Introducing Tino

Tino rubbed his eyes, and stretched out a paw from under his warm blanket to feel the cold of the nearly-morning air. He pulled his red sweater over his head and sat up to look outside. A layer of mist hung over the valley with the darkness barely broken by the fuzzy light of a waxing moon. There was at least an hour to go before sunrise. He reached out to light the paraffin lamp, filling his den with a wobbly, warm glow. His yellow post sack lay on the table where he’d left it last night with all the letters and parcels sorted by route and street, buttoned up and ready for his morning round.

Tino climbed out of bed, changed into his grey work trousers and sat down at the table where his favourite fountain pen lay by a pad of onion skin paper. He glanced at the clock. It was 10 to 5. Just enough time to write one more letter. He carefully lay a sheet of paper on his blotting pad, and began to write..

My dearest Bunnies, Coco, Elton and Olga,

This letter is so long overdue, I’m crossing my paws and my tail in the hope that I’m not too late with this invitation to our annual Winter Rumpus, and that you’ll all still be able to come. What with all the rushing around to deliver everyone else’s letters and parcels for the holidays, I clean forgot to take care of this most important one to all of you. Please do say you can still can come.

Mouche says we can have the party in his woods as usual. Thanks to Horacio and Billie’s heroic apple pressing work after the harvest in September, we’ve got a whole barrel of cider. Hazel’s been welding bits of salvaged fencing together for months now and has finally come up with a rather ingenious tripod for the fire, so we can use all the logs and kindling we collected on that walk by the river, and make mulled cider for everyone!

I ran into the lovely Peter yesterday. Neither of us mentioned that unfortunate business with the ducklings’ aunt last year. I think he must have put it behind him, as he said he’s really looking forward to the party and especially to seeing all of you again. Most excitingly, he’s working on getting the entire orchestra to come – Won’t that be marvelous!

Luckily for me, he’s on holiday from violin school for a few weeks, so he can help me get my Christmas cards done, and I can finally finish the last chapter of my book. I know everyone’s speculating about the reappearance of the mysterious water vole at the end of chapter 12. All will be revealed, I promise, and you’ll have it delivered (by post of course!) before the year is out.

I must sign off now. I still have to make my sandwich before I get my bike out for today’s deliveries. Please be sure to wrap up in your warmest sweaters and hats for the Rumpus. It’s going to be a chilly one! 

Yours affectionately, Tino xx

Single patterns by Cinthia Vallet for Tino, the Detective Novelist-Postie-Wolf will be available on Ravelry from Monday 8 December.

At Wild and Woolly, we are marking the single pattern release with a special Tino, the Mail Wolf Kit – a tin with all the materials you’ll need to get better acquainted with Tino and his letters and stories.