Evening star., 1937-03-03
Bedtime Stories
nv THORNTON W, BURGESS.

BY THORNTON W. BURGESS.
THE young Otter, son Of Little Joe
L Otter, was in hurry. He was in .
great hurry. Never In his short life
had he been in q greater hurry. He
was on his way to do something that
he had been told not to do. That is
why he was in such q hurry. He
wanted to do it before his father
should find ont about it. SO the young
Otter travelled fast back toward a GER
tain long pool he had been told to
keep away from, because in it, under
the Ice, lay danger-danger from
traps.
It wasn't just idle curiosity that was
driving the young Otter to disobey.
He knew that there was a fish fast
among some sticks under the ice at
the head Of that pool and he wanted
that fish. He was hungry. It seemed
as If all the fishes in the brook below
that pool had been caught by some one
else or had gone into hiding, for
neither he nor his father had SO much
as seen fish since leaving that pool.
II don't believe there is q trap
there" said the young Otter to him
self as he hurried up the brook, run
ming and sliding on the ice and snow.
Il didn't see anything that looked like
a trap. Even though I have never seen
a trap, I guess I would know one If I
saw one. Those sticks in the mud were
not a trap. They were just ordinary
sticks. I wonder how that fish hap
pened to get caught among them? I
hope it Is still there. Perhaps won't
need to take it, anyway. Perhaps there
are other fish in that pool and can
catch one. There ought to be. didn't
have time to find out before father
drove me out. know he knows a lot,
but I guess he doesn't know every
thing"
The young Otter had reached little
open place, spring hole, where the
water seldom If ever froze. He glanced
back hastily to make sure that he was
not being followed. Then he dived
into the water and under the ice. He
was heading straight Tor that long
pool, lying so quiet under the ice that
covered it from bank to bank.
Right at the head Of the pool was
that little pen Of sticks, with the fish
at the back Of 1t. He swan once
around that little pen, hesitated at the
entrance, then swan away to look for
fish outside that little pen Of sticks.
Not fish did he see until he reached
the lower end Of that pool, and there
he found-what do you think? He
found another little pen of sticks, and
a fish in that. He was 50 surprised
that he was almost ready to believe
that he had become turned around
and was back at the head of the pool.
Close up under the ice he found
needed fresh air, then again swan
around that little pen. It was Just like
the other one. There was an entrance
at one end just big enough for an Of
ter to pass through easily. A plump
fish was at the other end. It would be
an easy matter to get that fish. 1t
would be no trouble at all. He could
slip in there. get that fish and be out
again almost as quickly as you could
wink your eye. He could reach a paw
in between two Of those sticks and
almost touch that fish. But he couldn't
force those sticks any farther apart.
What Of it? There was that opening
fairly inviting him to enter, and no
one to prevent him.
It was queer about that stick Just
out in front Of that opening. 1t was
right in the way He couldn't swim
straight in. He would have to twist
his body to get in past that stick. Well,
he could do that all right My, that
fish would taste good! He hesitated
just an instant. Then he put a foot
down to aid In twisting about to enter.
Without warning something grabbed
him by the leg, grabbed and held with
jaws that seemed to be biting into the
very bone. The young Otter plunged
frantically to get away, but was
brought up short. Though he tried
with all his might to swim. he couldn t
pull away from that dreadful thing