It was the eve of Belle the Beaver’s 18th birthday when she broke the news: she was going to move out and didn’t give a dam what her parents, Nilly and Willy, thought. Belle had been planning this move ever since she met Ronald, the new kid on the creek. He had a look about him that practically screamed, “Mess with me, and Imma paddle you with my tail,” which Belle found endearing.
Anyway, Belle planned on moving to Crook’s Brook (because she was attracted by the name), even though every beaver knew it was the dodgiest part of the river. Belle turned her snout at her parents’ desperate pleas to consider other areas. They said, “What about Safety Stream? Sugar Springs?” To which she rolled her eyes and said, “Honestly, it’s like you think I’m still a kit.”
It just so happened that Ronald had been homeless for a month after Sady, his ex-girlfriend, picked up with Otto the Otter. It also just so happened that Belle was storming out of her lodge just as he was floating by. Ronald saw this feisty youngling and decided to prey on her newfound independence by playfully splashing her with his paw and other such irresistible moves. She ended up inviting this bad-boy-beave to live in her un-built home. Not totally unwise, seeing as Ronald had done some construction work the summer before (as punishment for loitering near Mayor Broadtail’s dam).
So, off the pair went to Crook’s Brook. Ronald actually fell in love with Belle, and she with him. The wood in Safety Stream was discovered to be totally rotten, and Sugar Springs suffered a terrible termite infestation. Crook’s Brook became the place to be, and Ronald and Belle owned some of the best real estate on the market.
So my kits, follow your intuition, even if that means living with another otter!
