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Speaker 1: Yale. Hello everyone, and welcome to the Animal Tales podcast,

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where you suggest the animal for us to write a

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story about. My name's Josephine and I've got a brand

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new animal story here just for you. There are now

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over one hundred extra stories on the Animal Tales premium service.

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Find out how to join in the text that accompanies

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this episode, and remember, for a tiny fee, they're all

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advert free. Ray is from Perth in Scotland and she

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would like a story with a giant otter and a

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yellow spotted river turtle. You can learn more about these

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creatures in the Animal Facts after the story. Now settle back, relax,

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and I'll begin river rummaging. In the dark of the night,

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twin headlights cut through the blackness. The car pulled up

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beside the quiet river, the only sound being the rumbling

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engine until even that shut off. There was not a

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soul in sight, just what Cyrus had been hoping for.

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Cyrus climbed out of his car. As he tugged his

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black cap down onto his head. He popped open the

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back of the vehicle, grabbing a fishing rod from within.

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But when Cyrus took it to the edge of the river,

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it wasn't a fish. Instead, he hurled it into the

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water with all his might. The rod landed with a splash,

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sending out moonlit ripples as it sank below the surface.

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Cyrus smiled. He returned to the car, this time retrieving

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a broken lamp and a cracked flower pot. These were

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thrown into the river in the same manner as the rod.

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They were soon followed by a couple of mugs and

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a plastic box. Cyrus knew he shouldn't be dumping his

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items into the river, but he simply didn't care. He

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didn't care about the pollution he was creating, nor did

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he care that innocent animals may get trapped or harmed

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by what he was throwing away. He should have taken

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all those items to the official dump like normal people did,

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but that was a full thirty minute drive away, and

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Cyrus was both lazy and selfish. This way was much easier,

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even if he did have to do it at night

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to avoid getting caught. The final item Cyrus removed was

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a tatty rolled up rug. It was fraying, stained, and faded,

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which was that's why he no longer wanted it. The rug, though,

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was harder to get into the water. Being heavy, he

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couldn't throw it like the other objects. Cyrus was forced

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to wade out up to his knees, where he did

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his best to toss the rug into deeper water. It

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sank like a stone. Cyrus then returned to his car. Satisfied,

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He shook the water from his shoes, closed up the back,

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and reached into his pocket for the car keys. But

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there were no khr keys in his pocket, nor were

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they in any of the others. He stared at the

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ground around him. Had he dropped them, surely he would

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have heard them jangle? Oh what had he done with them?

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Dropping to his knees, Cyrus crawled around in the dirt,

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even checking under the car, but it was difficult to

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see in the weak moonlight. What had he done with them?

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He had them when he got out of the car.

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He remembered that much. Of course, when he'd picked up

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the fishing rod, he'd set them down on top of

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the rug. Oh. No, had he just locked himself out

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of his own car in the middle of nowhere. Cyrus

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pressed his face against the rear wind screen, straining to

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see there were no shiny keys within. There was only

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one explanation he'd accidentally carried the keys on top of

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the rug and thrown them away with it. Angrily, Cyrus

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banged the roof of his car. He needed those keys.

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He had to get home before somebody found him here.

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Hurrying back to the edge of the river, Cyrus looked

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out across the dark water. Unfortunately he could not swim.

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A little down river, a young giant otter was woken

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by the sounds of splashing. Normally this was caused by fish,

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or frogs or birds, but this splashing sounded more like

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a hippo having a bath. Martin, said the giant otter,

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poking her friend. Can you hear that, Martin? A yellow

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spotted river turtle poked his head out of his shell.

