A mink and nutria, usually natural enemies, were walking by
the edge of a wide stream. Their unlikely friendship had formed some time ago
when the mink and his friends saved the nutria from a feral dog. They grew up
playing and planning their futures together and as adults were good friends. “Mink”
said the nutria, “On a find day such as this we should find a warm spot in the
sun and have an afternoon nap. I am tired from enlarging my burrow for the next
litter.” “I don’t know Nutria. I have a lot to do to get ready for the “blessed
event” in my den. New grass and feathers to collect and maybe dig another
entrance for safety.”
Suddenly, Nutria jumped back and yelled “GATOR!!” as a 5
foot alligator lunged for him. Mink, being the more aggressive of the two,
jumped in front of Nutria and said “Run Nutria, I will deal with this coldblooded
mindless reptile” and bit the gator on the end of its nose. The gator lunged at
the mink several times, and each time the mink led the gator further from his
cowering friend. Finally, when the gator was totally distracted, Mink ran away
and left the gator wondering where his lunch had gone.
“My goodness Mink, that was really brave of you. I think he
would have had me if you hadn’t taken him on. I can be really slow to react at
times, especially when I need a nap.” The mink just laughed and said “I tease
gators all the time. They think they can catch any animal they want, but we
minks are way too fast for them. Why, I remember a time “ and at that point
Nutria screamed ‘GATOR” again and before he could react, Mink was snapped into
the jaws of a second gator he had not seen. One bite and one swallow and Mink
was gone. Nutria ran and ran, sobbing “It was all my fault. All my fault. How
will I tell Mink’s wife?”
But somehow he found the courage to go to Mink’s den and
tell his wife of the tragic end of her husband. She cried and her kits huddled
around her. Finally, Nutria said “Mrs. Mink? Don’t worry about your den. I know
what Mink needed to do, and I will do it for you. You just get ready for the
new arrivals.” And so Nutria began collecting dry grass and feathers and
bringing them to the den, and when Mrs. Mink told him she had enough, he dug
another entrance into the den. After a few days of this work, Mrs. Mink said “Nutria,
why are you helping us? I know you have work to do on your den.” “Mink was my
old friend, and without him you would be in danger collecting nesting grass and
digging a new entrance. He was my friend, and friends help friends when they
can. I will never forget what I owe to Mink, and I will always look out for
you.”
And so a new relationship was born, and eventually Nutria became an uncle to many young minks. But sometimes when he was getting ready
for an afternoon nap, he would think back to that fateful day on the stream
bank and silently cry for his lost friend. He had found out that new friends
may be found, but old friends are never forgotten. As he dozed, he thought he
heard someone say “Hey Nutria! Bet you can’t catch me!”
Image: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/gatorbuck025.jpg
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