Poppy and Rye by Avi

Author:Avi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-11-23T05:00:00+00:00

“Now, unless I’m holding the stick by the wrong end—and I rarely do—there’s a mouse by the name of Rye who lives here, too. Did I hit the nail on the head?”

Poppy started. “Rye? Yes, he does live here.”

“Good. I like coming to the point. I play hardball and call a spade a spade.”

“Is something . . . the matter with Rye?” Poppy stammered.

“Rye? The kid’s as fit as a fiddle. Right as the rain. A-1 okay,” Mr. Canad assured her. “Except he broke into our lodge . . .”

“Broke in!”

“Hey, I’m giving it to you straight. You heard me right. He broke in where he had no business breaking in. I mean, a beaver’s lodge is his castle. That Rye is head over heels in trouble.”

“Trouble!” Poppy cried, unable to do more than echo what she was hearing. “What kind?”

“Off the cuff, shooting from the hip, taking the fast lane, I’d have to say Rye is violent. But don’t worry, he’s perfectly safe in a cage I built in my main lodge.” He pointed to one of the mounds in the pond. “Right there.”

“But . . . that’s awful!” said Poppy, staring at the lodge.

“You took the words right out of my mouth. He shouldn’t have done it,” Mr. Canad said. “Now, sweetheart, I’m talking on the up and up. We’d like to build a dam right here on this spot. Expand Canad’s Cute Condos. Anchor it to that boulder. To make a long story short, it would be better for everybody if you all moved. Do it in two shakes of a beaver’s tale—with no fuss—and you’ll see Rye again, no worse for wear.”

“But . . .”

“’Course, if you don’t move . . .”

“Then what?” Poppy cried.

“Look here, sweetheart, let’s just say, I don’t want to beat around the bush. It’s a matter of life or death. The choice is all yours. This is a free country.”

“But what if . . . we don’t move?” Poppy cried.

“Well, sweetheart, I’ll be honest with you: I hope that doesn’t happen. Because, if you don’t go, I’m afraid your pal will have met his Waterloo. Sink or swim. Because your new home will be flooded, too. Some of your youngsters might drown. Naturally, that would upset my family so much—filled to the brim with anger, you know—I can’t say what they might do to Rye. Hope I’m not boring you, but the decision is yours. Remember, we don’t want to force anything on you.

“Anyway, nice talking with you, sweetheart. And have a nice day. I mean that, sincerely.”

With that Mr. Canad turned and began to waddle back down toward the pond.

Poppy, finding it hard to take in all she had heard, stared after him. Her first reaction was to go racing after the beaver, tell him what she thought of him, and make him release Rye instantly. But Mr. Canad, as if knowing what Poppy was thinking, gave a great slap of his broad tail, sending out a resounding thump that shook the earth.

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