The Scruffy Sea Otter Read online

  Zoe had to admit that a special show sounded lovely – but she wondered if picking the otters first was such a good idea. Sasha was already finding it hard to keep up with the twins. How would she cope with a huge audience watching her?

  On Thursday, Zoe raced home from school so that she could watch the very first show at the otter enclosure. Meep was waiting for her at the zoo entrance, perched on the carved wooden gates as usual.

  “It’s starting right now, Zoe!” he chirped eagerly.

  Jess had put up signs directing visitors to the right place, showing a gorgeous photograph of the new sea otters, and a crowd was already gathering next to the fence. Everyone was chatting eagerly. “Aren’t they lovely?” said one lady, snapping a picture on her camera.

  Zoe stood on her tiptoes to see better, and Meep perched on her head. Nina and Alex were splashing through their saltwater pool, gliding on their backs together, then racing to get the fish that Jess threw into the water for them. Jess was speaking into a special microphone attached to her shirt collar, telling the crowd all about the otters. “As you can see, the twins love swimming!” she said. “Sea otters love the water. In fact, in the wild, sea otters can spend their whole lives in the water. Imagine that!”

  Zoe craned her neck to try to catch a glimpse of the littlest otter. Sasha was in the pool too, and doing her best to keep up, but Zoe could see that she was struggling. The pup was slower than the twins, and couldn’t reach any of the balls or fish before them. Her tufty fur was messy and spiky compared to their sleek, shiny coats, and she seemed to quickly grow tired from all the swimming. Across the crowd, Zoe saw Mr Pinch standing with his arms crossed and a frown on his face.

  When Jess announced that the show was finished, the crowd all clapped and wandered off, talking eagerly about the gorgeous otters. Quickly, Zoe slipped inside the enclosure and rushed over to Sasha, who was sitting in a miserable furry huddle all by herself. When Sasha saw Zoe, she gave a sad squeak.

  “It doesn’t matter that you’re not as quick as Nina and Alex yet,” Zoe told her gently. “You’re still doing really well!”

  Nina and Alex swam up to their sister and squeaked encouragingly at her. “Your big brother and sister think so too, see?” said Zoe, smiling at the twins. “They’re right – you just need a little bit more practice, and soon you’ll be able to do everything they do. And we’ll all help you!”

  Nina squeaked in agreement and Alex nuzzled right up to Sasha. Zoe could tell that both of the older otters wanted to cheer their little sister up – and by the time she and Meep said goodbye to them all, Sasha did seem a bit happier. But as Zoe left the enclosure, she overheard Mr Pinch grumbling at Jess. “We need all the animals to be in good form,” he muttered. “That little one can’t keep up!”

  Jess nodded reluctantly. “Well, she is younger than the twins…” she said.

  “We have to keep the little otter out of the show until she’s as big and strong as the others,” Mr Pinch told her.

  “Oh no,” whispered Zoe to Meep as Mr Pinch marched off. “If Mr Pinch isn’t going to let Sasha take part any more, she’s going to be so upset!”

  How would the little otter build her confidence if she wasn’t allowed to take part in the show?

  Chapter Six

  Zoe’s Training Tricks

  After school on Friday, Zoe met Meep at the gates and they ran straight to the cottage. Auntie Carol and Olivia were doing an animal jigsaw puzzle at the kitchen table as they burst through the door. “Hi, Zoe! How was school today?” Auntie Carol called. “We’ve had such a lovely day. Olivia met the llamas!”

  “Oh, good!” replied Zoe, swapping her schoolbag for a small rucksack hanging on the back of the kitchen door. “I’ve just come home to grab my wetsuit,” she explained, patting the rucksack. “I’m going to help Sasha.”

  “Good luck!” Auntie Carol smiled as Zoe dashed back outside.

  Zoe and Meep raced to the otter enclosure, dodging through the busy crowds.

  “Hi, Zoe!” called Jess from the saltwater pool. She was standing in the shallow end watching Nina and Alex swim. “Pop your wetsuit on and jump in!”

