Fred is a young field mouse, and he's the only one in his family to survive the winter. It was the coldest winter the North Yorkshire Dales had ever known. As he sits nibbling away at a slightly browned apple core at the base of the dry stone wall he calls his home, Fred catches the sight of movement from the corner of his eye. He freezes at first, and then slowly turns to find a very large creature with a menacing snout and very long, menacing claws. Fred is relieved to learn that the creature is Bertram Kettlewell Smiley of Upper Wharfedale-Bertie, for short-and that he's not just a badger, but a badger of great repute. Fred is glad he's met Bertie and it's a good thing he has, for it isn't long before trouble threatens as they search for new homes. It's a move that becomes the first in a series of adventures that help them learn more about each other. And who knows, they may find other new friends, and even something more, in their adventures.