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Not until you woke me up, Ray, Martin grumbled, what's

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going on? I'm not sure, Ray replied, I'm going to

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find out. Perhaps an animal needs help. Then I guess

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i'd better come with you, said the river turtle. The

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giant otter slipped into the nighttime water, heading towards the noise,

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with Martin paddling along behind her. They were surprised to

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find that the splashing was being made by a man

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dressed all in black. Kicking the water in frustration. What

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is he doing, Martin wondered. Only one way to find out,

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Ray replied, swimming closer. Are you night fishing? The giant

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otter called up to the man. He gave a shriek

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of fright, not expecting to receive a visit from an animal. Er. Yes,

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said Cyrus guiltily. That's right, I'm night fishing. It's my

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first time. I don't think he's night fishing. The river

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turtle muttered, but Ray didn't hear him. Most fish swim

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away when they hear splashing, and you'd have much better

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luck with a rod or a net, said Ray helpfully.

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Look there's a better spot down stream, a bit. You'd

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catch more fish there. Er, No, I uerh like this spot,

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Cyrus said, not wanting to leave where his keys were.

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I think I'll stay here. Well, all right, the giant

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otter shrugged. Good luck with your fishing, but do try

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to keep the noise down. Hold on a moment, cried

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Cyrus hastily. Perhaps this otter and turtle were his way

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out of this mess. Actually, I could really use your help,

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our help, said Martin. What with? Well, I dropped something

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by accident into the river, Cyrus explained, my keys, I

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really do need them back. Oh dear, said Ray. We'd

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be happy to help look for them, wouldn't we. Martin

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sure would, nodded the river turtle. Great, said Cyrus, returning

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to the river bank. I think I dropped them somewhere

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over here, O k said Ray. One more question before

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we start. What are keys? Cyrus almost groaned. They're shiny

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and small and made of metal, he said. Now please hurry,

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leave it to us, said Martin, and the two animals

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disappeared beneath the surface. I bet I can find those

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keys before you, said Ray cheekily. Oh you're on, Martin replied.

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In the shallows, Cyrus was finally feeling hopeful. It was

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getting close to dawn and he needed to be out

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of here before an early morning jogger or a dog

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walker happened by. He couldn't let any one see him

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who might connect him to his illegal dumping, so when

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the giant otter emerged, looking pleased with herself, he felt

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a rush of relief. Did you find my keys, he asked?

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Something even better, Ray proclaimed a fishing rod. She lifted

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it up out of the water for him to see.

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Cyrus couldn't believe his eyes. It was his own broken rod,

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the one he'd thrown in not an hour earlier. Now

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you can fish properly, ray said, happily, placing the rod

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carefully on the river bank beside him. Er thanks, said Cyrus,

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hiding his disappointment. But I still really need those keys

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on it, said the otter. She disappeared again. Cyrus considered

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kicking the fishing rod back in, but was stopped by

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the the arrival of the yellow spotted river turtle. Have

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you got my keys, Cyrus asked hopefully. I think so,

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said the turtle proudly. They're small and shiny. He held

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up three spoons and a fork. That's cutlery, Cyrus sighed.

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My keys are smaller and on a ring. Hm, got it,

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said Martin, putting the cutlery beside the fishing rod. I'll

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try again, and back into the water he dived. Cyrus

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gave the spoons a nudge with his shoe. Clearly he

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wasn't the only one throwing things in this river. Seconds later,

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the giant otter emerged once again. I have the keys,

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she announced, much to his relief. Thank goodness, sighed Cyrus

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as he reached out an open palm, hand them over.

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Ray gave him an old soup can. No, this isn't keys,

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but it's metal, pointed out Ray. No matter, I'll be

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right back. Cyrus dropped the can beside the other items.

