go directly home together as Mrs. Foxy would be advised to come to identify Foxy soon. 

Brown and Bunny limped homeward. Brigadier went to the former "Community Store House"  that the Foxy's lived in to inform Mrs. Foxy. The to report the incidents.

The Brigadier informed Mrs. Foxy of Foxy's demise. Then he  employed his advisor Retired Major Barnie Beaver to investigate Foxy's death, which Beaver was reluctant to do. Major Beaver however, agreed to search the Hollow and interview witnesses. 

They  both knew that Foxy was unpopular with the whole community. They held meetings of all the likely witnesses of the Hollow; The Ravens, the Crows, the Rats, the hedgehog, the Weasel, Mr. Brown and Mrs. Humble... even little  Munchie House Mouse.    

While the suspects and witnesses were being interviewed Mrs. Foxy Fox sent word to her elder children and they came and attended to packing her possessions up. They moved her back into the suburbs were they all lived. Where Mrs. Foxy and the late Mr. Foxy Senior came from. She needed her family around her at this devastating grievous time of loss and sadness.

Retired Major Beaver made meticulous notes.

Mrs. Frederique Foxy Fox departed with her family never to return... 

Brigadier Badger and the Retired Major Beaver compared notes daily.  Foxy had been known to raid the birds nests regularly and that he was suspected of eating Mrs. Humble Bunny's husband, Mr. Bunny Senior. However,  ALL of the suspects had alibis for where they were when Foxy was murdered.  Someone was fibbing. The inspectors Badger and Beaver decided that they must interview everyone AGAIN. They needed to get to the bottom of this mystery and solve the case to have peace.

Wise Olly Owl advised that they interview more cunningly this time. They were to infer that they ALREADY knew more facts than before and interview each witness separately. 

Brigadier Badger tediously re-interviewed all the inhabitants of the county. He and Ranger Racoon interviewed Mr. Brown Bunny and Mrs. Humble Bunny again too. In his notes Badger realized that Mr. Brown had previously omitted the fact that he had seen Clumsy Young Eagle swoop overhead moments before he was rendered unconscious on the path that day.  Mrs. Bunny had also omitted seeing the Eagle as she'd been in a tizzy the first time she was interviewed. Then her cousin remembered something more....  

Mr. Brown recalled seeing Eddy Weasel's feet disappearing into the brambles near his home behind the bench  as Brown was knocked out. 

Brigadier Badger knew Weasel's home was located in those exact brambles.  

The Brigadier decided to fetch a search warrant for Weasel's house.

With the search warrant the Brigadier insisted Major Beaver help search Weasel's home. as expected the picnic basket was found in the cellar! Eddy was arrested and charged with theft. He was then interrogated at the authorities office.

Weasel confessed. However, he said he saw who killed Foxy and if he told them who did it, he wanted immunity from his misdemeanor of theft. Thinking that Weasel might be fibbing. They needed advice from Old Owl. They discussed the crime. They all concurred with 

Olly Ow so decided to make the deal.

Weasel waited. He had enjoyed Mrs. Bunny's picnic of carrot and cucumber sandwiches; he had no regrets. 

Meanwhile, Major Beaver re-interviewed squirrel and Foxy's House Mouse who lived in the wood shed under Foxy's house....

House Mouse mentioned to Squirrel and Beaver  that the morning of his death Mrs. Foxy had sent Foxy to the Hollow to collect eggs for their dinner at noon time because the previous day Eagle had raided her pantry. House Mouse said that Foxy had had an argument with Eagle many times over this very behavior of thievery...

The Brigadier and Beaver made the deal with Weasel the next morning. Afterwards, Weasel told them that it was Young Eagle that at precisely noon Young Eagle had picked Foxy up by the scruff of his neck, flown him terribly high above the Hollow and dropped him on his head to the rock pile below. Weasel said there were many Ravens that could also attest to the crime also. The Ravens were colluding together to keep their names OFF the list of suspects by giving one another alibis. Beaver re interviewed the Ravens each one separately.

Beaver and Brigadier decided to imply,  that one of the Ravens had confessed to being a witness to Foxy's demise.  Each Raven suspected the other of confessing. Finally, they each pleaded that they only fibbed because they were in fear of what Young Eagle's revenge might be; as retribution for tattling. They each knew that Eagle was powerful and strong and although clumsy, he was vindictive. They all feared him.

Major Beaver despised Eagle. Young Eagle had been raiding his dam every morning for months.

This very habit of Eagle's was what gave Major Beaver an idea of how to catch the Culprit and bring him to trail...