0:00 A single badger can move over a ton of earth in one night.0:04 It’s a staggering feat of engineering, done with nothing but claws and stubbornness.0:10 Last week, we heard how Ollie the Owlet learned to trust senses he couldn't see in the dark.0:17 Bartholomew the Badger, however, was about to learn a lesson about a different kind of unseen strength… the kind you can’t find all on your own.0:28 Bartholomew was a young badger, and his stripes were just a little bit sharper, his fur just a little bit glossier, than anyone else’s in the sett.0:39 Or so he thought.0:41 He stood at the base of the Great Oak, the oldest tree in the woods, and felt a surge of pride.0:48 His family’s home, the sett, had many entrances, but none were as grand as the one he imagined right here.0:56 An entrance with a view.0:58 An entrance that said, “A very important badger lives here.” He flexed his claws, long and curved like miniature scythes.1:07 This would be his project.1:09 His ALONE.1:10 He took a deep breath, smelling the rich, damp earth mixed with the faint, sweet scent of acorns.1:17 Then, he began to dig.1:19 The first sign of trouble was a sound.1:21 Not the soft shush of soil, but a hard, unforgiving thunk.1:26 He’d hit a root.1:27 Not a small one, but a thick, gnarled anchor of the Great Oak, coiled just beneath the surface like a sleeping snake.1:36 Bartholomew grunted.1:37 He backed up and tried again, a few inches to the left.1:42 Thunk.1:42 Again.1:43 He tried digging faster, a flurry of black and white fur and flying dirt.1:48 His claws scraped and skittered against the wood.1:52 It was like trying to dig through iron.1:55 A little while later, a whiskered nose poked out of a nearby mound.2:00 It was Marlon the Mole, his eyes squinting in the daylight.2:04 “Tough spot you’ve picked there, Bartholomew,” he squeaked.2:09 “That oak’s roots run deep.2:11 Want a bit of help?2:12 I know the soft ways through.” Bartholomew stopped, panting.2:17 He looked at his own paws, then at Marlon’s enormous, spade-like hands.2:22 “No, thank you,” he said, a little too quickly.2:26 “I have it under control.” Marlon just shrugged and disappeared back into his tunnel.2:32 By midday, Bartholomew had managed to create a shallow, messy bowl in the ground.2:38 It looked less like a grand entrance and more like a puddle waiting for rain.2:44 His shoulders ached.2:46 A blister was forming on one of his pads.2:49 A family of rabbits hopped by, their noses twitching.2:53 “That looks like hard work!” one of them chirped.2:57 “We’re clearing out our warren down the hill.3:00 Many paws make light work, you know!” “I’m FINE,” Bartholomew growled, kicking a cloud of dust in their direction.3:09 They scurried away, their white tails flashing.3:12 He was not fine.3:13 He was tired, and his paws were sore, and the grand entrance in his mind looked nothing like the pathetic scrape at his feet.3:23 But the pride… oh, the pride was a stubborn thing.3:27 It was heavier than any root.3:29 It whispered that asking for help was a sign of weakness.3:33 It told him that real badgers, strong badgers, did things themselves.3:38 So he kept digging, fueled by frustration, long after the work had stopped being productive.3:45 The sun began to dip below the trees, casting long, spooky shadows across the forest floor.3:52 He was running out of time.3:54 He had one last idea.3:56 Instead of trying to break through the root, he would dig under it.4:01 It was risky.4:02 The soil there was loose, but it was his only chance to salvage the day.4:07 He lowered his head and burrowed, digging with a desperate, frantic energy.4:13 Dirt flew behind him.4:15 He pushed deeper, the darkness of the tunnel enveloping him.4:19 He was making progress!4:21 The root was just above his back now.4:24 A few more scoops, and he’d be through.4:27 He gave one final, mighty heave with his back legs and— The world shifted.4:32 There was a soft groan from the earth itself.4:36 The massive root he’d been digging under settled, just an inch, but it was enough.4:42 A cascade of soil and small stones tumbled down, pinning his back legs.4:47 He was trapped.4:49 He tried to wriggle.4:50 Nothing.4:51 He tried to push forward.4:53 The dirt was too dense.4:54 He tried to back up, but his legs were held fast.4:58 The triumphant tunnel had become a cage.5:01 He was completely and utterly stuck.5:04 The last of the sunlight vanished.5:06 The forest grew dark, and the cheerful sounds of the day were replaced by the lonely calls of the night.5:14 He was alone.5:15 And the same pride that had told him he didn't need anyone… was the very thing that left him with no one to call.5:24 He lay there for what felt like an eternity, the cool earth pressing in on him.5:30 He felt… foolish.5:31 The grand entrance seemed like such a silly idea now.5:35 All he wanted was to be back in the warm, familiar dark of the family sett, curled up with his brothers and sisters.5:44 Finally, he let out a small, embarrassed squeak.5:48 It was barely a sound at all.5:50 He waited.5:51 Nothing.5:51 He took a deeper breath, swallowed the last of his pride, and called out, louder this time.5:58 A real call for help.6:00 A moment later, a familiar whiskered nose poked into the opening of his failed tunnel.6:06 It was Marlon the Mole.6:08 He didn’t say, “I told you so.” He just blinked his small eyes, assessed the pile of dirt, and said, “Hmm.6:16 Tricky.6:16 Stay put.6:17 I’ll get the rabbits.” Soon, more faces appeared.6:21 Marlon was back, along with the family of rabbits Bartholomew had shooed away.6:27 They didn’t mock him.6:28 They didn’t lecture him.6:30 They simply got to work.6:32 Marlon, with his expert knowledge, directed them.6:36 “Dig here, but not too deep.6:38 We’ll clear this side first.” The rabbits, quick and nimble, scraped away the loose soil.6:45 They worked as a team, a quiet, efficient ballet of paws and claws.6:50 In a few minutes, the pressure on his legs was gone.6:54 Bartholomew scrambled out, shaking the dirt from his fur.6:58 He stood there, looking at the small group of animals.7:02 He opened his mouth, but the words felt clumsy.7:06 He just managed a quiet, “Thank you.” Marlon simply nodded.7:10 “Oak roots,” he said, as if that explained everything.7:14 The next morning, Bartholomew was back at the Great Oak.7:18 But this time, he wasn’t alone.7:21 Marlon was beside him, pointing out the soft pockets of earth between the twisting roots.7:28 The rabbits were there too, happily clearing away the loose dirt he kicked out.7:34 The work was fast.7:35 It was easy.7:36 It was almost… fun.7:37 By lunchtime, it was finished.7:40 A perfect, wide archway nestled right under the ancient tree.7:44 It was even grander than the one he had imagined.7:48 And as Bartholomew sat to the side, watching his younger siblings tumble out into the sunshine through the brand-new door, he finally understood.7:59 The best tunnels aren’t always dug by the strongest claws.8:03 Sometimes, they’re built by the most hands.
