Otter Chaos! (6 page)

“The Wild West!” gasped Mama Brown, swooning at the thought.

“It's not as bad as all that,” replied Papa Brown.

“Anywhere away from the safety of the river is too dangerous!” said Mama Black, fanning her friend. “The Wild West is mostly forest, and we all know otters can't always make a fast getaway on land.”

“We've been there before,” said Papa Black, standing alongside his hunting partner. “If we're cautious and watchful it will be perfectly safe. We'll be back before you know it with a huge crayfish feast!”

Mama Brown looked at the other otters and sighed. Beanie was wiping her tears away and had already started drooling at the mention of crayfish. The rest of the black and brown otters were all gazing at Mama Brown hopefully.

“Well, if you're sure it's safe,” she relented, giving Papa Brown a big hug – and taking the opportunity to whisper a word of warning. “But if you get eaten by a bear, I will never speak to you again!”

“Can I come?” asked Woody, jumping up and down excitedly.

“Me too!” said Sooty.

“Not this time, my darlings,” said Grandma Maple, patting the young pups' heads. “Your dads will need their wits about them in the forest, and I'm going to need an extra pair of volunteers to prepare for the feast.”

“Awww,” sighed Woody and Sooty, who knew when they were being given the brush-off.

“We need to go alone the first time, to make sure there's no danger,” said Papa Brown. “But once we know our way around the forest, there's no reason why we shouldn't take you on the next outing. It's almost time for us to start teaching you to forage for yourselves.”

“Hooray!” cheered Woody and Sooty together.

Fortunately, Papa Brown and Papa Black returned from the Wild West later that day, laden with fresh crayfish and salmon. The fishing expedition had been a complete success and they encountered nothing more dangerous than a low-flying butterfly. The feast that followed was full of family cheer and everyone was happy to have their diet, and their lives, back to normal.

The following day Papa Brown and Papa Black went out west again, but this time with Woody and Sooty, who paused every few moments to look, sniff and listen for danger. It was their first time out foraging in the forest and the pups' enthusiasm was matched only by their excitement.

“Now, always stay close,” said Papa Brown, as the otters dashed from one tree to the next, sneaking through the forest like furry ninjas. “And never spend too long out in the open, or in any high place where you might be spotted.”

“How do we find the stream?” asked Woody.

“Look for clouds of tiny insects, and pay attention to where birds and dragonflies are flying to,” said Papa Brown, pointing overhead at a speckled thrush that was swooping in and out of the overhead branches, flying in the same direction they were heading. The thirsty thrush was swiftly followed by a pair of tiny warblers. “The birds always know where the water is because they are high up and have a good view.”

“But always remember that other animals will want to use the stream and are watching too,” warned Papa Black, pointing in the distance to where a lone wolf was wandering away in the opposite direction. “Not everyone is friendly, so you need to be aware of who's about.”

“This is such a brilliant adventure!” Woody said to Sooty.

“I know!” agreed Sooty. “Remind me to thank the beavers for stealing our fish. Without them we might never have been allowed to explore the Wild West!”

The otter dads let the pups take the lead for the rest of the way. Sooty and Woody looked around the forest for clues to take them to the water, using all the new skills they had learnt, just like a treasure hunt. When the otters finally arrived at the stream they all leapt in to the water, darting and diving about, searching for fish to catch. Between the four of them, working together as a team, they managed to haul a feast of fishy goodness that would last both otter families for several days.

Everyone was in high spirits on the way home, laden with fresh fish and not a single strand of riverweed. They laughed about how huge the crayfish were and how much fun it had been to chase them down; how the salmon leapt out of the water, so they had to catch them in the air, and how they found oysters hiding among the rocks. The otters were over halfway home when Papa Black suddenly froze and hushed the others. He stood tall on his hind legs and sniffed the air, whiskers twitching.

