"Your children are fine swimmers," added Mother
Bear.
"Certainly," answered Mother Otter. "Every one of them knows that our people have all been famous swimmers for centuries."
"I suppose, then," ventured Mother Bear, "that your children were born swimmers. You probably had trouble in keeping them out of the water when they were babies."
Mother Otter laughed. "The trouble was to get them into the water," she said, "because the silly little things were afraid. All young otters are afraid of the water and have to be put into it by force."
"You do not mean it!" exclaimed Mother Bear, with great amazement in her tones.
"Indeed I do," replied Mother Otter. "We had to push every one of our children into the water. Does Little Bear know how to swim?"
"No," answered Mother Bear, shaking her head, "he is afraid to try."
"Duck him," advised Mother Otter, "duck him.
There is no other way to teach a little bear to swim."
And away she went, down the stream, intending to overtake Father Otter.
The little Otters kept looking back, hoping to see
Father Bear toss Little Bear into the river. But Mother
Bear begged him not to teach Little Bear to swim that
day, and so the little Otters missed the fun.