The Animals of Farthing Wood. The Adventure Begins by Colin Dann is the exciting prequel to The Animals of Farthing Wood which takes the reader right back to the very beginning. There had always been otters in the stream running through Farthing Wood - and that had never been a problem for the other animals before but when there is a shortage of fish in the stream, the otters are forced to hunt on land.The otters are taking valuable prey and the foxes and other Farthing Wood animals have to compete for food. Lean Vixen is determined to protect her family from starvation, and that means deciding on a plan to drive the otters out once and for all.