One night, as usual, Coley left his den to go snuffling. As was his habit, he covered the entrance to his den with an old branch that had been tossed by the great oak in the valley. Then he checked once again to see that everything was in order and turned towards the lake, but not before giving his friend a parting nuzzle on the way.
Daisy opened her petals at his touch and raised her head just in time to see him leave. There was a full moon that night, pulsing down from a cloudless sky. Its beams danced on the broad white strip of fur on Coley’s face, transforming it into a halo of silver around the badger’s head. Daisy thought she never ever seen anything as beautiful as her friend. If she ever wished to be anything other than a flower, she decided she would like to be a badger, just like Coley.
The light from the moon above was so strong it caused her to linger and gaze at the beauty of her home on the hill. Tonight Daisy decided she would stay awake to greet Coley for a change and she would truly amaze him with tales of her world asleep. But it soon proved very difficult for the little flower. It was not long before the cold and the lateness of the hour caused her petals to sag gently inwards.
Suddenly, a harsh crashing sound caused her to nearly jump from her roots. Then another, and another louder and closer to her. And more. What was it? Her little heart pounded in fear as she searched around frantically. A large animal perhaps? But was it just one? Daisy thought there must be an army of them at least. They would surely crush her to pieces where she stood, or tear her from the ground and eat her, or throw her on the rocks where the sun would slowly bake her to death.
The Burren and Beyond 