The Truth About Stories Read Free Page A

water animals
     were swimming and floating around and diving and talking about how much fun water
     is.
    Water, water, water, said the Ducks. There’s nothing like water.
    Yes, said the Muskrats, we certainly like being wet.
    It’s even better when you’re under water, said the
     Sunfish.
    Try jumping into it, said the Dolphins. And just as the Dolphins said
     this, they looked up into the sky.
    Uh-oh, said the Dolphins, and everyone looked up in time to see Charm
     falling toward them. And as she came around the moon, the water animals were suddenly
     faced with four variables — mass, velocity, compression, and displacement —
     and with two problems.
    The Ducks, who have great eyesight, could see that Charm weighed in at
     about 150 pounds. And the Beavers, who have a head for physics and math, knew that she
     was coming in fast. Accelerating at thirty-two feet per second per second to be precise
     (give or take a little for dragand atmospheric friction). And the
     Whales knew from many years of study that water does not compress, while the Dolphins
     could tell anyone who asked that while it won’t compress, water will displace.
    Which brought the animals to the first of the two problems. If Charm hit
     the water at full speed, it was going to create one very large tidal wave and ruin
     everyone’s day.
    So quick as they could, all the water birds flew up and formed a net with
     their bodies, and, as Charm came streaking down, the birds caught her, broke her fall,
     and brought her gently to the surface of the water.
    Just in time.
    To deal with the second of the two problems. Where to put her.
    They could just dump her in the water, but it didn’t take a pelican
     to see that Charm was not a water creature.
    Can you swim? asked the Sharks.
    Not very well, said Charm.
    How about holding your breath for a long time? asked the Sea Horses.
    Maybe for a minute or two, said Charm.
    Floating? said the Seals. Can you float?
    I don’t know, said Charm. I never really tried floating.
    So what are we going to do with you? said the Lobsters.
    Hurry up, said the Birds, flapping their wings as hard as they could.
    Perhaps you could put me on something large and flat, Charm told the water
     animals.
    Well, as it turns out, the only place in this water
     world that was large and flat was the back of the Turtle.
    Oh, okay, said Turtle. But if anyone else falls out of the sky,
     she’s on her own.
    So the water animals put Charm on the back of the Turtle, and everyone was
     happy. Well, at least for the next month or so. Until the animals noticed that Charm was
     going to have a baby.
    It’s going to get a little crowded, said the Muskrats.
    What are we going to do? said the Geese.
    It wouldn’t be so crowded, Charm told the water animals, if we had
     some dry land.
    Sure, agreed the water animals, even though they had no idea what dry land
     was.
    Charm looked over the side of the Turtle, down into the water, and then
     she turned to the water animals.
    Who’s the best diver? she asked.
    A contest! screamed the Ducks.
    All right! shouted the Muskrats.
    What do we have to do? asked the Eels.
    It’s easy, said Charm. One of you has to dive down to the bottom of
     the water and bring up some mud.
    Sure, said all the water animals, even though they had no idea what mud
     was.
    So, said Charm, who wants to try first?
    Me! said Pelican, and he flew into the sky as high as he could and then
     dropped like a knife into the water. And he was gone for a long time. But when he
     floated to the surface, out of breath, he didn’t have any mud.
    It was real dark down there, said Pelican, and cold.
    The next animal to try was Walrus.
    I don’t mind the dark, said Walrus, and my blubber will keep me
     warm. So down she went, and she was gone for much longer than Pelican, but when she came
     to the surface coughing up water, she didn’t have any mud, either.
    I don’t think the water