Otter Chaos! Read Online Free Page A

boxing careers were on the up, and relieved that they would not be forced to compete against each other.
    Yet, when it came to the vital weigh-in before the first bouts of the tournament, there was a huge surprise in store for both of them. Bruising Bruno weighed the same, but Jumping Jack Black tipped the scales out of the heavyweight class and into super heavyweight. His boxing name changed to Big Bad Jack and the new weight class meant that, if they both stayed long enough in the tournament, the friends would eventually have to fight each other.
    Bruno and Jack made a pledge that day that whatever the outcome they would remain friends and would cheer each other on. But as they fought and kept winning their matches, Bruising Bruno and Big Bad Jack spent less and less time together. It was around then that Bruno met a beautiful young otter named Maple…
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    â€œOh, let’s not dredge up the past,” said Grandma Maple, shooing the imaginary mists of time away with her flapping paws. “It’s all so long ago, there’s no need to open old wounds.”
    â€œAw, tell us what happened, Grandpa!” begged the young otters. The Brown pups were all gathered round their grandparents, lying on their bellies, utterly engrossed in the story. Their parents were just as curious, since neither had any idea that the old otters had led such a thrilling life together.
    â€œIt was the last night of the tournament,” said Grandpa, as the mists of time descended once again. “Jack and I had won all of our bouts over many weeks. We cleared the quarter-finals and semi-finals, and were warming up on opposite sides of the river before the final fight that would decide who would become the super heavyweight champion…”
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    â€œPromise me you’ll be all right,” said Maple, pacing up and down nervously while Bruno skipped and cross-skipped with a length of rope. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you...”
    â€œI’ll be fine,” Bruno said confidently. “I know Jack’s moves better than he knows them himself. By the end of the night I’ll be the first ever five-time super heavyweight champion.”
    â€œThen what?” sighed Maple, sitting on a log.
    Bruno stopped skipping and frowned. He wasn’t used to having anyone worry about him getting hurt. The otter tossed the rope away and held Maple’s paws within his gloves.
    â€œI’ll be fine,” he said again. “And when I win this tournament, the Otter Boxing Federation will take me on a grand boxing tour up and down the river, and you can come with me. We’ll be living the high life, Maple Moo!”
    The crowd was becoming restless for the match to begin. Otters squeaked, river rats shrieked and beavers beat their tails. Bruno nuzzled with his lovely Maple and then headed for the ring where Big Bad Jack was already waiting, biding his time before—
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    â€œYour grandpa lost the match and that was the end of that,” said Grandma Maple abruptly, breaking the spell of the story. “Now, is it lunchtime yet? I for one am feeling a bit peckish.”
    â€œAw, Grandma!” groaned the young otters.
    â€œYour grandmother is right,” said Mama Brown. “We know that Grandpa didn’t win the match, so he probably doesn’t want to relive it all over again.”

    â€œ I didn’t lose! ” said Grandpa Bruno, standing up and shaking a fist in the air. “I was robbed of my title by a scoundrel who pretended to be my friend. And I think our young Woody needs to know the truth about the otters he’s mixing with. Now, where was I? Ah, yes. It was the final fight…”
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    Bruising Bruno Brown entered the ring and stepped up to his opponent. Before the river-rat referee could signal the start of the fight, Big Bad Jack reached out to shake his friend’s paw. Bruno was only too pleased to put their friendship