Ice Age Moments💕

Tackle's Swim Lessons

It was a hot summer day and everyone was at this large watering hole to cool off. There were a lot of waterfalls that made pretty good water slides and there was some vines on the trees that some animals can swing from and jump into the pool.

Tackle looked at the pool, seeing his reflection which showed the nervous look on his face. He pawed the water nervously while his other paw held his toy ball.

"It's cold" he said as he took his paw out and waved it to dry. His ears perked at his mom chuckling and he looked at her.

"Your scared are you?" She asked him gently "No I'm not" Tackle lied and Shira smirked at him with a raised eyebrow. "A little" Tackle said, his ears flat.

"It's ok. Believe me I know how you feel. But once you learn to get use to it..." Shira started and she climbed up on a rock where it had small waterfall. Tackle walked away from the edge of the pool and watched his mom curious.

"...it's fun! Wooohooo!" Shira finished and slid down the waterfall and into the water with a splash! She popped back up, shaking the soaking fur on her face. Tackle smiled at her excited but one look at the corner and his eyes quickly widen and turned back to the pool and he gasped.

"My ball!" Tackle said panic. He had let go of his ball and it rolled into the pool and now was floating in it. Tackle panic and was about to jump into the pool but he halted at the edge and backed up scared.

"So close" Shira said watching the whole thing. Tackle crouched down scared and whimpering as he paw reached out to try and grab it.

Shira stared at her cub in sympathy. He was scared of the water just like she was. "If I can learn swim, then so can Tackle" she said determined and swam over to him.

"Hey fuzzball" she told him and her cub looked at her "Mom. Can you get my ball for me please?" He asked her and she smiled at him warmly "I have a better idea" she told him and turned around with her back to him. "Come on" she told him and Tackle stood up and nervously climbed on his mom's back.

Shira started swimming and Tackle buried his face in his mom's fur, scared. "Hey Tackle. Watch how I do it" she told him and Tackle looked at her. Her eyes motioned to the water and he looked at her direction.

"Claw, kick. Claw, kick. Claw, kick " Shira instructed as Tackle watched how her paws moved in the water. The cub's eyes widen in fascination.

"Hey look" she said and Tackle looked and they both saw Diego climbing up to waterfall much higher than the one Shira jumped off.

"Come on" she said and swam over to her mate "But my ball" Tackle whined upset "We'll get your ball. I promise" she assured him and the two got close off for Diego to see them.

"Hey Shira. Tackle. What's up?" He asked them. "Hey Softie. Can you take Tackle with you and slide down together while I go get his ball?" She asked him and Tackle stared at her wide eye.

"Sure but is Tackle ready for that?" Diego asked and looked at the cub who was really nervous. "As long as your with him, he'll be fine" she told him as Diego lifted Tackle by the scruff of his fur.

"It will be ok bud" Shira assured her cub and nuzzled him before swimming off to get his ball. Diego carried Tackle up to the waterfall and put him down. "Ready bud?" Diego asked his and Tackle peeked over the waterfall...it was really high.

Tackle whimpered scared and backed up into his dad's paws. "Hey it will be fine. Look, your mom's down there waiting. And she's got your ball too" Diego told him and Tackle looked down and saw his mom down there waiting with the ball between her paws.

Tackle took a deep breath "Ok" he said and Diego wrapped his paws around his son and pulled him to his chest tight.

"Ok. 1...2...3!" Diego counted and he jumped and slided down the waterfall, his paws holding his cub tight and close to him.

Tackle had his eyes closed at first, feeling the air and water rushing and hitting his face. He slowly opened his eyes and they widen in amazement and he suddenly didn't feel scared anymore.

"WOOHOO!" Tackle yelled out excited and Shira chuckled, happy to see her cub having fun.

SPLASH!

Diego and Tackle splashed into the water and the two came popping back up into the surface. Tackle was out of his dad's paws and looked at his mom.

Shira smiled at him and gently pushed the ball to him. "Claw, kick. Claw, kick. Claw, kick " Tackle repeated as he started to swim and he caught the ball.

"Wow! I did it!" Tackle said happy and amazed that he learned to swim. Shira chuckled at her cub as Diego swam over. "Way to go kiddo" Diego said and rubbed Tackle's head. Shira nuzzled her son "I knew you could do it" she told him confident and Tackle smiled at his parents and they had fun in the pool.