back.
‘Quickly,’ urged the safe animals. They knew they must get out of sight.
Lame Otter hesitated, then continued. A motor-bike’s headlamp gleamed menacingly, its beam brightening by the second as the machine roared nearer. Lame Otter, terrified, attempted a spurt. In the middle of the road he was caught in the gleam of the powerful lamp. The motor-cyclist braked. Lame Otter limped across, but his female companion stupidlyturned to run back. She was too late and the sound of screeching brakes was followed by a dull thud. The rider almost toppled and only brought his machine under control with difficulty. The female straggler was killed instantly. The rest of the otters, panic-stricken, dashed on, not even giving a backward glance to their lost companion. The motor-cyclist bent glumly over the dead animal. He was shaken by the accident. He had never seen otters in that locality before and wondered at the cause of their sudden appearance.
The six surviving otters scattered, unaware that their plight had become the focus of attention. Sleek Otter found that only two females remained with her. The other had dashed blindly to the nearest hiding-place. After a while the lone female found her way back to her friends. The two males lay low in a ditch. Gradually their fright subsided.
‘Now what?’ Slow Otter grunted.
‘Try to find the fish, of course,’ Lame Otter answered sharply.
‘Only the sleek one knows where they are, and we’ve lost her,’ grumbled the pessimistic dog otter.
‘Then we must track her. It’s our only hope.’
There was no time to be lost and, despite his painful limp, Lame Otter was the more resolute of the two. He picked up the bitches’ scent and began to call. After a while the two males heard a response.
‘They’re not far away,’ the lame animal remarked confidently. ‘We may yet taste fish before the night’s out.’
The four females arrived in the yard of the trout farm. Sleek Otter showed the three newcomers how she had found the water. ‘Listen! It’s unmistakable,isn’t it? And you can hear those fat fish moving around. We’ll have many a feast to make up for our fast!’
The ravenous females gulped in anticipation. ‘Show us how you catch them,’ one begged.
Sleek Otter, who was feeling noticeably stronger since her evening haul of goldfish and trout, ran towards the first tank and leapt gracefully to the top. Her balance was perfect. Moments later four large fish had been hooked from the water. The watching females fell upon these voraciously. Sleek Otter rejoined them, contenting herself with a few mouthfuls.
The trout had scarcely been swallowed when the two male otters called from nearby. They were answered at once.
‘I can smell that you’ve eaten,’ Slow Otter announced as he came into the yard. He and Lame Otter were drooling. They noticed scraps of fish bone and skin on the ground and snatched them up hastily as though afraid the females might take them.
‘Wouldn’t you prefer whole prey?’ Sleek Otter asked them archly. She was in her element, aware of her supremacy in the group.
‘What a stupid question!’ Slow Otter rasped. ‘Where are the fish? Point me in the direction.’
By way of an answer Sleek Otter repeated her performance. The glistening trout smacked on to the ground where their futile wriggles were swiftly halted. The two males gulped them down – heads, tails and bones. Nothing was left.
‘I can get you as many as you like,’ Sleek Otter boasted gleefully.
‘Huh! The great provider,’ Slow Otter mumbledungraciously with his mouth full. ‘Don’t worry. What you can do, we can do too.’
‘Speak for yourself,’ Lame Otter said to him. ‘There’s no way in which I could get to the fish.’
‘I’ll look after you,’ Sleek Otter beamed. She wanted to be appreciated by the males. ‘We can make a new start here, all of us. Our old life’s finished, but there’s no reason why our new life can’t be
‘Quickly,’ urged the safe animals. They knew they must get out of sight.
Lame Otter hesitated, then continued. A motor-bike’s headlamp gleamed menacingly, its beam brightening by the second as the machine roared nearer. Lame Otter, terrified, attempted a spurt. In the middle of the road he was caught in the gleam of the powerful lamp. The motor-cyclist braked. Lame Otter limped across, but his female companion stupidlyturned to run back. She was too late and the sound of screeching brakes was followed by a dull thud. The rider almost toppled and only brought his machine under control with difficulty. The female straggler was killed instantly. The rest of the otters, panic-stricken, dashed on, not even giving a backward glance to their lost companion. The motor-cyclist bent glumly over the dead animal. He was shaken by the accident. He had never seen otters in that locality before and wondered at the cause of their sudden appearance.
The six surviving otters scattered, unaware that their plight had become the focus of attention. Sleek Otter found that only two females remained with her. The other had dashed blindly to the nearest hiding-place. After a while the lone female found her way back to her friends. The two males lay low in a ditch. Gradually their fright subsided.
‘Now what?’ Slow Otter grunted.
‘Try to find the fish, of course,’ Lame Otter answered sharply.
‘Only the sleek one knows where they are, and we’ve lost her,’ grumbled the pessimistic dog otter.
‘Then we must track her. It’s our only hope.’
There was no time to be lost and, despite his painful limp, Lame Otter was the more resolute of the two. He picked up the bitches’ scent and began to call. After a while the two males heard a response.
‘They’re not far away,’ the lame animal remarked confidently. ‘We may yet taste fish before the night’s out.’
The four females arrived in the yard of the trout farm. Sleek Otter showed the three newcomers how she had found the water. ‘Listen! It’s unmistakable,isn’t it? And you can hear those fat fish moving around. We’ll have many a feast to make up for our fast!’
The ravenous females gulped in anticipation. ‘Show us how you catch them,’ one begged.
Sleek Otter, who was feeling noticeably stronger since her evening haul of goldfish and trout, ran towards the first tank and leapt gracefully to the top. Her balance was perfect. Moments later four large fish had been hooked from the water. The watching females fell upon these voraciously. Sleek Otter rejoined them, contenting herself with a few mouthfuls.
The trout had scarcely been swallowed when the two male otters called from nearby. They were answered at once.
‘I can smell that you’ve eaten,’ Slow Otter announced as he came into the yard. He and Lame Otter were drooling. They noticed scraps of fish bone and skin on the ground and snatched them up hastily as though afraid the females might take them.
‘Wouldn’t you prefer whole prey?’ Sleek Otter asked them archly. She was in her element, aware of her supremacy in the group.
‘What a stupid question!’ Slow Otter rasped. ‘Where are the fish? Point me in the direction.’
By way of an answer Sleek Otter repeated her performance. The glistening trout smacked on to the ground where their futile wriggles were swiftly halted. The two males gulped them down – heads, tails and bones. Nothing was left.
‘I can get you as many as you like,’ Sleek Otter boasted gleefully.
‘Huh! The great provider,’ Slow Otter mumbledungraciously with his mouth full. ‘Don’t worry. What you can do, we can do too.’
‘Speak for yourself,’ Lame Otter said to him. ‘There’s no way in which I could get to the fish.’
‘I’ll look after you,’ Sleek Otter beamed. She wanted to be appreciated by the males. ‘We can make a new start here, all of us. Our old life’s finished, but there’s no reason why our new life can’t be
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