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This was taking far too long. Now the river turtle

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was back again. Are these keys, asked Martin. Nope, said Cyrus,

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sagging as the flower pot he'd thrown away earlier was

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set down on the bank, shiny and metal. Remember, Oh yeah,

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confirmed Martin. I did see something like that. Give me

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a minute. As he plunged downwards, Ray came up, much

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to Cyrus's dismay. She placed a couple of glass bottles

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on the river side. I know these aren't right, she said,

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but I thought you might like them anyway. Some of

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this stuff is really interesting. It's like a treasure trove

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down there. Cyrus didn't know what to say, which was

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just as well. As Ray had gone again. The first

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rays of dawn were appearing over the trees, filling him

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with dread. Hi there, announced a toad, appearing with an

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old boot. Cyrus spluttered with disbelief. Who are you? Ray

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asked us to help, said the toad as he deposited

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the boot amongst the other items. Is that what you

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were after? No, sobbed Cyrus. Keys. I need my keys,

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right you are, said the toad as he was replaced

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by a small cayman with a hub cap in her teeth.

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Suddenly there were all sorts of animals helping the giant

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otter and the yellow spotted river turtle, and none of

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them seemed to understand what keys were. They brought Cyrus bottles, lamps,

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plastic containers and food wrappers. They found ropes, fishing nets, drinks,

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cans and bags. Some of the bigger animals even managed

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to drag out a rusted bike, a boat, oar, a toaster,

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and a three legged chair, but no keys. The pile

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of junk on the river bank kept growing larger and larger.

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Even Cyrus was shocked by just how much had been

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dumped there. Surely one of these items must be your keys,

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said Ray as she placed a chipped mug on the pile.

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Martin placed another one beside it. A small crowd of

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animals had now joined in the search, most of which

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were waiting to hear Cyrus's response. No wept, Cyrus, rubbing

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his aching head, look could you look for a rolled

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up tatty rug. The keys are probably near that a rug.

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Ray repeated. I guess we could take a look. Thank you,

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said Cyrus quietly. The animals went under again as the

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water reflected the morning's early light. Surely this was his

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last chance. Then, to his delight, the animals reappeared, dragging

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out the rolled up rug. Phew, this is heavy, Martin puffed.

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It was taking almost all of the animals to carry

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the water soaked object. With a heave. They dragged it

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to the river bank with a collective groan, and something

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shiny caught Cyrus's eye. My keys, he cried, grabbing them

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from where they'd been tangled in the rug's fabric. Finally

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he could leave. A dog bark announced that some one

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was approaching on the river side path, sending the animals scurrying.

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One by one. They slipped beneath the water or into

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the surrounding grasses and reeds, leaving Cyrus stood beside a

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very large pile of wet rubbish. Oh man, he whimpered,

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I'm going to be in so much trouble. Two dog

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walkers had seen him and were giving a cheery wave.

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Nice to see you. Up so early, said one of

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the pair. Wow, did all that come out of the river?

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H yes, Cyrus mumbled. Can you believe the things people

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throw away in there? It's horrendous. The second dog walker agreed,

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what awful people to do such a thing. It's not

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that difficult to dispose of waste properly. Cyrus felt he

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had no option but to unlock the car and start

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loading the mess inside, especially when the first of the

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joggers went past. More and more people stopped to congratulate

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him on his efforts, making him feel doubly bad for

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dumping some of it in the first place. With his

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car bursting with the discarded objects, the defeated Cyrus drove away,

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heading for the dump, precisely where he should have gone

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in the first place. Watching him go, Ray asked her

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friend did he actually catch any fish? I don't think so,

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replied Martin. But just as well, he'd never have got

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them inside his car with all that lot. Animals. Fat

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giant otters can reach almost two meters in length that's

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around six feet. They're found in the rivers of the

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Amazon in South America and can live in family groups

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of up to twenty otters. Yellow Spotted river turtles are

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another Amazon species. The yellow spots are found on their head,

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which they tuck sideways under their shell, rather than drawing

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their head into the shell like some other turtles. Thank

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you for your suggestions, Ray, We hope that you all

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enjoyed the story. Wherever you're listening in the world, don't

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forget to look at our animal Tales books over on

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Amazon Great bedtime reading, especially if you've discovered the joy

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of reading for yourself. You join us next time for

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another great animal tale. Good Bye,