> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://oldravensforest.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Chapter 3 - The Edge of the Forest - URL: https://oldravensforest.com/the-edge-of-the-forest/ - Published: 2026-10-01T20:56:37.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-01T20:58:14.000Z - Author: Chris Wall - Tags: Stories, Barty Badger, Mr. Mole > Ephesians 3:10 tells us that the wisdom of God is revealed in the church. Wisdom means knowing what is right and what is the best thing to do. How is it that God’s Wisdom is shown through churches? I wondered about that, and then Barty Badger told me this story that helped me to understand. As the legend goes, Barty Badger was ready to go off on an Adventure. Old Raven himself was there to give Barty a special job. There was a Winter TornaCaneIzzard storm coming, and Mr. Mole was building a shelter for all the animals of the forest and beyond. *Ugh*, thought Barty. He was glad to be out on his own and not bothered by any Builders, especially Mr. Mole. Old Raven, a giant black bear, told Barty what his job was: “You need to go to the edge of my forest to find any animals that might need help getting to the shelter.” Barty was thrilled! It had been ages since he’d been to the edge of the forest. He jumped up to head off. “Wait, little badger,” said Old Raven. “Mr. Mole is going with you.” “What?!” cried Barty. “Why not Felicity? Or *any* adventurer? Or how about that rock? I’ll go faster on my own!” Mr. Mole walked up then. He grumbled, “It’s not my idea of a good time either, badger. Builders don’t do this sort of thing.” Old Raven smiled. “Whose forest is this? Now, go on, the two of you.” They both sighed, muttered, and headed off into the forest. It was a long, boring walk. They had no adventures along the way, which suited Mr. Mole just fine. He wanted to be done with this as soon as possible, and so did Barty. As they walked, the trees thinned out and the ground got more rocky. Oddly, everything got more quiet, too. And darker. The sun seemed less bright and the trees less green. They found it harder to pick up their paws and move. As they came up to the very edge of the forest, they noticed the dark clouds gathering off in the distance, and it felt to Barty like something was watching the forest. He shivered as they walked up to the edge of a chasm marking the border of Old Raven’s Forest. There was a narrow rope bridge crossing the gap. Barty saw a fawn. Across the chasm, alone in an open field, was a young deer. The fawn was all legs, shivering, ears laid back along his head. He looked too scared to move. And too big to carry. Barty and Mr. Mole would have to get the fawn across some other way. Barty looked at Mr. Mole confidently and said, “Adventurers always help.” Barty stepped up to the edge and called out, friendly and loud, “Want to go on an adventure? It’ll be fun!” The fawn jumped, startled by Barty’s call, and ran to the other end of the field. Mr. Mole scoffed. “Well, that went well,” he said and turned toward the bridge. “Watch this.” Mr. Mole suddenly started building with blinding speed. Dust flew everywhere, there was sawing and hammering. Just as suddenly, it was done and Mr. Mole stepped back, wiping his paws on his overalls. He looked at Barty and said, “There, a suspension-tensioned, arch-supported, laterally-stabilized bridge with superior structural integrity. The fawn will feel *much* better crossing that.” They looked at the fawn, who shied further away from the bridge. He still would not cross. “Well, that went well,” said Barty, laughing. It was the kind of laugh that made Mr. Mole laugh, too. Barty and Mr. Mole thought about how to get the fawn to cross into Old Raven’s Forest and, out of habit, Barty pulled a snack out of his backpack: boysenberries. Without a word, he handed some to Mr. Mole, who took them and popped them into his mouth one at a time. The fawn saw them sharing the berries and came closer to the bridge. Barty noticed and called across the bridge, “Oh, would you like some berries?” Frowning and unsure, the fawn said, “You two are friends? You’re sharing snacks?” Barty said, “Well, I don’t know if we’re *friends*. But everybody shares snacks.” The fawn whispered, “But to badgers, moles *are* snacks. Everyone knows that.” Mr. Mole looked at Barty and then back to the fawn and said, “Not in Old Raven’s Forest.” The little fawn looked closely at Barty and then Mr. Mole and saw them standing calmly together. He nodded, and crossed the bridge, all on his own. Well, that’s what the legend says, but I know one thing is true: Others notice when people who don't like each other share. 💡 Old Raven put Barty and Mr. Mole together on purpose; neither of them would have chosen that. But the two being there together helped the fawn cross the bridge. That's what Ephesians means: when God brings very different people together in the church, everyone gets to see how wise he is. [Read the Ephesians Series](https://oldravensforest.com/series-index/)