Little Joe Otter/Chapter 18
CHAPTER XVIII
THE SMALLEST OTTER IS WILFUL
The wilful and the heedless gain
Experience through fright and pain.
Little Joe and Mrs. Otter are wise in the ways and the things of the Green Forest. So, as they journeyed towards the distant brook they had planned to visit, their keen ears caught every little sound, and without bothering to investigate they knew just what had made each little sound. But with the two young Otters it was a very different matter. Everything was new and strange and therefore interesting. They wanted to stop and examine everything. Every time they heard a little noise off at one side they wanted to go over and find out what had made it.
Now Mrs. Otter is a good mother, a watchful mother. She kept a keen eye on the two young Otters. And every time they started off she called them back. She warned them that there were dangers in the Green Forest. She did her best to frighten them.
The smallest Otter was headstrong and wilful and heedless. She wanted to have her own way. "Mother is just trying to scare us," she whispered to her brother. "I don't believe there is any danger. We haven't seen a single thing to be afraid of. She wants us to tag along at her heels and not have any fun. I want to see all there is to see. She can't scare me. I'm not afraid of any one."
So the smallest Otter kept dropping behind to examine everything that interested her. At the same time she kept a watchful eye on Mrs. Otter, and every time the latter turned to see where the youngsters were, the smallest Otter would go bounding along the trail, hurrying to catch up.
Her brother was more obedient. He sometimes dropped behind, but never as far behind as his sister. Mother Otter, seeing the obedient young Otter not far behind, would take it for granted that his sister was not far behind him, and so after a while she became a little less watchful. The smallest Otter soon discovered this, and then she dropped farther back than ever.
"I can't get lost," said she to herself, "because all I have to do is to follow this trail through the snow. I don't care if they do get way ahead. I can catch up any time by hurrying. Now I wonder what that is. I am sure I saw something move under that little tree over to the right."
She stopped and looked very hard at the young tree. The branches were bent down with snow. She couldn't see under them. There was nothing moving there now. She looked up the trail. Little Joe and Mrs. Otter were out of sight, and her brother was just disappearing over the top of a little ridge.
"I'm sure I saw something move over there," said the wilful young Otter, looking back at the little tree. "I'm sure I did. It won't take but a minute to go over and find out. Mother always has said that we should learn all we can. How can we learn if we don't try to find out about things? There certainly won't be any harm in looking under that little tree."
Once more she glanced along the trail. Her brother had disappeared. No one was in sight. Then she turned and bounded through the snow towards that little hemlock tree. She was going to satisfy her curiosity.