<div><h1 id='ch31'>CHAPTER XXXI<br/> <span class='sub-head'>A FISH DISAPPEARS</span></h1></div>
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<p class='line0'>Before you boast be sure you know</p>
<p class='line0'>That you have got the fish to show.</p>
<p class='line0'>                 <span class='it'>Little Joe Otter.</span></p>
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<p class='pindent'><span class='sc'>At</span> the place where the big
brook, down which Little Joe
Otter and his family had traveled,
enters the Big River, the latter
never freezes over. Little Joe
Otter knew this. You see, he
had been there before more than
once. He knew that there was
good fishing in the Big River,
and that if no trapper discovered
them they would not be disturbed.
No men lived near that part of
the Big River. There was green
forest on both banks. There were
snug, dry, hiding-places, and Little
Joe knew them all. They would
stay until spring and then work
down the Big River and so return
to the Laughing Brook from which
they had started.</p>
<p class='pindent'>The young Otters liked this
place. They soon had a fine slippery
slide on which to play when
they were not sleeping or fishing.
It was fun to explore under the
ice along the banks of the Big
River. It was fun to catch a fish
and climb out on the ice to eat
it. There was nothing to worry
about. There were no enemies
to fear. By day as well as by
night they felt perfectly safe.</p>
<p class='pindent'>One day the young Otter who
had lost his toe caught an extra
big fish. It was the biggest fish
he ever had caught. He was
very proud of it as he climbed
out on the ice. Now he had
caught that fish more for the fun
of catching it than because he was
hungry. The fact is, he wasn’t
hungry. Fish were plentiful, and
he had already eaten about all he
could. So he merely took a couple
of bites from what he considered
the best part—just back of the
head. Then he saw his sister
over on the slippery slide and
went over to join her, leaving
the big fish on the ice. He
wanted to tell her about that big
fish. He wanted to boast a little.
He was sure that it was a bigger
fish than she ever had caught.
So when he got over to the slippery
slide he at once began to
boast. His sister stood it as long
as she could. Then she declared
that she didn’t believe he had
such a wonderful fish.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“Come on over and I’ll show
it to you,” said the young Otter.
“It’s twice as big as any fish
you’ve ever caught.”</p>
<p class='pindent'>“I don’t believe it,” declared
his sister. “I’ll have to see it
before I’ll believe it.”</p>
<p class='pindent'>“All right, come on!” cried
her brother, and down the slippery
slide he glided into the water.
Flat on her stomach behind him
went his sister. Together they
climbed out on the ice where the
big fish had been left.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“Here it——” began the young
Otter, and stopped abruptly.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“Well, where is it?” demanded
his sister.</p>
<p class='pindent'>Her brother simply stared all
about him with a foolish look on
his face. There was no fish there!
What could have become of it?
He knew that he had killed it
and so it couldn’t possibly have
flopped back into the water. He
ran all around with his nose to
the ice, but there was no scent
of Reddy Fox or of any one else.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“I don’t believe you caught a
big fish,” declared his sister.
“You must have dreamed it. If
you caught it, where is it?”</p>
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