Sooty was about to do the same, thinking this might be another training exercise on how to keep a look-out for danger in the forest, when his dad screeched at the top of his voice, dropped the haul of fish and nudged the pup forward with his nose.

“RUN!” yelled Papa Black, and the pair raced away.

Woody didn't have time to wonder what was going on before Papa Brown did the same to him, and he immediately remembered what to do. The first lesson he and Sooty had been taught, before they even entered the forest, was to head for the river as fast as you can when the alarm is given, and not to look back.

Woody and Sooty sprinted more quickly than they ever had before. They darted between trees, under bushes and over fallen branches. The young otters were fast, but nowhere near as fast as their dads, who ran just behind them, never overtaking but zigzagging from side to side with incredible speed.

The pups could hear the footfalls of a much larger animal bearing down on them. The beast was puffing and panting as it tried to catch their nimble fathers, who were dashing about like deer. The chase caused such a ruckus that it startled birds in the trees, who cawed and flapped away.

Somehow the pups remembered the way back through the forest. Not only that, but they had the good sense to take the shortest route to a different section of the river, as they didn't want to lead the pursuer to their home. This meant heading south until they reached the curved section of river between Cottonwood Lodge and the beavers' dam. Woody and Sooty burst through the trees and soared over the muddy riverbank. They plunged straight into the water with two big splashes, and two even bigger splashes immediately followed, as their fathers dived in too. The older otters motioned for the pups to keep swimming underwater, all the way to the bottom of the river.

There the otters sat on the murky riverbed and gazed up at the sunlit surface. Papa Black and Papa Brown pointed as the silhouette of an enormous head appeared.

It was a mountain lion! The pups stared at the beast with wide eyes and bulging cheeks. They almost gasped with fright, but knew to hold their breath. The lion was only young, and not yet an experienced hunter, but he had enormous teeth and claws and seemed like a giant compared to them. The otters watched and waited, trembling in the predator's shadow.

he mountain lion sniffed the air and looked about, then dipped his mouth into the water and took a few laps before turning on his tail and padding slowly back into the forest. Moments later the otters swam quickly to the surface, gasping for breath. Once they were sure the big cat had gone, Papa Brown and Papa Black led the pups home.

Woody and Sooty felt a little shaken, but they were mostly thrilled to have had such a close encounter with a dangerous animal and couldn't wait to brag about it to the others. But the impact of their bragging was somewhat ruined by the cuddles and kisses from Mama Brown and Mama Black.

“You are
never
to go to that stream again,” said Mama Black, hugging Sooty so hard that he squeaked. “It's much too risky with a lion prowling the forest.”

“The same goes for you,” agreed Mama Brown, licking her paw and flattening the ruffled fur on Woody's head. “We can all live without crayfish.”

“But—” started Grandpa Bruno, who was promptly silenced by a look from Grandma Maple.

Later that day the otters left the safety of the lodge to forage for more food and the elders insisted that they all stay close together. There was a chance that the mountain lion could try its luck again, now it knew there were otters this side of the river.

“Everyone keep an eye on the riverbanks,” said Papa Brown, who led the trail of hungry otters across the river, like a mother duck followed by her ducklings. “Any sign of movement and you screech at the top of your voice and dive under.”

The youngsters did as they were told, but seemed more excited than frightened by the danger.

“That mountain lion is lucky I wasn't there,” Chestnut said to Woody, throwing air-punches like his grandpa. “I would have bopped him on the nose and sent him yelping back into the forest.”

“Yeah, right,” scoffed Nutmeg. “I would have been much braver than you.”

“I would have jumped on the big cat's back and ridden him through the forest,” said Jet, grooming his Mohawk fur-do. “You two are so lucky to get close to a real mountain lion!”

“It was pretty scary,” said Sooty, enjoying the attention.

“His paws and claws were
huge
,” said Woody, flexing his own paws and spreading his claws wide. “Not to mention his teeth. I think he could have gobbled us all up in one go!”