Nela the Otter and the Lake Words

In Masuria, in Poland, there are lots and lots of lakes, and the quietest one is where an old willow leans over the water. Under its branches there is a nursery for little lake animals: ducklings, beaver kits and otter pups. It smells of reeds and wet pebbles, and sunny sparkles skip across the water.

Not long ago, a little otter called Nela swam here. She used to live on a faraway, fast-running river. Now she lives here, on a big, quiet lake.

On the river, when you wanted to dive, you shouted "Tiri!" Nela loved that word. Tiri — and splash, into the water!

In the morning Nela came to the willow. The little ones were jumping off the wooden jetty.

"Plum!" shouted the beaver kit, and jumped.

"Plum!" shouted the ducklings.

"Tiri!" shouted Nela, and jumped too.

Everyone popped up and stared at her.

"What's tiri?" asked the beaver kit.

Nela didn't know how to explain. She just went pink under her wet fur.

Here they spoke their way. And Nela spoke hers.

So Nela tried to talk like them. But the words got tangled.

"Plu… tiri… pliri!" she said.

The ducklings giggled. Not unkindly — it just sounded funny. But Nela's ears went hot all the same.

Here they spoke their way. And Nela spoke hers.

So Nela swam off into the reeds and sat there, quiet as quiet. The reeds rustled: shhh. A frog on a lily pad said "ribbit" and then went quiet too. Being quiet was peaceful. But it was terribly boring.

Here they spoke their way. And Nela said nothing at all.

From the reeds, Nela could see a muddy bank — steep, smooth and slippery. Back on the river she'd had a slide just like that. And otters love slides!

Nela climbed out, scrambled to the top, lay down on her tummy and — wheeeee! — slid straight into the water. Splashes flew everywhere.

She bobbed up and waved her paw: over here! And she pointed at the slide.

The beaver kit came first. Wheeeee! Then the ducklings — wheeee, wheeee! Then all the otter pups. They slid down one by one, two by two, in a long wobbly train. And everyone laughed. Nela's laugh sounded just the same as everyone else's. You don't need any words to laugh.

When they were all tired out and lying on the warm pebbles, the beaver kit asked, "What do you say on your river when you dive?"

"Tiri!" said Nela.

"Tiri!" said the beaver kit, and jumped into the water.

"Tiri!" shouted the ducklings.

And Nela laughed and shouted, "Plum!"

And jumped in after them.

You can be friends without any words. And the words come along with the friends.

That evening Mummy tucked Nela into their den under the willow roots. The lake lapped softly at the shore: plum… plum…

"Tiri," whispered Nela. "Plum."

And she fell asleep.