“I can’t sleep with this racket going on,” complained Phoebe the Fox. She was wearing a green plaid dressing gown with matching slippers.

Art the Badger was building himself a new home, and was hammering late into the night.

“Sorry about that, Phoebe, but I want to get it finished while the weather’s good.”

Phoebe went back to bed and pulled the covers up over her head. But she could still hear the noise, and couldn’t fall asleep.

Annoyed, she sat up and switched on the radio as loud as it would go. However, although it drowned out the noise of Art’s hammer, she still couldn’t get to sleep.

“I need quiet,” she explained to Art. “I haven’t slept properly since you began building your house. Look at my eyes; they have nasty big pouches under them.”

“Oh alright, I’ll stop for the night,” he agreed, although reluctantly.

“Well I should think so too,” replied Phoebe. “It’s almost midnight.”

The next night the same thing happened. Art kept hammering away though it was very late. But Phoebe wasn’t as concerned. She had been shopping that afternoon and had bought something that she hoped would solve the problem -- a pair of ear plugs!

She popped them into her ears before climbing into bed.

But she didn’t find them comfortable, they made her ears twitch, and she still couldn’t sleep.

“What am I going to do?” she asked a wise old raccoon named Gwen, whom everyone went to with their problems.

Gwen made a pot of tea, and set out a plate of freshly baked scones.

“I think I have the answer,” she said.

Phoebe was in a tizzy of excitement for the rest of the day. Gwen wouldn’t tell her what she planned to do, and this left Phoebe guessing.

But whatever it was, Gwen promised it would stop the hammering.

She must be going to tell Art that he has to stop making a noise at night, Phoebe decided, as she paced up and down in her kitchen. But would he do it? Everyone respected Gwen, of course, still…Art was very keen to get his new house built, and quickly.

That night there was no noise, and Phoebe slept more soundly than she had in ages. So whatever Gwen had done, had worked.

The following morning she awoke to the sound of voices. She looked out the window and saw a group of her neighbors standing around Art’s half-built house.

What was going on now, she wondered?

“I don’t care if he hammers all day, as long as he stops at night,” explained Phoebe, who was now feeling guilty about going to Gwen in the first place. The very last thing she wanted was to make any kind of trouble for Art, who was one of her oldest friends. 

“Oh he won’t be hammering day or night by the time we’re finished here,” said Gwen, and she winked at Ernie the Hedgehog.

Phoebe didn’t like the sound of this at all. “Look just forget that I ever came to see you,” she said to Gwen. “I can see it was a mistake.”

Art laughed and put an arm around Phoebe. “They’re going to help me build the house,” he explained. “With everyone pitching in like that, it’ll be finished in no time.”

Phoebe had never felt more relieved. “Why that’s a wonderful idea,” she said. “Count me in.” Then she rolled up her sleeves and grabbed a hammer.