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 is! She’s strong, though, so she easily drags it out of the water and onto the riverbank.
Once she has eaten, Paddlefoot eyes the snow along the banks. Then she runs back to the den and chirps to wake her brothers, who climb out a bit bleary-eyed, but ready for fun the moment she tells them what she has in mind. She remembers the spot from the previous winter, and all three otters gambol gaily through the deep snow to find it. Yes! There it is! The bank here stretches up and up from the river in a straight path through the trees.
Careful not to trample the snow in the middle of the slope, Paddlefoot, Water, and Quick race to the top. Of course, Quick wins. He is the smallest of the three otters, but makes up for any deficiency in size by being lightning on four paws! Since he is the first up, he is the first to slide down the steep slope. This is not really the advantage that it seems, for each body that slides down the slope makes the snowy path smoother and more slippery, and Quick is definitely NOT quick as he glides gracefully down the hill. He even has to paddle a couple of times with his webbed hind paws to keep going. But finally, he takes the short hop off the end of the bank and slides for a deliciously long time across the icy surface of the river.
Paddlefoot allows her other brother, Water, to go next, both because she enjoys watching his sleek brown back as he slides down the bright snow on the hill, and because she knows the path will be even smoother and slipperier when it is her turn.
Both siblings are already scrambling back up the hill as Paddlefoot takes a short run and hurls herself down the slope. Whee!! She is flying! Snow particles spray into her eyes, but she refuses to close them. Everything rushes past her in a blur, and she thrills as she is launched into space for a moment before landing with a THUMP! on the ice and then sliding those delicious extra feet before slowing to a stop.
She pauses for a moment to savour the exhilaration - until she hears a warning bark and tries to scramble out of the way. It is too late, because Quick lands on top of her! Before she can catch her breath, Water piles into both of them! Oof! But no one is hurt, and they are laughing with glee as they race back up to the top of the hill.
The sliding path is getting slicker and slicker, and they go faster and faster the more times they slide down the hill. It becomes a new game to see who can slide the farthest across the ice (no pushing with paws allowed!). Paddlefoot is the heaviest of the three otters, and while her brothers sometimes tease her about her voracious appetite, she is vindicated today because she is the winner!
Finally, tired and happy, all three otters scramble back to the den to see if Mother is awake. Although the young otters are perfectly capable of finding food for themselves, and are in fact old enough to live on their own, they know that Mother will still sometimes catch a fish and share it with her pups.
Sure enough, when they reach the den, they find Mother with one of the larger trout who swim in the deepest part of the river. It is huge! It weighs more than Quick does! Mother is smiling, and all four otters have a lovely fish feast to celebrate this delightful winter's day. Then Paddlefoot and her brothers, sated with fish and exhausted from their play, climb into the back of the den and snuggle together for a nap. Paddlefoot is still smiling as she drifts off into dreamland. What a perfect winter day!
- the end -
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