BABY ANNIE

After Billy and Bevy were married for a while, they had a cute little baby beaver.   They were very excited.   Her name was Annie.

Mama and Papa Beaver were very proud to be grandparents.  Lizzie and Randy were proud to be aunt and uncle. Baby Annie was very active, exploring the river and the river bank around their lodge. One day Bevy and Billy were busy doing repairs inside their lodge. After a while Bevy went out to check on Annie.  She rushed back inside and called out "Billy, I can't see Baby Annie anywhere. We better start looking for her." 

Both went our and began looking everywhere for Annie.  The whole neighbourhood of beavers joined in the search for Baby Annie. Lizzie said to the others "Why don't we use our imaginations to help us, like Shay always does?"   

"Good idea," the other beavers replied. Shay is the girl that is their good friend. 

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One beaver said "in my imagination I see Baby Annie floating down the river on a log.  She is enjoying herself now but she is getting close to a  really big water fall and if she goes over the fall, we will never see her again." 

"Let's not exaggerate" said Papa Beaver.  "There is no water fall down river."   

Another beaver said "I think she was abducted by green forest creatures that can fly who want her for their own baby because she is so cute. These green forest creatures are not mean, but they live very far from here in a deep forest.  Baby Annie will get lost in the forest and she will never be able to find her way home again from there." 

"We never heard of green forest creatures that can fly and live in a deep forest," said Mama Beaver.  "I know you are all trying to help, but some of your imaginations might be a bit far fetched.  And if you are using your imaginations, why not imagine something nice." 

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Lizzie said "because Baby Annie is so cute, I think a beautiful princess came on a flying carpet and took Baby Annie away to her castle in Beaver Flower Gardens.  That is a place with the most beautiful trees and flowers and Baby Annie will be able to play there with all her animal friends.  There will be a big swimming pool for them to play in and they will have all the best toys in the world. And Baby Annie will be able to visit her parents every day using a magic flying carpet and all the beavers will be very proud of her." 

"I like your imagination," said Randy.  "And when she   grows up she will marry a prince and they will live happily ever after in Beaver Flower Gardens." 

Mama Beaver said "I don't think all our imaginations are helping us to find Baby Annie.   Maybe we better call on Shay." Shay is the girl who is a good friend of all the beavers.  

Lizzie went over to Shay and told her about the troubles they were having.  Shay went back with her and talked to all the beavers.  "Have you looked in all the beaver lodges?" Shay asked. 

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"Yes we have", said Papa Beaver.  "We have checked out every lodge in our neighbourhood." 

Shay told them to all spread out and have another look.  "I want you to look into every hole in the ground and into every hollow at the base of trees.  Also look behind all bushes and in tall grass.  She may have gotten injured and is unable to walk." The beavers all spread out and started looking again. 

Shay's imagination told her that all babies like to play and that all babies are very inquisitive.  Just maybe Baby Annie explored homes that are not beaver homes and maybe she is visiting raccoons or  muskrat that live in the area.  She checked out a raccoon den first and was told they had not seen Baby Annie.  Next she went over to the home of a muskrat family and knocked on the door.  Mama Muskrat came to the door and asked "are you looking for Baby Annie? She is such a delightful child and she has been visiting with us." 

"I know you enjoy her visit," said Shay, "but everybody is looking for her and I must take her home now." Shay took Baby Annie back to her home and Mommy and Daddy were very happy to see their baby again.  After hugging and kissing Baby Annie, they hugged and thanked Shay for finding her. After that incident they kept a very close eye on Baby Annie. 

The End

Author Erwin Schalm

Illustrations Shayla Schalm