I thought I knew all there was to know about Beavers. I had observed them in action along the creek while growing up in a small town in Northwestern Kansas.

I saw the Beavers gnawing on trees with their sharp teeth and cutting them down to build their dams across the creek. I saw them cutting off green stalks of corn at ground level complete with ears of corn and then dragging them to their pond. I also saw them nibbling on kernels of corn scattered on the ground in the corn fields after the farmer had finished harvesting his corn in the fall.

I assumed one of the main reasons for building their dams was to back up the water to create a deep pool where the tiny minnows could grow up to an eatable size fish of six inches or better. And this made perfect sense to me. I also thought Beavers built their homes by burrowing into the creek bank like Mink, Otter and Muskrats do. And by building their homes with underwater entrances they would protect themselves and their babies from being eaten by their predeters like foxes, wolves, .and hawks.

Many years later I was on a camping trip in the Colorado mountains with my oldest daughter and her family. We were camped near a lake and a small stream where Beavers had built a dam and created a deep pool of water.

I even ascribed human traits to them in that the beaver instinct would be in play while he watched the minnows thrive, grow and dwell in its pond, patiently waiting for the fish to reach a six to eight inch eating size. I had even seen a few dead fish near the water’s edge that seemed to validate my beliefs.

I never once thought about asking a parent, a teacher or an older person about a Beaver’s lifestyle, nor did it ever cross my mind to run to the Library to check it out in an encyclepedia.

The first night we were there we were all sitting around our campfire roasting weenies and marshmellows when one of my grandchildren asked me, “Grandpa! Why do Beavers build their dams across the creek like that? So, I started telling them that they did it to make a deep pool of water so that minnows could grow up to be big enough for the Beavers to eat. And that fish was the beavers main diet.

Right at this point in my story my daughter interrupted me saying, “DAD! Beavers are Vegetarians. They don’t even eat fish? And this was the start of an epic debate with my daughter who was an elementary school teacher..

Of course I being an 80 year-old grandpa with a lifetime of experience, and after all, I too had a college education, so I was pretty addiment about my beliefs and our debate ended up in a stalemate. My daughter cushioned the situation by suggesting that I go to the Library when we get back home and do a little research on Beavers. Of course this was long before the internet was popular.

Guess what? I discovered that my daughter was right. Beavers are strictly vegetarians. They eat plants, roots, water lilies, cattails, tubers, and root stock as well as a variety of trees like elm and aspen. They definitely do not eat fish. But, Yes! One of the main reason they build their dams to create deep pools is so they can have an underwater entrance to their mounded mud and stick huts located in the pool. The entrance is underwater, but their dens where they have their nests and raise their babies are located inside the huts, and are above water.

They build their huts so strong that predators can’t dig into them. They use their long wide flat tails to smash the mud in among the sticks, plants and leaves and when the mud dries it creates an immpenatrable shield for most predators.

Did you know they also use that huge flat tail to warn their commrades of any sudden imposing danger. Beavers don’t wail like prairiedogs and most other animals when they are threatened. Instead they slap that tail so hard on the water or the ground that you can hear the sound thirty to a hundred yards away in an otherwise silent forest.

They also use that tail to strike a predator in the nose if attacked. I bet that would sting like all get out. Other animals learn very quickly how dangerous a Beaver can be with his sharp teeth and flat tail. I don’t know about you but I sure wouldn’t want to be bit by one. Or slapped by one.

And with that final bit of information it brings us to the end of my Beaver story. You may want to bookmark the medium website for more of my short stories and check it out for your own reading or writing interests. Who knows, maybe you too will put some of your stories up on the website where they can be exposed to millions of readers. Medium has an open invitation to all. You can also treat yourself to some of my original songs and unique harmonica music by visiting http://www.eddieklively.herenow.com

Please feel free to leave a comment, and to contact me anytime about any of your personal writing interests or stories. I’ll be sure to answer any of your questions. My email is eddiekep33@songwriter831