The phoebe flitted to the other side of the rushing creek and shook her head at all the larva that was getting away. It was just starting to get light and she was hungry, as usual.
“Your dam is broken“
She scolded pointedly, jutting one wing in the direction of the largest gap where water was pushing through. Her tone was indignant, but the beaver didn’t look at her. He followed his plan of picking up as many sticks as he could carry. These he dumped in a cluster on the broken dam and came back for more.
“On it.“
He answered, unapologetically. When the phoebe looked ready to say more, he dove into the water where her chatter was muffled and building supplies were abundant. He balled up a wad of mud and swam to the surface just in time to catch the end of her sentence.
“…irresponsible!“
She was scolding, but flapped away when the egret fluttered to the creek bank. The tall white bird didn’t mind a hole or two in the dam for a while, as it made the escaping fish easier to catch. She stalked purposely downstream of the hole and demonstrated by spearing two in a row while he continued to work on the repairs.
“Don’t hurry on my account“.
She assured him, sounding as untroubled as you could with a mouthful of perch. He wasn’t. He had to swim quite a long way for the next branch, and left her to her breakfast. By the time he returned she had stopped spearing and starting to preen. Before she flew off the pond turtle crawled onto the opposite bank worriedly.
“Your dam’s broken!“
He exclaimed in frustration. He usually made a habit of ducking under the jutting branches at the edge of the bank to feed on the tasty vegetation there. Not today apparently, as his favorite restaurant was a noisy gush of escaping water.
“On it.“
The beaver said again, without irritation as he pulled up some reeds and grasses to place in the gap.The turtle shrugged and carried on walking slowly down stream, sensing that this was going to take a while, even by his standards. The beaver dove for more mud and was greeted by an irate muskrat when he returned.
“Your dam is broken!“
The muskrat scolded with alarm. “My children could be washed away in that current!” He and his family were living in the nearby beaver lodge at the moment, and the beaver immediately recognized him by his ridiculous tail.
“On it.“
He answered after weaving a particularly large branch through the debris. The gushing was definitely getting softer. He should know. A little more mud and grasses should do the trick. The muskrat darted back into the lodge to check on his children. Leaving the beaver to work in relative silence for a moment or two. There was always so much chatter. He liked it this way.
He managed to pull up a second mouthful of grasses before the sleek head darted out of the water. The otter startled him. They always did.
“Your dam’s broken” he said worriedly. “All the fish are getting out.”
The otter didn’t particularly care for his stout cousin’s tail slapping ways, but he had swam nearly four miles to get here and enjoy his breakfast of fatty fish. The eating was always better at a beaver dam, even if the company was annoying.
“On it.“
The beaver stuffed the remaining grasses into the last of the holes. The gush was nearly down to a trickle now. He was starting to feel hungry. but he kept working for a little more. The otter dove for a moment and returned to the surface with a rosy crayfish that he proceeded to crack and eat with relish.
“Your dam! It’s fixed!“
He exclaimed, ready to follow his delicious shellfish with something rounder. “Don’t let that happen again.”
The beaver reached up to grab a hanging willow branch which he would take with him into the lodge for a bed time snack.
“On it.“
