Guillaume, the lake’s caretaker, was doing his routine check on the cottages when something called his attention. Peterson’s boathouse had an opening that Guillaume had not seen before. On a closer look, he realized that one of the wall boards had been removed, leaving an open space where wild animals could enter.
He was very much responsible for the good keeping of the properties and he was well paid to do so during the winter months when most cottage owner were enjoying the warmth of their city dwellings. So, he found the missing piece and, to make sure that it was securely attached, he placed a cinder block in front, so that the wind and water would not cause more damage.
It was a cool and rainy April day and Stina, the young female raccoon who had given birth to two young kits in February that year, returned to feed the babies, Ben and Jerry.
She had found the perfect place to spend the winter months, a boathouse right on the lakefront, so she was able to catch some trout, muscles and crayfish on the beach nearby. To her horror the entrance that she had very carefully opened with her skilled front paws, was barred not just with a piece of wood but with a very heavy cement block. She called for her babies and they responded with high pitched noises calling for the mother. They were hungry and needed food.
Stina went around the wooden structure trying to find another entrance that she could expand but she found none. In desperation, she climbed onto the metal roof and searched for an opening. Nothing was open and she needed to feed Ben and Jerry.
She started crying for help and after a few minutes, Pearl, the Skunk appeared and was surprised to see the very much self-sufficient Stina in such a stressed state.
“Hello, Stina, what is the matter? Why are you so distressed?”
“Somebody has closed the entrance to my kits and I need to feed them soon, otherwise they may die,” said Stina the Raccoon.
“Hmmm… let me call Spiky the Porcupine; he is very skillful with wood and probably he will find a solution,” proposed Pearl.
And without hesitating he went to call for Spiky the Porcupine. The latter reached the boathouse within a few minutes and examined the situation. He figured that he could probably make an opening with his sharp teeth and started gnawing on the wall, but after a few minutes he gave up. The wood was too hard, not like the birch bark that he normally will eat for food.
“I think that we need to call our friend Mila. She is with her family here this weekend and she will be able to help us,” said the Porcupine.
Mila was indeed at her cottage with her family for the weekend. It was a typical April rainy day so she was inside reading a book in front of the living room window. All of a sudden, she saw three familiar faces showing up on the other side of the window. A raccoon, a porcupine and a skunk were looking at her with intense attention and she knew that something was not right. Three different animals do not show up in that insolent manner, without having a very strong reason for their intrusion.
Mila, in order to understand what the furry inquisitors wanted said in a soft voice: “Naturageist, open your gates,’ and immediately she started understanding the different voices of the forest. She went outside, met the three intruders and asked,
“Hello little friends, it is a pleasure to see you here together. What can I do for you?”
Stina explained in simple words her anxiety as her two baby raccoons were waiting in the boathouse and someone had blocked the entrance so she could not feed them. She pleaded with Mila to go with them to the site and open the door of the boathouse.
After some clarification she realized that the boathouse was Peterson’s, her uncle, whose cottage was just about 500 m. from her own cottage.
They all reached the place in a few minutes and she could see immediately that someone, probably Guillaume, had blocked the unorthodox entrance not realising that the baby raccoons were left inside. She had the key to the boathouse, as per an agreement with her aunt to leave it under the carpet at the entrance, so she got inside, cleared the blocked side entrance and immediately Stina rushed to take care of the two baby raccoons, Ben and Jerry.
“Stina, you have to find a different home for your family. Now it is spring and it will not be difficult for you to find a hollow birch or pine tree where you can stay until the winter. I am afraid this boathouse is going to be used very soon by people and you cannot stay here. Tomorrow, once you have found a new place, I will come back, clean the place and block again the entrance that I just opened for you.”
Stina understood. Everyone was happy with the outcome and the Porcupine and the Skunk left to their food-searching adventures.
When the summer arrived, Mila was staying at Breeches full time, fishing, swimming, hiking and boating with Pierre and other friends.
One day, while swimming, her mother called her, “Mila, come quickly I have a big surprise for you.”
Mila took her towel and went to the cottage. To her surprise three raccoons, one adult and two small babies of not more than five months of age, were staying fearless, in front of the cottage entrance. They did not move until Mila was present. Then the large raccoon, clearly the mother Stina, dropped a small trout at Mila’s feet and with no more gestures, returned the way she had arrived, faithfully followed by Ben and Jerry.
Mila’s mother was astounded. “What on earth was the meaning of that fish at your feet?” said she.
Stina smiled but did not reveal the reason behind the mother raccoon’s gesture of gratitude. That was to be one of her little secrets.
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