The Lazy Beaver

Bucky, the beaver was a lazy little fellow.  He wanted to play all day and sleep at night. When his friends were busy building their lodges for the coming winter, Bucky wanted nothing to do with it.His father had taught him how to build a lodge when he was younger, but now he thought he would have plenty of time to build a home before the cold weather  However, winter was very early that year and he had to build his dam very fast.


Because he was so late starting to build his lodge, he forgot what his father told him.  NEVER BUILD close to the shore line. But Bucky was in a hurry and didn't listen to his father's instructions. He thought that by building his lodge near the shore he wouldn't have to swim so far to construct his winter home. Bucky built his lodge twice as fast as all his friends and then waited for the cold weather.


Later on, when the cold winter winds began to blow, Bucky headed for his home.  One night, while he was sleeping, the temperature dropped below zero.  Ice began to form over Bucky's home. In the morning, when Bucky woke up and tried to get out of his house, both doors were frozen over with ice.  Bucky was trapped.  He had built his lodge too close to the shore and that is the first place where the pond freezes.

Meanwhile, a little boy, Johnny Achers was up early and heading down to the pond to ice skate.  His friend Philip was on his way to the pond too  When the two boys met, they noticed Bucky's lodge was too close to the shore.  Johnny said,"Hey, Phil, what is this beaver thinking about? Doesn't he know that it is very dangerous to build near the shore line?"  No sooner had Johnny spoken, when the boys heard crying.  "Do you hear crying, Johnny?" asked Phil


"I sure do Phil.  I think it is coming from inside that beaver lodge." Johnny bent down to look inside the door and sure enough, curled up in a ball was the little beaver, shivering with fright.There was no way of escape for Bucky. He had built his house too close to the shore and all the water under the lodge, as well as around it, was frozen.  Bucky was trapped unless the boys could break the ice and punch a hole for Bucky to swim away.

Johnny left to see if he could find a heavy piece of wood to smash the ice, while Phil stayed and talked to Bucky,  "We will get you out my friend.  Just be patient."  Johnny returned with just the right size piece of wood..  Within a few minutes the boys had smashed a large enough hole for Bucky to escape.  

Bucky quickly disappeared through the ice hole into the pond.They never saw him again.  I wonder where Bucky went? Perhaps he was taken in by another beaver family during the cold winter nights.  Whatever happened, one thing is for sure, Bucky NEVER BUILT HIS HOUSE  too close to shore ever again.

The boys put on their skates and started practicing for the hockey game that afternoon. When the guys arrived for the hockey game, Johnny and Phil couldn't wait to tell them about Bucky.

Johnny and Phil  practicing their ice hockey