Otter Chaos! by Michael Broad Page B

another.”
    Woody thought about it for a moment and wondered how he would feel if he lost out to his friend. Then he smiled broadly. “We won’t be like that,” he said confidently.
    â€œHow can you be so sure?” asked Sooty.
    â€œBecause we will be on each other’s side as well as on our own,” said Woody. “I want to win the race myself because I don’t want my family to have to move to another den, but I’ll still be happy for you if you win, because you’re my best friend.”
    â€œI’ll be happy if you win too,” said Sooty.
    â€œI think our grandpas must have forgotten what’s important, and that’s why they don’t like each other any more,” said Woody, holding out a paw. “So let’s make a pact always to be on each other’s side, and that way we’ll never cheat and always win and stay best friends forever.”
    Sooty and Woody shook paws to seal the pact and were both beaming. They could now enjoy the competition just like they enjoyed racing together for fun because, whatever else was at stake, they knew their friendship was safe.
    â€œAre you ready, my darlings?” asked Grandma Maple, clambering up on to the platform. The two pups shuffled on to the diving boards, took a few practice bounces and nodded. “Then may the best otter win!” she said, lifting the shell-horn to her puffed-out cheeks.
    â€œMay the best otter win!” echoed Woody and Sooty.
    HOOOOOONK!
    The sound of the horn gave way to a huge cheer as Woody and Sooty bounced, backflipped and plunged into the river for the final race.
    Underwater, the cheering was muffled as the two friends swam deep, bodies wiggling in waves, their hind paws flattened like tail fins to generate speed. They reached the twiggy tunnels along the bottom of the river and darted through, their tails steering like submarine rudders. On the other side of the tunnels the otters shot straight up, burst out of the water and soared through the first of a series of hoops. Woody and Sooty were neck and neck after the first obstacle and were really enjoying themselves, their families running along the riverbank cheering them on.
    The next challenge was to weave through a ladder that was anchored to the riverbed with rocks and stretched all the way up to the surface where the top was tied to a large floating raft. The friends dived down to the bottom again and snaked through the ladder rungs, overtaking each other several times before they reached the top. There, they scampered over the raft towards another waiting hoop.

    â€œHOORAY!” cheered the Brown family as Woody went through first, which put him in the lead.
    â€œCome on, Sooty!” cheered the Black family, encouraging their youngest member as he followed through the hoop.

    Next, Woody and Sooty had to scale rocks, dive through rings, climb ropes and slide down tubes. Hoop jumps marked the end of each obstacle and the beginning of the next, and Woody managed to hold his lead, jumping through each hoop just before Sooty.
    The last obstacle was an underwater speed swim through a swaying forest of dense riverweed. Even with his head start, Woody Brown swam faster than ever before, shooting through the tangle of weeds like a furry torpedo! As he reached the end he could see the final stretch and the blurry silhouettes of the families at the finish line. They were all jumping up and down with excitement as they waited for the otter pups to emerge.
    I’m going to win! thought Woody, the added thrill of victory spurring him on. I’m going to win for my family and we will all get to stay in Cottonwood Lodge!
    But then he remembered that his win would mean a loss for his friend. And not only that, but the Black family would have to clear out and move away.
    Woody glanced back to see how close his friend was to catching him up and whether there could possibly be a tie, only to discover that Sooty was nowhere