12 THE WATER

CHAPTER 12 THE WATER Whenever rain fell on the island, much of it filtered into the river. The water level would rise after a rainstorm and fall during a dry spell. But so many more animals were now drinking from the river that it was always running low. To make matters worse, many of the island's brooks and streams emptied right into the ocean, where all that water became undrinkable. In those challenging times, the animals couldn't afford to lose any fresh water. The robot didn't need water or food to survive, so she didn't feel the same fear felt by the animals. Instead, she felt something like sadness about the changes happening to the island. She also felt determination. Roz was determined to make things better, and she started by calling for an emergency meeting. The poison tide had put everybody in a foul mood, but after some convincing, the island leaders agreed to meet Roz on the banks of the river. Roz arrived first, with Brightbill and Glimmer and the old goose,

Loudwing. Then came Chitchat and Fink and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. Gale and Swooper fluttered down from the sky. Nettle and Thorn lumbered across a meadow. Crownpoint, the buck, stepped out from the trees as Crag, the turtle, crawled out from a puddle. The last to arrive was Shelly, the sea otter, who wriggled up the muddy riverbank. The animals stood there swatting at flies and wondering why Roz had brought them to that spot. "The island is running out of fresh water," said Roz. She motioned to the river, which had shrunk to half its usual size. "However, if we work together, I believe we will all have enough to survive." Fink barked, "That's easy for you to say, Roz— you're not even alive!" Shelly squeaked, "With Fink's attitude, none of us will be alive much longer!" Mr. Beaver grunted, "You stay out of it, Shelly! Sea otters don't even belong here!" Gale squawked, "Leave Shelly alone! He's had it worse than any of us!" The group kept quarreling until Loudwing let out a tremendous honk. "ENOUGH! We all want to survive. We're all on the same side. Let's try to remember that, shall we?"

Everyone nodded and muttered apologies, and then the meeting continued. "Most animals can go days or weeks without food," said Roz, "but they cannot survive nearly as long without water. It is essential that we hold on to as much fresh water as possible, and I have a plan to do just that." Soon, an army of animals was crowding into the Great Meadow, and Roz was calling out instructions. "Beavers! Build dams in every brook and stream. We must not let any fresh water pour into the ocean! "Otters! Moose! Turtles! Dredge the bottom of every pond. Make them as deep as you can! "Bears! Groundhogs! Weasels! Hares! Badgers! I have marked where pits should be dug. Dig into

the dirt, as far down as you can go!" Dams were built, turning narrow trickles into wide ponds. Trenches were carved into the ground, diverting water from the river to the many deep pits that had been dug. Newly built ponds, along with the old ones, were dredged, deeper and deeper. Within days, the island was dotted with dozens of deep ponds. At first, they were empty, but with each passing storm, rainwater surged through the waterways, and the ponds gradually filled. They were like enormous tanks for storing fresh water, and they would make life a little easier on the island. It's amazing what an army of animals can do. But Roz was still worried. Summer was fast approaching, and the days were already growing long and hot. In the coming months, much of their drinking water would be lost to evaporation. Until the poison tide left and normal life returned, the water supply would always be at risk.