Little Joe Otter/Chapter 31
CHAPTER XXXI
A FISH DISAPPEARS
Before you boast be sure you know
That you have got the fish to show.
At the place where the big brook, down which Little Joe Otter and his family had traveled, enters the Big River, the latter never freezes over. Little Joe Otter knew this. You see, he had been there before more than once. He knew that there was good fishing in the Big River, and that if no trapper discovered them they would not be disturbed. No men lived near that part of the Big River. There was green forest on both banks. There were snug, dry, hiding-places, and Little Joe knew them all. They would stay until spring and then work down the Big River and so return to the Laughing Brook from which they had started.
The young Otters liked this place. They soon had a fine slippery slide on which to play when they were not sleeping or fishing. It was fun to explore under the ice along the banks of the Big River. It was fun to catch a fish and climb out on the ice to eat it. There was nothing to worry about. There were no enemies to fear. By day as well as by night they felt perfectly safe.
One day the young Otter who had lost his toe caught an extra big fish. It was the biggest fish he ever had caught. He was very proud of it as he climbed out on the ice. Now he had caught that fish more for the fun of catching it than because he was hungry. The fact is, he wasn't hungry. Fish were plentiful, and he had already eaten about all he could. So he merely took a couple of bites from what he considered the best part—just back of the head. Then he saw his sister over on the slippery slide and went over to join her, leaving the big fish on the ice. He wanted to tell her about that big fish. He wanted to boast a little. He was sure that it was a bigger fish than she ever had caught. So when he got over to the slippery slide he at once began to boast. His sister stood it as long as she could. Then she declared that she didn't believe he had such a wonderful fish.
"Come on over and I'll show it to you," said the young Otter. "It's twice as big as any fish you've ever caught."
"I don't believe it," declared his sister. "I'll have to see it before I'll believe it."
"All right, come on!" cried her brother, and down the slippery slide he glided into the water. Flat on her stomach behind him went his sister. Together they climbed out on the ice where the big fish had been left.
"Here it—" began the young Otter, and stopped abruptly.
"Well, where is it?" demanded his sister.
Her brother simply stared all about him with a foolish look on his face. There was no fish there! What could have become of it? He knew that he had killed it and so it couldn't possibly have flopped back into the water. He ran all around with his nose to the ice, but there was no scent of Reddy Fox or of any one else.
“I don't believe you caught a big fish," declared his sister. "You must have dreamed it. If you caught it, where is it?"