  Zoe got changed in the equipment room. She was getting a bit more used to putting her wetsuit on now, though it was still tricky to wriggle into it! She put her hair up in a ponytail and joined Jess in the water. Nina and Alex splashed over to her and greeted her by nuzzling their whiskery noses against her body, and she gave them a cuddle back. “Where’s Sasha?” she asked Jess.

  There was a squeak as Sasha popped her head out from behind one of the wooden ramps that ran around the enclosure. “Sasha hasn’t seemed very keen to get in the water today,” Jess explained. “In fact, after her bottle of milk at lunchtime, she hasn’t jumped into the pool once! I wondered if she might be tired – she’s had a lot to take in over the last few days.”

  “Maybe she’s feeling upset about how the show went last night,” Zoe whispered to Meep, who was perched on a rock by the edge of the pool, taking care not to let any water splash his fur. Meep was friends with lots of water-loving animals, but he preferred to stay nice and dry! “Let’s go and talk to her.”

  Zoe climbed out of the pool and went to sit with Sasha, who squeaked sadly at her. “What’s wrong, Sasha?” Zoe asked. She listened as Sasha explained how things had changed since the otters had arrived at the zoo. When they’d been in the wild the twins had taken care of Sasha and caught fish for her but now they were too busy having fun and she felt really left out. When she was sure that Jess was distracted by Nina and Alex, Zoe said quietly, “Sasha, I need to tell you something. Mr Pinch thinks it might be better if just Nina and Alex perform in the next show.”

  The little otter gave another sad squeak.

  “I know that makes you feel a bit sad,” Zoe said, seeing the little pup’s face fall and her big dark eyes widen. “But I know you can do everything your sister and brother can, with just a bit of practice. Why don’t you come into the pool with me and have a swim?”

  At first Sasha looked unsure, but eventually the little pup agreed. Zoe climbed back in the pool and waited for Sasha to splash in next to her. “Jess, would it be OK if I used one of these rings?” Zoe asked, nodding towards a stack of brightly coloured plastic rings on the side of the pool. “I want to see if Sasha would like to dive for it!”

  “Of course, Zoe,” said Jess, handing one over.

  Zoe lifted up the ring, then let it drop from her hand and into the water. Sasha looked nervous, but rolled forward and plunged under.

  Zoe crossed her fingers hopefully, but her heart sank as Sasha surfaced almost immediately, leaving the ring to sink right to the bottom of the pool. The little otter gave a frustrated squeal and shook her head. Zoe frowned as Sasha explained what the problem was. “You’re worried you’re going to get lost under the water?” she whispered back. “I promise that won’t happen, Sasha – I’m here watching you the whole time! You’ve just lost your confidence, that’s all. Let’s try it again.”

  But Sasha was getting more and more upset – and to make matters worse, Nina and Alex had just caught some fish that Jess had thrown for them and were turning happy flips in the water to celebrate! Sasha gave a jealous, sulky squeak, turning her back on her big brother and sister.

  Suddenly Zoe realised something. This is just how Olivia was behaving last night when she wanted to stay up late like me! What if I distract Sasha with a fun game and see if that makes her feel happier?

  “Listen, Sasha,” whispered Zoe, hoping her idea would work. “How would you like to eat a lovely shiny fish just like Nina and Alex?”

  Sasha’s eyes lit up and she nodded. “OK then!” replied Zoe. “You can have a fish – but you have to dive for it. We’ll go right to the shallowest end of the water, and I’ll stay with you the whole time, I promise.”

  Sasha hesitated, and Zoe could see the little pup thinking it through. She didn’t want to try diving again, but she was eager to have a fish, like the t
wins! To Zoe’s delight, Sasha wriggled her furry little body to the shallowest part of the pool, where Zoe could kneel down in the water. Zoe grabbed a silver fish from the bucket at the side of the pool.

  “I’ve got an idea! I’ll count to three, and when you dive, I’ll put my hand underwater too, and point to where the fish is,” Zoe explained. “All you have to do is follow my hand! OK?”

  Meep had scampered around the pool to sit closer to Zoe and Sasha. “And I’ll cheer for you, Sasha!” the little lemur chirped warmly.

  Sasha nodded but she looked really nervous.

  “Ready?” said Zoe. “I’m going to drop the fish now – there it goes! And on the count of three, dive and follow my hand! One … two … three!”

