Bodger the Beaver

Bodger the Beaver was busy today
Collecting small twigs to hide them away,
He needed a lot to make his dam strong,
He couldn't allow this plan to go wrong.
He wanted just once to win the first prize
And then watch the other beavers' surprise.

Just at that moment he heard someone talk,
It sounded like youngsters all out for a wallk.
They were headed this way, he had nowhere to hide
his twigs! He was frantic! He could almost have cried!
He slid into the water, but it was too clear,
They would see him for sure, he thought, as they came near.

Timmy Mouse said, 'Oooh, that water looks good!
Would you like a swim? I know that I would.'
He went to the edge of Popsicorn Bog,
And found all the twigs stacked behind a big log.
'Hey, look at this,' he called to all his friends,
'Look at these twigs, stripped clean to their ends!'

Cyril the Squirrel came over, then frowned
And shaking his head, he looked all around.
'I've seen this before,' he said, trying to find,
The word he was looking for, deep in his mind.
'Beavers!' he laughed. 'There must be one near,
He'll be building his dam; it's that time of year.'

He wouldn't just leave them,' said Millie the Mole.
'Which means he's still here,' agreed Vicky the Vole.
'Do you think he was frightened because we came near?'
Then Reggie the Rat said, 'Come look over here.'
They all came and looked, and there down below,
In the water they saw him, and they all said, 'Hello!'

Bodger the Beaver came nervously out,
And looked at his twigs just lying about.
He needed them desperately, what could he do?
He sat down and sighed; now his dream won't come true.
'I think these are yours.' Said Reggie the Rat,
Lifting the bundle and handing them back.

Bodger just stared for a moment or two,
Then shyly he smiled and whispered, 'Thank you.'
'Are you building your dam with them?' asked Timmy Mouse,
'How do you do it? Is it also your house?'
Bodger looked down at the ground, and he sighed,
'I'm not very clever,' he sadly replied.

They all sat down and he told them his tale,
'I try every time, but each time I fail.
Then some of the beavers just laugh at my dam,
And tell all the others how stupid I am.
All I want now is to win the first prize,
But that will not happen.' Tears welled in his eyes.

Millie and Vicky and Reggie the Rat,
Moved over to where poor Bodger was sat.
'Don't be upset, we'll all help if we can,
Millie said softly, 'but we'll need a plan,
As none of us here will know what to do
So you'll have to tell us, then we can help you.'

Bodger looked up, and he stared in surprise
His amazement was clear, it was there in his eyes.
'You'll help me?' he gasped, 'You'd do that for me?'
He couldn't believe it, and they could all see.
'Why not?' asked Tommy, 'We'd enjoy helping you!
It's a fun way to learn, and it's something to do.'

Now Bodger stood up and he said to them all,
'I'll need lots of branches, to build a high wall.
Then I'll scoop mud up to fill any hole.'
'Well I can do that!' declared Vickie the Vole.
'Next I'll cut branches down with my strong teeth,
For my winter food store, I'll build underneath.'

'Does it take long?' enquired Tommy Mouse,
'It's not only a dam; it's also your house!'
'That was my problem, because I'm alone,
It takes me forever to build a nice home.
The others have family helping them build
And they are all clever; I'm not at all skilled.'

'This time, we're here; you have all that you need.
With us to help build it, should boost up the speed.'
Millie stood up, 'So where to begin,
Do we need something to put the twigs in?'
Tommy jumped up, 'We could use our cart!
The one we've just made, would do for a start!'

'Brilliant!' said Cyril, 'I'll fetch it right now.'
'And we'll go with Bodger, he'll show us how
To look for the branches, the ones that he'll need,
Those for his dam, and those for his feed.'
By the time he came back, Cyril could tell,
They'd all learnt from Bodger, and learnt it so well.

It took a few days to build it just right,
And Bodger stood back, and beamed with delight.
'We've done it!' he cried, 'We've built it in time!
I can't wait to see them, when they look at mine!'
His dam was so good, no water could pour
into his home or his winter food store.

Next day was the contest, the judges came round,
They all poked and prodded to check it was sound.
The style and the comfort for winters long haul,
The food in the store room, checking it all.
Each judge making notes, before they passed by,
Counting and counting, in case of a tie.

Down at Beavers Hall, the crowds were all there,
Sitting on benches, or some found a chair.
Everyone talking about who would win,
And each beaver grinned, when Bodger walked in.
'You never give up, do you!' one of them called,
As he sat on a bench at the back of the hall.

Timmy and Tommy and all of their friends
Were waiting to hear how the contest would end.
They peeped through the door, as the judges stood up,
And listened as one of them lifted the cup.
'Today, we've a winner, a surprise for us all,
He is sitting down there at the back of the hall.'

The hall went quiet as they all turned around,
To stare at poor Bodger, who looked at the ground.
'Bodger, come here,' the judge called aloud.
And Bodger walked up to the front of the crowd.
'Never before can we say there has been
As fine a dam that we've ever seen!'

Everyone cheered, and he started to grin,
Was this a dream, or did he just win?
He smiled and said, thank you. They gave him the cup.
If this was a dream, then he wouldn't wake up!
Then his friends were all there, they laughed and they cheered,
It really was true, not a dream as he'd feared!