Bucky and Boobie Beaver

Within this pond was a family of very busy Beavers. Among the many beaver children were two brothers, Bucky and Boobie, who were the oldest of the many children.

One day as the two were busy working, they were approached by their Father.

"My Sons," the Father Beaver said, "As you can see, this pond is small, and you have many brothers and sisters. Now you are both nearly grown, and I think it is about time for you to go out into the world and build your own dams."

Elated, the two brothers prepared to leave immediately, and bidding their family goodbye, slipped over the dam and started swimming away.

Their Father's voice interrupted them momentarily, "Now remember all that you have been taught my boys, and work hard. All should go well with you then."

Bucky and Boobie slapped their tails against the water in reply and swam away.

And an inspection of the left branch saw that it too was ideal. So the Brothers made plans to build their dams there. Bucky on the right stream and Boobie on the left.

So they went to work cutting and trimming the trees for their dams and meals.

Now as they worked, each of them sang a song. A song taught them by their Father who had learned it from his Father. It went like this, One for three! One for three! Two for the Earth, and one for me! And as they sang, they would plant two of the branches into the mud, while taking only one for themselves.

Unknown to the busy beavers, they were being watched from the hill that was between the two dams. Old wiley Wolf licked his chops as he watched the two work. Oh how he loved to eat beaver! But he had learned during his long life that he had no chance of catching two as young as these as long as they stayed near their ponds. So he would have to trick them in some way.

First Wiley decided to visit Bucky. Walking down to his pond, he watched the young beaver hard at work.

Bucky was too busy to pay much attention to the wolf. He knew he was safe there at the edge of the water, and continued his work stripping branches from a newly downed willow, singing, "One for three! One for three! Two for the earth and one for me!", as he planted two branches into the mud for each one he took.

Wiley's ears perked up when he heard the song Bucky was singing. "What is this I see?" he asked Bucky, "It seems to me that you are wasting a lot of good branches with that silly song!"

And Bucky replied, "No siree! No siree! It was taught to my Father, who taught me. One for three! One for three! Two for the earth and one for me. That is the way it has to be."

Wiley snorted with disgust. He was getting nowhere with this beaver, so tucking his tail, he went off to try his luck with the other one.

When he got to Boobie's pond, he lay there on his belly watching the beaver, who was busy at his work. Wiley noticed that this beaver also sang the same song as the other, and was planting two branches for every one he used.

Now Wiley was old and wise, and above all, patient. So as he lay there, he thought of a plan.

Approaching Boobie, he said, "My what a hard worker you are! You should have your dam built in no time at all at the rate you're going."

And Boobie answered,"Yes indeed! Yes indeed! To build a good dam and get enough feed, a little hard work is all that you need."

"But tell me one thing?" Wiley asked, "Why is it that you waste so much of your hard effort planting two thirds of your harvest back into the Earth? Just look around you. Why there are more trees then you could possibly use if you lived two lifetimes. Just think of how much more food you would have and how much faster your dam could be raised if you used it all."

Boobie stopped his work at Wiley's words. He turned all about looking at all the trees that circled the pond.

Then sitting back on his tail, he thought long and hard. Turning to the wolf, he said, "You know, friend wolf, your words have merit. Perhaps I have been going about things all wrong. Thank you."

"Think nothing of it," replied Wiley, turning quickly, so that Boobie would not see the satisfied smirk on his face.

Then Boobie went back to work. Only this time he changed his song as he gathered all the branches. "All for free! All for free! Oh what a mighty beaver I'll be!"

And indeed all through that fall, everything went well. Boobie raised a dam almost twice as large as Bucky's, and with all the extra food, gained much more weight. And Boobie found life good indeed. So much so, that he worked less and fattened all throgh the winter.

Then came the spring thaw. The waters rose, threatening the dams.

Now Bucky had no trouble reenforcing his small dam. For all the saplings he had planted lined his pond thickly.

But with Boobie, things were not that good. His larger dam required much more work and many more saplings to keep ahead of the rising waters. There were no thickly growing saplings around his pond. And the harder work required his bulky body to feed more often. Soon he found that all the trees were cut around the pond, and he had to raise the water level of the pond to get more. And the higher he built the dam, the harder he had to work and the more food he had to consume.

Too soon, he found that he could raise the dam no higher, and the trees got further and further away from the water's edge. Soon he was forced to move his bulky body quite a distance from the water to get food.

This was what old Wiley wolf had been waiting for. With one quick pounce, he caught the slow beaver.

Afterwards, licking his lips, Wiley sang, "All for free! All for free! My what a foolish beaver was he!"

Now you may think this is the end to the story of the beavers. But it really isn't Grandchildren. It is only the end of the story for one foolish beaver. You have only to go out and look upon the beaver ponds today and see that the beavers still practice that old song, "One for three. One for three! Two for the Earth, and one for me!". Foolish beavers have not survived.

Now isn't it a shame that foolish wasteful human beings don't have a wily wolf to teach them such lessons? Perhaps this world would be just a little happier....

Da Naho!

Blue Turtle

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Email: afwturtle3@aol.com