  Sasha stuck her head under the water, and gave a wriggle and a push. Zoe kept her hand very close to the little otter’s head, so that Sasha could see it clearly and be guided through the water. Down they went, and just a moment later Sasha caught the fish with her teeth. Quickly, Zoe lifted her hand out of the water and Sasha followed, popping up with a splash and a triumphant squeal.

  “You see?” said Zoe, smiling as Sasha gobbled up the fish. “That wasn’t so hard, was it? I think you could give that one more try, but this time we’ll move to an area of the pool that’s a little bit deeper. OK?”

  The little pup was so excited that she’d managed to catch the fish, she agreed immediately. Zoe went and fetched another fish then she took two steps towards the deeper end and dropped it. “One … two … three!” she said.

  Sasha got to the fish even more quickly this time, following Zoe’s hand right the way to the bottom of the pool. “Brilliant!” said Zoe, grinning. “You definitely earned that fish, Sasha. I knew you could do it!”

  From the far side of the pool, Zoe heard clapping. Looking across, she saw that Jess was applauding! “Well done, Zoe!” she called. “You’re doing so well. It’s almost as though Sasha understands everything you’re saying to her. Maybe the sound of your voice is soothing her. Either way, it’s working!”

  Grinning to herself, Zoe clambered out of the pool and scooped up another tiny silver fish from the bucket, which she held out for Sasha. The little pup gobbled it down, her eyes wide with excitement.

  Zoe smiled at the little otter pup. “We’ll do some more swimming tomorrow and I promise you can have some more fish then,” she whispered to Sasha.

  Meep sighed. “Seeing Sasha enjoying a snack is making me feel peckish!”

  Zoe giggled. Meep was always hungry! As she walked home for tea with the little lemur perched on her shoulder, Zoe felt tired but happy. “I really think little Sasha’s doing much better now, don’t you?” she said, reaching up to tickle Meep’s fluffy belly.

  Meep squeaked in agreement, though Zoe could tell he was already distracted by the thought of tea. She was pleased she could help the young sea otter, even if she couldn’t take part in the show yet…

  “Remember, today’s show starts at three o’clock!” Zoe reminded her mum as she laced up her trainers.

  “I wouldn’t miss it for anything, Zoe. Auntie Carol and Olivia will be there too,” Lucy promised.

  It was Saturday, and Zoe was setting off to help Jess get the sea otter enclosure ready for the show. She’d been kept busy all morning with her homework, then feeding the monkeys and the hippos their breakfast, but now that the show was almost here she was feeling jittery and nervous. She knew that Nina and Alex would perform brilliantly for the crowd – but she was worried that Sasha might still get upset seeing her big brother and sister being the stars, when she wasn’t even allowed to take part. If she does get upset today, at least Meep and I will be there to cheer her up, she told herself.

  Jess was sweeping inside the enclosure when Zoe arrived and used her special necklace to open the gate. “Zoe, if you could grab that spare broom and help me finish this off, that would be amazing!” she called. “Then we’ll need to stock up on fresh fish and check the saltwater levels and temperature of the pool ready for the show. Mr Pinch will be coming along to watch again today. It’ll be great to show him how well the otters are getting on!”

  Zoe got stuck in straight away. There were always plenty of jobs to help out with at the Rescue Zoo, and she loved being involved – even if it was hard work sometimes! Jess was humming cheerfully as they completed their tasks, and Zoe found herself joining in. She was even happier to see Sasha splashing in the water with her brother and sister, following them when they dived, even though she couldn’t manage to swim as deeply as they could. “I think our practice yesterday really helped Sasha!” she said to Jess.

  The keeper smiled. “Yes, she’s doing so much better today, isn’t she?”

  Zoe saw Sasha’s little ears prick up. Eagerly, the little pup paddled towards the edge of the pool and squeaked up hopefully to Zoe.

  Zoe’s heart sank. The little otter was asking if she’d be able to take part in today’s show – but Zoe knew she couldn’t. She felt sure that Mr Pinch wouldn’t have changed his mind.

