English
BrownieBeaverwasalwaysgladthathehadtakenGrandaddy’sadviceaboutthefreshet.
AndBrownie’sneighborsweregladthathehad,too.
Forthatwasreallytheonlythingthatsavedthevillagefrombeingcarriedawaybythefloodofwaterthatsweptdownuponthepond,afterithadrainedfortwodaysandtwonights.
Thepondrosesoquicklyandthewaterrushedpastsofastthatpeoplehadtoscrambleoutoftheirhousesandbeginworkingonthem,tokeepthemfrombeingwashedaway.
Thatrushofwatermeantonlyonething.Thepondwasfullandrunningover!
Andjustaslikelyasnotthedamwouldbecarriedaway—thedamonwhichGrandaddyBeaverhadworkedwhenhewasayoungster,andonwhichhisowngrandaddyhadworkedbeforehim.
Itwouldtakeyearsandyearstobuildanothersuchdamasthat.
Now,withalmosteverybodyworkingonhisownhouse,therewasalmostnoonelefttoworkuponthedam.
Butpeopleneverstoppedtothinkaboutthat.
TheyneveroncerememberedthatoutofthewholevillageoldGrandaddyandBrownieBeaverweretheonlypersonswhosehouseshadbeenmadereadyforthefreshetandthatthosetwoweretheonlypeoplewithnothingtodoathome.
“There’llbeplentytohelpsavethedam,”everybodysaidtohimself.“I’lljustworkonmyhouse.”
Now,BrownieBeaverknewthattherewasnothingmorehecoulddotomakehishousesafe,soheswamovertothedam,expectingtofindagoodmanyofhisneighborsthere.
ButoldGrandaddyBeaverwastheonlyotherpersonhefound.Andheseemedworried.
“It’sagreatpity!”hesaidtoBrownie.“Here’sthisfinedam,whichhastakensomanyyearstobuild,andit’sa-goingtobewashedaway—youmarkmywords!”
“Whatmakesyouthinkthat?”askedBrownie.
“There’snobodyheretodoanything,”saidGrandaddyBeaver.
“Thespillwaysofthisdamoughttobemadeasbigaspossible,toletthefreshetpassthrough.
ButIcan’tdoit,forIcan’tswimaswellasIcouldonce.”
BrownieBeaverlookedattherushingwaterwhichpouredoverthetopofthedaminahundredplacesandwasalreadycarryingoffmudandsticks,eatingthedamawaybeforehisveryeyes.
“I’llsavethedam!”hecried.“You?”GrandaddyBeaverexclaimed.“Why,whatdoyouthinkyoucando?”Beingsoold,hecouldn’thelpbelievingthatotherpeopleweretooyoungtododifficultthings.
“WatchmeandI’llshowyou!”BrownieBeavertoldhim.Andwithoutsayinganotherwordheswamtothenearestspillwayandbeganmakingitbigger.
Sometimeshehadtofightthefreshetmadly,tokeepfrombeingsweptoverthedamhimself.Sometimes,too,ashestoodonthedamitcrumbledbeneathhimandhefoundhimselfswimmingagain.
HowmanynarrowescapeshehadthatdayBrownieBeavercouldneverremember.
Whentheyhappened,hedidn’thavetimetocountthem,hewasworkingsobusily.
AndifoldGrandaddyBeaverhadn’ttoldeveryoneafterward,howBrowniesavedthegreatdamfrombeingsweptaway,andhowhardhehadworked,andhowhehadswumfearlesslyintothetorrent,peoplewouldn’thaveknownanythingaboutit.
Tobesure,theyhadnoticedthatthewaterwentdownalmostassuddenlyasitrose.
Buttheyhadn’tstoppedtothinkthattheremusthavebeensomereasonforthat.
AndwhentheylearnedthatBrownieBeaverwasthereason,thewholevillagegavehimavoteofthanks.
Theywantedtogivehimagold-headedcane,too.Buttheywereunabletofindoneanywhere.
WhenBrownieBeaverheardofthathesaiditwasjustaswell,becauseheseldomwalkedfaronlandandtherewasn’tmuchuseinaperson’scarryingacanewhenheswam,anyhow.
Althoughitwassometimesdone,hehadalwaysconsidereditasillypractice—andonethathewouldnotcaretofollow.
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