by Catherine Maven, Copyright (c) 2001 The sun is glittering on the dark snow-laden pines as Paddlefoot the young otter climbs out of the den. She shivers with happiness at the  winter wonderland all around her, and her thick fur protects her from the biting cold. She can't wait to start playing! But first things first. She knows where there is a small waterfall that never freezes, which she loves to play in when it is summer. It is upstream from the entrance to the den, and she scampers along the bank until she reaches it, and then dives through the bubbling waters into the dim world beneath the ice. She has to dive deep, because the fish have all gone to the bottom of the river to sleep. It isn't that hard to see, because yesterday’s wind has blown the snow off to the far bank, so the ice is almost clear in the middle. And besides, Paddlefoot has keen eyesight! The slightest wiggle of a fishy tail is enough to guide her to breakfast, a fish half as big as she i