“Well, son,” said he, “what did you see?”Page 196.
“Well, son,” said he, “what did you see?”Page 196.
CHAPTER XXXIIIANOTHER FISH DISAPPEARS
In things at once not understoodSome people will admit no good.Little Joe Otter.
In things at once not understoodSome people will admit no good.Little Joe Otter.
In things at once not understoodSome people will admit no good.Little Joe Otter.
In things at once not understood
Some people will admit no good.
Little Joe Otter.
Somany things happen every day to the little people of the Green Forest and the Green Meadows that they do not think of any one thing very long. Two days after the mysterious disappearance of his big fish the young Otter had stopped thinking about it. He had made up his mind that he never would know what became of that fish and that the matter was no longer worth puzzling over. There were too many other things to think about and do.
On the third day he caught another fine fish and climbed out on the ice with it near the place where he had left the other. This fish wasn’t so big as the one that had disappeared, but it was a fine fish for all that. The young Otter was hungry and he intended to eat that fish right there. But he had taken only a bite or two when his sharp eyes saw another fish in the water. Two fish would be better than one. He dropped on the ice the fish he was eating, plunged into the water and like a brown streak shot after the other fish.
Swift as a fish is in water, there isn’t much chance for it when once an Otter gets after it. The young Otter had quite a chase, but in the end he caught the fish. Then with it in his mouth he swam back and climbed out on the ice at the place where he had left the first fish. He was feeling very well satisfied. With two fish he would have all he could possibly eat, and more too.
“First I’ll eat the one that I caught first,” said the young Otter, as he dropped on the ice the one he had just caught. Then he received a shock. That other fish wasn’t there! There was only one fish and that was the one he had just caught. He couldn’t believe it. No, Sir, he couldn’t believe it. He actually rubbed his eyes two or three times, to make sure that nothing was the matter with them. But nothing was the matter; that other fish wasn’t there.
The young Otter hastily looked in every direction. No one was in sight. At least he didn’t see any one. All he saw was what he took to be a little heap of snow a short distance away. He looked in the water. He thought he might have knocked that fish into the water when he dived after the other one. But he looked in vain.
Of course, right away he remembered the disappearance of the big fish a few days before. Now another had disappeared just as mysteriously. It was unbelievable, but it was true. The young Otter became frightened.
“This is no place for me,” said he. “No, Sir, this is no place for me. The first thing I know, this fish will disappear right out of my mouth. I wouldn’t mind losing the fish so much if I could only know what becomes of them.”
He looked hastily down to see if the fish he had just caught was still at his feet. It was, and with a little sigh of relief he picked it up and with it in his mouth plunged into the water and swam hurriedly over to the bank. There he gulped that fish down as fast as ever he could. He did it as if he feared that it might disappear before he could get it eaten.
CHAPTER XXXIVTHE YOUNG OTTER LEARNS WHERE HIS FISH WENT
Each bit of knowledge you attainWill prove an aid to future gain.Little Joe Otter.
Each bit of knowledge you attainWill prove an aid to future gain.Little Joe Otter.
Each bit of knowledge you attainWill prove an aid to future gain.Little Joe Otter.
Each bit of knowledge you attain
Will prove an aid to future gain.
Little Joe Otter.
Theyoung Otter had told his father, Little Joe Otter, the story of how his fish had mysteriously disappeared. You should have seen the twinkle in Little Joe’s eyes as he listened.
“Would you really like to know what became of your fish?” Little Joe asked.
“Of course I would,” replied the young Otter. “But I don’t believe anybody will ever find out.”
“Don’t you think I could find out if I went over there?” asked Little Joe.
The young Otter shook his head very decidedly. “No, I don’t,” said he very honestly.
“All right, son, let’s go fishing,” replied Little Joe Otter, his eyes twinkling more than ever.
So together they went fishing, and presently each caught a fish. “You take yours over to the bank, but don’t stop to eat it. Keep your eyes on this fish of mine,” said Little Joe.
The young Otter obediently took his fish over to the bank and then sat down to watch. Little Joe Otter climbed out on the ice at the place where the young Otter had twice lost his fish. He laid the fish down on the ice, then plunged into the water and swam over to where the young Otter was. Before he got there, the young Otter saw a great, broad-winged, white bird appear as if from nowhere, without stopping in his flight, pick up that fish on the ice and fly away a short distance. Then this great bird alighted on the ice and suddenly didn’t look like a bird at all. He looked like just a little heap of snow. He looked exactly like the heap of snow that the young Otter had seen over there several times before.
You should have seen the eyes of that young Otter pop out of his head. He was so surprised that for a full minute he couldn’t find his tongue.
Little Joe Otter’s eyes twinkled more than ever. “Well, son,” said he, “what did you see?”
“I saw your fish disappear,” gasped the young Otter. “Now I know where my fish went to. Do you see that little white heap over there that looks like snow?”
Little Joe Otter laughed right out. “Certainly I see it,” said he. “I saw it as soon as we came over here. I saw it and I knew what it was. That is Whitey the Snowy Owl, who has come down from the Far North. He is very fond of fish. I guessed right away who had stolen your fish. Now we’ll go over and see what he has to say about it.”
So together they swam over and climbed out on the ice. Then they made right straight for Whitey. He turned his head, and the young Otter saw as fierce a pair of eyes as he had ever looked into. They were round and yellow. Whitey snapped and hissed. Then he turned so as to face them. He still clutched the fish in his claws. Little Joe Otter snarled and bounded towards him. Whitey hesitated only a second, then spread his broad wings and silently flew away, taking the fish with him. Little Joe was too big for him to fight with.
So it was the Young Otter made the acquaintance of Whitey the Snowy Owl, and learned that there is always an explanation for a mystery.
Enough is enough and I am sure you have heard enough of Little Joe Otter and his family. I could tell you much more, but it wouldn’t be fair to some other little people in the Smiling Pool. And so the next book in the Smiling Pool series is to be about one whom you all know and, if you are like me, are fond of. It will be called Jerry Muskrat at Home.
The End
TRANSCRIBER NOTES
Misspelled words and printer errors have been corrected. Where multiple spellings occur, majority use has been employed.
Punctuation has been maintained except where obvious printer errors occur.