A Most Unexpected Reward

The next morning, word had spread throughout Otterton.

The town's most notorious otter clan had visited the fish hatchery.

So had the raccoons.

There had been disguises.

There had been buckets.

There had been an alarming number of fish.

And, according to the ducks, there had been some very questionable quacking.

But there had also been a flood.

And when the water rose, the otters and raccoons had worked together to save the hatchery.

By breakfast, half the town was talking about it.

By lunchtime, the other half had heard an exaggerated version involving a sea monster, three hundred flying fish, and a raccoon who had wrestled a tree.

Boss Otter was delighted.

"We're famous!"

"We're muddy," Mabel corrected.

"We're heroes!" Pip declared.

"We're hungry," said Grandpa Gus.

Rocco Raccoon arrived at their den that afternoon.

He carried a small wooden box.

Boss narrowed his eyes.

"Come to challenge us again?"

Rocco shook his head.

"Actually, I've come to make a proposal."

The otters gathered around him.

"What kind of proposal?" Willa asked.

Rocco opened the box.

Inside were several small fish-shaped wooden tokens, each carved with a tiny silver star.

"Mrs. Brindle gave these to us," he explained. "They're invitations."

"Invitations to what?" asked Squeak.

"To help at the hatchery."

Boss blinked.

"Help?"

"Apparently, she could use a few extra paws. The flood damaged some of the channels, and the young fish need looking after while everything is repaired."

Rocco grinned.

"And she said she'd pay us in fish."

Silence fell over the den.

Grandpa Gus slowly stood up.

"Did you say..."

"Fish," Rocco repeated.

"Fresh fish?"

"Fresh fish."

"Regularly?"

"Regularly."

Grandpa Gus sat down again.

Then he began to cry.

Boss took one of the wooden tokens and studied it.

For years, he had dreamed of pulling off the perfect fish heist.

He had imagined mountains of fish, secret plans, daring escapes, and his name whispered in awe throughout Otterton.

He had never imagined being invited through the front gate.

"Well," he said at last, "I suppose a professional fish consultant must occasionally consult."

Willa smiled.

"Does that mean we're not stealing anything?"

Boss straightened his hat.

"We are not stealing anything."

He paused.

"Unless someone leaves a sandwich unattended."

"Papa!"

"Joking! Mostly."

Rocco laughed.

And for the first time in the history of Otterton, the otters and raccoons shook paws.

Although, strictly speaking, the raccoons had to shake paws twice because Pip and Squeak accidentally knocked over the box of tokens.