Audio story: Magnus and the trail search part 5

Magnus, Muck, and Balti took a deep breath. Their hearts were racing. They couldn't stay as calm as the sleeping beech tree, but maybe the large tree wanted to encourage them, saying something like "Close your eyes and go for it!" So that's what the three did. They licked their index finger and held it up in the air to see where the wind was blowing from. Perhaps they were lucky and it would push the thunderstorm away from them. At least they had seen it on the other side of the mountain. They decided to keep walking uphill in hopes of reaching the hut soon. Despite their feet feeling as heavy as lead, they continued following the forest path towards the mountain. The rain hammered down on the soft ground. Thunder rumbled. Muck had tears in his eyes, but no one could see that now anyway.

It was raining so heavily that they didn't see the woodshed in the forest until they were almost right in front of it. "Is this the Gundhütte?" Balti asked. "Nah, doesn't look like it," Magnus replied. "A woodshed or something. Come on, let's slip under the roof." The three pushed aside the tall nettles and sat down on the stacked wood against the wall. At least the roof offered them some protection from the rain and wind. The three stared with wide eyes at the intense natural shower in front of them. Ticketaketok, tok, tok - the drops fell on the felled wood in front of them, drumming a rhythm. Meanwhile, the sky growled and rumbled. But the thunder was gradually moving away. "Oh man," Magnus sighed with relief, "looks like the storm is clearing up." The three friends shivered. It didn't matter now whether from fear or cold. Suddenly, they heard rustling in the bushes. "The next adventure?" Balti asked wearily, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe it's just a mouse or something," Muck suggested. He'd had enough adventures for one day. Magnus saw something dart away between the green leaves with a large tail. He jumped up and darted around the corner, but he couldn't see anything.

There, near the woodshed, Magnus discovered a large hole in a tree trunk. The terrain around it was slightly hilly, as if something underground lay beneath. "Hey, come over here, you two!" Magnus called out. Weary, the other two got up, but upon seeing the hole, their adventurous spirit awakened again. "Whoa, that's intense! It's really big. What kind of animal could fit through there?" Balti asked. "Maybe a fox?" Muck guessed. "I don't think so. Whatever darted past didn't have reddish fur. The tail seemed more gray-brown-black," Magnus said.

(Text: Ingrid Rösner)