"Hey, you know, Mom and Dad are probably wondering where we are,"
Wiggles stated.
    "Let 'em wonder," Rosie replied.
    "We really should call them and tell them that we are okay," Wiggles
added.
    "How?" Maxie said.
    "Try the crinkle sack," Wiggles answered.
    "Yeah, right," Rosie said, and crawled into the sack in a hurry.
    "Holey moley!" Maxie gasped as Rosie emerged with a cellular phone in
her arms.  She swiftly dialed the number and listened to the receiver
    "The machine-thing answered," Rosie said.
    "Tell them that we are safe," Wiggles declared.
    "But not quite sane," Maxie added with a chuckle.
    "Hi Mom and Dad," Rosie spoke into the phone, "This is Rosie.  We're
okay. We are out here having fun in the forest.  I caught a salmon for lunch
and we met an Otter.  We love you. Be home soon.  Bye."
    "Where do we go now?" Maxie asked.
    "Let's go across the river," Rosie answered.
    "Yeah!" Sammi exclaimed, hopping around.
    "And just how do we do that?" Wiggles said.
    "Let's swim," Rosie replied.
    "The current is too swift," Wiggles stated.
    "Oh, ladies," Came a voice from behind them.
    "Who's that?" Maxie stated.
    "Beaver," The voice said.
    "Beaver, who?" Wiggles asked.
    "Beaver, the beaver," The voice answered.
    "Beaver, the beaver, who?" Rosie replied.
    "Enough with the questions!  Do you girls need safe passage across the
river or what?" Beaver  exclaimed.
    "Why yes," Wiggles said, "We do.  Can you help us?"
    "Yes, just a minute," Beaver answered, and began sawing a tall, nearby
tree with his long, sharp teeth.  The girls waited while he did his work.
    "Timber!" Beaver yelled as the tree crashed down, with it's crown
reaching the far side of the river.
    "There you go," He said.
    "Awesome!  Let's go!" Rosie proclaimed, and leapt upon the fallen tree
and began across the river.  Her three sisters followed.  Then, when the
girls had made it halfway across the "bridge," Beaver declared, "Oh, no!" as
he watched the tree suspending the girls above the river dislodge itself
from land in the strength of the current, and begin floating downriver...
    "Uh, oh!" Sammi said with genuine concern in her eyes.
 
    (to be continued...)
[Posted in FML issue 1654]