TWIGMAN AND THE BEAVER

ONE DAY TWIGMAN WENT TO A PLACE IN THE FOREST NEAR A SMALL STREAM TO CUT WOOD. WHEN HE GOT THERE HE SAW A TREE HAD BEEN CUT BY THE STRANGEST ANIMAL THAT HE HAD EVER SEEN IN THE FOREST. HE SAID TO THE ANIMAL, "WHAT KIND OF AN ANIMAL ARE YOU?" THE STRANGE ANIMAL SAID, "I AM A BEAVER."

TWIGMAN ASKED THE BEAVER WHY HE WAS CUTTING HIS TREES. THE BEAVER TOLD TWIGMAN HE USED THE LARGE BRANCHES AND SOME OF THE SMALL ONES TO BUILD A DAM ACROSS THE STREAM TO MAKE A LAKE WHERE HE COULD BUILD HIS HOME. HE ALSO SAID THE SMALL BRANCHES AND TWIGS WERE USED TO BUILD HIS HOME AND SOME OF THE SMALL BRANCHES AND TWIGS WOULD BE USED FOR FOOD DURING THE COMING WINTER. AND HE ADDED HIS FAMILY ATE THE BARK FROM SMALL BRANCHES AND TWIGS.

THE BEAVER LOOKED AT TWIGMAN AND TWIGMAN KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE BEAVER WAS THINKING. HIS ARMS AND LEGS WERE NOTHING BUT FOOD FOR A BEAVER.

TWIGMAN LOOKED AT THE LEGS AND TAIL OF THE BEAVER AND WAS NOT AFRAID. HE KNEW THE BEAVER WAS AN EXCELLENT SWIMMER BUT HE WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE AS A RUNNER. THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT AS LONG AS HE DID NOT GO SWIMMING IN THE BEAVER POND AND KEPT HIS EYES ON THE BEAVER. THE BEAVER CERTAINLY COULD NOT RUN AS FAST AS TWIGMAN.

THAT EVENING TWIGMAN TOLD THORNY, KNOBBY AND FUZZY TO NEVER GO SWIMMING IN THE BEAVER POND. WHEN THEY ASKED WHY, HE SAID, "BEAVERS EAT TWIGS AND IF YOU GO SWIMMING IN THE BEAVER POND YOU WILL SOON BE YUMMY IN THE TUMMY FOR A BIG FAT DUMMY!"