The Axolotl Who Couldn't Frown

8 pages · 6 min · ages 6+

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Ollie patted the wet, gritty sand into a tall tower with his small pink hands. He gently balanced a polished pearl shell right on top of the central spire. Ollie wanted his grand fortress to stand forever on the sunny lake floor. Suddenly—CRUNCH! Snip the crab sideways-scuttled straight through the gate, flattening the walls into a messy pancake. Ollie felt hot anger rush into his gills, but his naturally curved mouth beamed like a birthday party. “Great joke, Ollie! You look thrilled!” Snip said. “I am not thrilled!” Ollie said, smiling wider than ever.

Ollie stamped his tiny webbed toes in the grit and announced, “Look at me, I am completely furious!” He puffed his frilly pink gills out until they stuck straight up like fluffy feather dusters. Ollie glared with his round black eyes and clenched his tiny fists. Snip clicked his hard claws with delight and tossed a clump of slimy green seaweed over Ollie’s head. “Are you a party flamingo?” Snip asked. “I am a raging lake monster!” Ollie said. “Fabulous dance moves!” Snip said. Ollie felt his pink tail twitch with annoyance.

Ollie scooped up cold, squelching black mud from the riverbank and announced, “Look at me, I am completely furious!” With a stiff reed brush, he painted two giant zig-zag eyebrows and a thick, drooping scowl across his pink cheeks. The dark slime dripped into his mouth, tasting of wet leaves and old moss. Ollie thought his new face was truly terrifying. He marched right back to the flattened sand pile. “Behold my dreadful scowl,” Ollie said through the thick goo. Snip blinked his stalk eyes. “Is it fancy dress time?” Snip asked.

Ollie tried to growl menacingly, but the warm water made the muddy scowl slide down into a curly black mustache. A passing yellow minnow stopped to stare with wide, shiny eyes. “Look, a very polite gentleman!” the yellow minnow said. Snip clapped his hard claws together with a sharp clack-clack. “Splendid mustache, old chap!” “Stop clapping, this is serious!” Ollie said. Snip handed him a round pebble monocle. Ollie knew his scary disguise had backfired completely, and his ears felt warm with shame.

Ollie swam over to Mrs. Puffer’s coral cave and announced, “Look at me, I am completely furious!” He borrowed her spiky urchin helmet, tying the rough prickles under his chin with prickly kelp string. Ollie wanted everyone to finally see his roaring temper. He stomped across the gravel like a stormy thundercloud, making loud thumping noises on the rocks. “Does this helmet make me look dangerous?” Ollie asked. “It makes you look like a very angry pineapple,” Mrs. Puffer said. “Pineapples mean business,” Ollie said, marching away.

Ollie stomped so hard on the pebble bank that the heavy spiky helmet slipped down over his nose. He stumbled into a clump of sea lettuce, wobbling like a spinning top. Snip rolled onto his hard shell, laughing so hard that sand puffed everywhere. Ollie felt a heavy lump in his throat as the prickly helmet fell into the dust. “Why are you laughing at me?” Ollie asked softly. “Your pineapple tumble was hilarious!” Snip said. Ollie realized that funny faces and silly helmets would never explain his feelings.

Ollie stood tall on a flat, smooth river stone and took a deep breath of cool water. “Snip, listen to me without laughing,” Ollie said in a clear, firm voice. “I am not playing a game. You crushed the sandcastle I spent all morning building, and that made me feel really angry.” Snip’s stalk eyes blinked, and his clicking claws froze. “Oh,” Snip said, tucking his legs in. “I thought you were smiling. I am truly sorry, Ollie.” Ollie felt the hot knot inside his chest melt away completely.

Together, they scooped fresh, wet sand and sculpted an enormous fortress with four sturdy towers and a wide moat. Snip placed the pearl shell on the highest roof with gentle care. Snip wanted to be the most helpful builder in the lake. He puffed out his shell and said, “Look at me, I am completely sorry!” Snip snapped his claws over his eyes to look sad, tripped directly over his own back leg, and tumbled into the moat with a massive SPLASH.