  When Jess was busy in the equipment room, Zoe found a moment to crouch down next to the pool and speak to Sasha. “I’m sorry, Sasha,” she said gently. “You’re doing really well, like Jess said, but Nina and Alex will do this show by themselves, and hopefully you can join in next time?”

  As Sasha’s face fell, Nina and Alex squeaked kindly and encouragingly at their little sister, telling her not to be upset or worried. Zoe bent down and scooped the tiny otter out of the water, and wrapped her in a big, fluffy towel to warm her up. “Let’s get you dry, and then we can pick a nice spot on the rocks to sit and watch the show,” she suggested quietly. “Even if you can’t be in it, you can still enjoy it! And you’ll be able to have a good look at everybody in the crowd – I always think that’s lots of fun.”

  By the time the crowd started to assemble on the other side of the fence, the enclosure was looking spick and span, with a bucket full of fresh fish by the water’s edge. Jess had attached the special microphone to her shirt and the twins were gliding through the water together. Zoe sat with Sasha curled up next to her and Meep perched on her shoulder. “Look, there’s your mum and Auntie Carol and Olivia – and Great-Uncle Horace!” the little lemur squeaked.

  Zoe smiled and waved as her family took their places next to the fence, Olivia clutching her tattered teddy. “Great-Uncle Horace, you’re back!” she called. “Did you find the special swans you were looking for?”

  Great-Uncle Horace was beaming. “I did!” he called. “Wonderful, elegant creatures! But I’m absolutely thrilled to be home in time to watch our newest arrivals in action. I hear you’ve been doing a splendid job here, Zoe!”

  Just then they heard Jess’s voice come over the loudspeakers.

  “I think it’s time to start!” she announced, holding up the first bright-yellow ball. “Thank you for coming, everyone. I’m very happy to introduce twins Nina and Alex, who are a year old. They are our newest animals at the Rescue Zoo so please give them a warm welcome!”

  The crowd chattered excitedly as the otters began swooping and diving, chasing after the fish and turning somersaults. Zoe glanced over at the audience and grinned to see Auntie Carol lifting a wide-eyed Olivia right up to the fence so that she could see better. The little girl chuckled and pointed as the baby otters tumbled through the water.

  I wish Sasha could have taken part, thought Zoe, looking down at the tufty little otter sitting beside her, but at least everyone’s enjoying the show – and this time there’s nothing for Mr Pinch to get cross about!

  Suddenly Zoe heard a familiar, anxious wail from the crowd. “Eddie!”

  She looked over again and saw Olivia reaching desperately over the side of the fence. “Mummy, I dropped Eddie in the water!” she whimpered, tears beginning to stream down her face.

  Zoe peered into the deepest part of the pool, right by the fence. She could just make out a blurry shape, sinking deeper and deeper: Olivia’s precious teddy bear, Eddie. Olivia
started to cry louder, and there was a murmur throughout the crowd. Zoe heard Mr Pinch grumble, “What is going on?”

  Then Zoe noticed a sudden movement from next to her – a fuzzy blur shuffled quickly towards the pool and leapt in with a little splash. Zoe realised what was happening, just as a man in the crowd called out, “Look! There’s another baby otter – an even smaller one!”

  Chapter Seven

  Sasha Saves the Day!

  “Sasha!” cried Zoe. The little pup had scampered down from her seat and splashed into the pool! The crowd gasped, and Zoe held her breath as Sasha glided through the water. She swam right past where her brother and sister were performing and disappeared under the surface with a wriggle and a splash. A moment later her tufty head popped back up, dripping with water and with fur sticking up everywhere. Her black eyes gleamed happily as she showed the crowd what she was carrying in her teeth.

  “Eddie!” yelled Olivia. “She’s got Eddie!”

  Sasha swam to the side of the pool with a very soggy teddy bear, and Jess bent down and gently took Eddie from her. She gave him a careful squeeze so that most of the water trickled out, and then leaned over the fence and handed him back to Olivia, who hugged him tight. “Eddie!”

  Suddenly the whole crowd was laughing and cheering, chattering about the clever little otter, and snapping pictures. “That has to be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!” Zoe heard a teenage girl with long red hair tell her friend. “A gorgeous baby otter, rescuing a teddy bear!”