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Speaker 1: Yes, 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 over

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four hundred and fifty animal tales now and all are

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available on our premium service, alongside over eighty premium only

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stories for a tiny fee. They are all advert free.

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Summer is from the UK and she would like a

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story about an otter. 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 the fable of the Otter. There once

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was a young otter called Summer, and she was as

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bright and cheerful as the season she was named after.

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Summer had reached an age where she was now old

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enough to leave home and find a river of her own.

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After days of searching, swimming up and down smaller rivers

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that fed into the one she'd known all her life,

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Summer found herself surrounded on both sides by a beautiful

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pinewood forest. The tall pines and thick ferns around her

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reminded her of the river she'd grown up in. Maybe

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this could be her new home. But was it safe here?

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At that moment, a duck appeared from the long stems

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that grew on the river bank and let out a

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surprised quack. Will a be he cried, A swimming weasel.

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I'm not a weasel, Summer laughed, swimming closer, I'm an otter.

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The duck looked her up and down, then chuckled. Of course,

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the duck laughed, my apologies, so you are. It's been

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a long time since I've seen an otter. This was

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good news. If no otters lived here already, then Summer

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could make it her home. Perhaps I should stay, Summer suggested.

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I do like it here. I think you'd be most welcome,

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said the duck. But I must warn you there are

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humans in these woods, such curious creatures. You must not

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trust them. I've heard of humans, nodded Summer, grateful for

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the warning. They wore animal skins for clothing and carried

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sharp pointed sticks. I'll make sure I stay well away.

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Summer set about exploring her new home. It truly was

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a remarkable place. The river was wide and deep and

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full of life. The forest around it was thick and

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noisy and full of wild life. It was exactly what

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the otter had been hoping for. She even located a

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hole in the mud of the river bank, hidden amongst

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the reeds. Nobody lived there, and it was a perfectly

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sized burrow for an otter. Happy with her find, she

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left the hole, but instead of dropping into the water,

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she thought she ought to explore the river bank above

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her new home. Lost in her happy thoughts, Summer wasn't

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paying attention to danger, and so walked straight out in

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front of three humans. They were a little dirty in

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the firs, their long hair pulled back out of their faces.

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In their arms, they carried spears and bows, and one

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held a basket full of fish. And they'd noticed Summer.

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That's a strange looking stoat, said the first human. It's

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not a stoat, it's a weasel, insisted the second. Careful,

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don't get too close, said the third, with the basket

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of fish. There are strange creatures in these woods, Somemmer

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remembered the duck, saying not to trust them. With the

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humans hesitating, she took the opportunity to escape, leaping from

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the bank and into the water. The sudden action caused

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the humans to cry out in surprise, clearly, not expecting

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the animal to plunge into the river. Summer reappeared on

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the far bank, turning to look at the humans, who

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all looked on in astonishment. It swims like a fish.

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The first human gasped, it was faster than a fox.

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The second agreed, we must tell the others of this creature,

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whispered the third. Summer watched them go. In future, she

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would need to be much more careful. The day wore

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on and Summer continued to explore pleasingly. She discovered a

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fallen tree lying partly over the water and decided it

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would be fun to climb on to it and look around.

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This time, she made sure to look around carefully before

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climbing the bank. The fallen tree looked solid and safe,

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so she climbed up to enjoy the view. The river

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looked beautiful from this height, and the warm sun on

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her fur was pleasing. Summer was aware of a strong smell,

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not one she recognized, but she couldn't see anything that

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worried her, so she lay down upon the rough bark

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and within moments closed her eyes. This was careless of

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the otter, because she failed to notice two humans approached

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the river until they bent down to drink. She may

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even have gone unnoticed if not for her squeak of

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alarm at seeing them so close. It's a small wet dog,

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one of the humans said, or a large wet rat,

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suggested the other. We should catch it, The first one suggested,

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his voice dropping to a whisper. If we're quick, the

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other replied. The humans lunged at her, forcing Summer to

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leap into the thicket of leaves on the other side

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of the fallen tree. She expected thorny stems and poking sticks,

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but much to her surprise, she landed upon something soft

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and warm. The sleeping bear was awoken, instantly rising up

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through the thicket to defend itself from this unexpected intrusion.

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In doing so, Summer tumbled to the ground, unnoticed. As

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the bear came face to face with the humans across

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the log. It has turned into a bear, one of

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the humans cried, already breaking into a run. The second

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was right at his heels. The bleary eyed bear, not

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willing nor awake enough to give chase, watched them go.

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It was only then that he noticed the trembling otter

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not far from his feet. My apologies for disturbing you,

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Summer squeaked. Don't mention it, replied the bear. I'm always

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happy to give a human a scare. Are you an otter?

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Summer nodded her reply. Don't seem an otters around here,

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he said thoughtfully. A word of advice, Steer clear of

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those humans. They create stories around the things they don't understand.

