Who travels much will wiser be,
Provided he has eyes to see.
Little Joe Otter1.
Gentle Mistress Moon, peeping down though the tops of the trees of the Green Forest, saw a queer procession going up the Laughing Brook2 to the pond of Paddy the Beaver3, deep in the Green Forest. They were Little Joe Otter, Mrs. Otter, and the two nearly grown young Otters4. Little Joe was leading, the others following in single file.
When they reached the pond of Paddy the Beaver they found it covered with smooth ice. The snow had fallen before the pond had frozen over. Little Joe made three or four jumps and then threw himself flat on his stomach and away he slid on the smooth ice. As soon as he stopped sliding he scrambled5 to his feet and did the same thing again. The others did just as he did. They squealed6 with delight. It was great fun. And it was surprising how fast they went across the pond of Paddy the Beaver. When they got to the other side the young Otters didn’t want to leave that pond. They wanted to slide some more.
But they had been well brought up, and when Little Joe promised them that they should have more sliding before they reached the end of their journey they said nothing more. Into the woods, plowing7 through the snow, Little Joe led the way. Every time there was a little slope he would slide down to the bottom. Of course all the others did the same. Sometimes where it was level he would make a few swift jumps and then slide on his stomach.
The young Otters were much excited. It was the first time they had been any distance from the Laughing Brook. Everything was strange and new and wonderful. They wanted to stop to examin............