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I say they're not to be trusted, Somemmer nodded again

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as the bear went on his way. She didn't understand

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his talk of humans and stories, but was grateful to

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have come through the encounter unharmed. She decided it would

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be best for now to return to the safety of

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the river. By now, Summer was feeling hungry. Luckily, the

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river was alive with fish, and that meant a tasty

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meal was never far away for a skilled otter. She

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caught the biggest fish she could see, dragging it into

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the shallows to eat it. But before she could start,

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another human approached the river from the opposite bank. His

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hair was white, and he walked slowly, wading knee deep

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into the water. Summer, still clutching her catch, remained perfectly still,

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so it took a moment for the man to spot her.

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That's a big fish you've got there, little one, the

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man observed. The man's hands were empty, carrying neither spear

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nor bow, and he was keeping his distance, with the

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deeper water between them. Summer felt safe. She watched as

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the man leant into the water and lifted a rock

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to which several fresh water mussels were attached. He then

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produced a flint knife from a pouch at his side

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and began to pry the shell fish from the stone.

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Summer liked mussels inside their shells. They were soft and delicious,

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although difficult to get at. This human, though, was collecting

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them with ease. Would you like to trade, the old man, suggested,

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your big fish for a handful of my mussels. Summer's

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mouth watered. She really did like mussels, which were hard

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for her to get but easy for the human. Fish

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would be a better meal for the human, but they

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were harder for him to catch. It was a good trade,

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but she reminded herself of the words from the duck

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and the bear, do not trust the humans. And yet

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this old man didn't appear to be a threat. Surely

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she could be careful. Summer disappeared beneath the surface swimming

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fast despite her load. For a moment, the man thought

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she had swum away, until he realized she'd appeared a

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little further upstream on his side of the water. The

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otter placed the fish on a half submerged rock, then

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disappeared under water again. The man let out a surprised

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laugh as he collected his fish. A promise is a promise,

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he said, and deposited a handful of the fresh water

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mussels on the rock before returning to his spot. Summer

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was then confident enough to reappear and claim her prize.

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She plucked up a mussel and began working with her

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claws and teeth to get at the meal inside. Thank you,

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said the man to the otter as he climbed from

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the water. Perhaps we can trade again some time, hm,

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thought Summer. Maybe not. All humans were not to be trusted.

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A week later, Summer had settled in nicely. She missed

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her family, but her new stretch of river was providing

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everything that she needed. Occasionally she would see the duck

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or the bear and remember their warnings, and she would

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try to understand the bear's words about humans and their stories.

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Occasionally she would see the old man and just as

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carefully she would make another trade. She was much more

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alert when it came to the other humans. They were

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often drawn to the water, so she made sure to

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stay hidden or to swim away unseen. But then one

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day they took her completely by surprise, arriving in a

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manner that she could never have expected. They were traveling

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on the water. There were two of them, a young

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boy and girl, each in a bowl shaped boat covered

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in animal skin. Summer couldn't know it, but these were coracles.

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The children steered the coracles with their hands in the

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slow water, moving almost silently, which meant that Summer didn't

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notice them until they were almost upon her. There it is,

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the boy, whispered to his companion. That's the river Guardian

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we've heard tails about. The girl smiled broadly. It can

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swim like a fish, but also walk on the land,

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she said, with admiration, And it can shape shift, becoming

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another animal if it chooses, declared the boy to Summer's

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surprised ears. Is it dangerous, asked the girl. Not if

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we show respect, warned the boy. Grandfather said that as

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long as we respect the river, the Guardian will give

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us its blessing. I wish it would catch me the

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biggest fish in the river, just like grandfather's grinned the girl.

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Summer didn't think the fish she had caught for the

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old man had been that big, even so, she sat

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up straighter, holding their gaze. The coracles were being pulled

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down stream by the river's floe, carrying the children slowly

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past the otter, and as they passed, the two humans

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bowed their heads in respect. Please, Guardian of the river,

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grant us safe passage, the boy said, And grant us

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good luck, the girl added quickly, not really sure why

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she did it, Summer dipped her head in reply, looking

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relig but happy. The two humans sailed away, never taking

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their eyes from her until they were out of sight.

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So this was what the bear had meant. Humans really

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did make up stories in their eyes. She was now

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a shape shifting river guardian. I'll fancy that. And it

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would seem that, just maybe the duck and the bear

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had spoken too hastily when they warned her not to

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trust the humans rather than fear them. The humans had

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shown her respect, and in return she had done so too.

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To Summer, this seemed like a much better way to live,

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and so the otter who never truly thought of herself

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as a guardian of the river, but was amused by

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the title all the same, settled into a comfortable but

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respectful routine, and because of a little respect, otter and

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human could live happily together. Animal fact, the otter in

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our story is a Eurasian otter, although there are another

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thirteen different species of otter found throughout the world. They

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are amazingly graceful and fast in the water, using their

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webbed feet and flexible bodies to steer and chase after

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swift swimming fish. They'll also eat frogs, worms, eggs, shell fish,

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and even birds and small mammals if they can catch them.

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Otters were at great risk of extinction due to the

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pollution created by humans, although efforts to clean up our

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waterways have seen them bounce back. As long as we

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do our part, they should be here to stay. Thank

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you for your suggestions, Summer. 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 Amazon.

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

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reading for yourself. Make sure you join us next time

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for another great animal tale. Good Bye,