The Bear yawned and stretched, then walked out into the sunlight. He thought it was about time to patrol his territory, marking it out, and making sure other carnivores weren’t taking liberties. That Mama brown bear seemed particularly to like trying to nudge her boundaries over onto his, but he guessed that was because she had two littlies to worry about now. So, Bear started ambling along, enjoying the day, checking tha...

When Bear returned from getting his lunch and marking the boundaries of his territory, Girl was again asleep in the rocking chair. One hand was trailing down the side, her head lolled against a shoulder, and she was drooling slightly. He stopped to look at her, and again shook his head. “Poor kid.” He gently picked her up and carried her into the great room of the cabin. She stirred, smiled, leaned her head against his ch...

The two friends sat together, watching the stars emerge in their crystalline thousands. Finally, Bear got up. “Follow me,” and walked off the porch. The Girl followed him, but put her hand on his back to guide herself, watching the ground to keep from tripping. It was very dark. He walked for a few minutes, then sat, and waved his paw at the sky. “Look,” was all he said. She looked up, then turned in a circle and gasped....

The Girl was exhausted by their deep discussion on the Nature of God, the universe, and reality. She was also recovering from what looked like a significant beating, which showed on her face, and the parts of her arms and legs that were visible. Bear was very much aware of how tired she would be, so encouraged her to lie on the couch when she had begged not to be left alone, to stay in the great room with him. He also sus...

The days passed in lazy friendship, while Girl’s bruises and aches slowly started to heal. Finally came the day when she was tired of behaving sensibly, and hanging around the cabin all the time. No matter how entertaining – or infuriating, or amusing – the Bear could be, she was aware that the world around them was beautiful, and she was seeing only the part she could witness from the cabin’s porch. So, they began a seri...

The day dawned clear and cool, giving the two friends a break from the hotter weather than had lived there for so many days – and reminding them that winter wasn’t that far away. It never is, in the mountains. So, when she arose from her night’s sleep – dreamy and sensuous – she felt refreshed by the air, the sun, and felt a sense of gratitude and joy, the wonder of being alive. It was the first time she could remember in...

Afternoon was getting on. The Girl had spent a lazy day, rocking on the front porch and looking at the mountains, feeling very much as if they were looking back at her. Later, she had discovered some jigsaw puzzles in a closet and selected one. She laid it out on the sole table and started sorting the pieces, looking for the edges. Bear wandered over after a while to see what she was up to, then started pointing out piece...

When Girl woke, she stretched and was pleased to find that she didn’t hurt as much as she had earlier. She lay in bed, and smiled at the ceiling, enjoying the feeling of just being lazy. It was a feeling she had not had very often in her life. She wondered what time it was – then realized that it was the first time she had wondered about the time of day since she had come here. Other than the sun rising and setting – and...

Girl was rudely awakened by a massive BLAM and an incredibly bright flash of light. She jerked upright, hand to her mouth, quivering and afraid. She was confused as to where she was, having been ripped from a sound sleep. Her head whipped around, quartering the room, looking for something familiar and not finding it, her heart beating furiously. Another blinding flash and crash of thunder shook the cabin, and she shrieked...

Girl watched Bear disappear into the woods and felt terrible about hurting him. Clearly, she had touched a deep nerve. She waited for him to return, even sitting on the edge of the rocking chair for a time. Finally, she sighed and went back into the cabin, fixing some breakfast for herself. Once done, she returned to the porch, settled on the rocking chair, and waited, knowing that there was nothing else she could do. Som...

Bear and Girl had hiked up the ravine as Bear wanted to show her the waterfall. The spray from the falls made the glade seem foggy, with clouds of mist rolling through all the time. It made the air cool and the glade refreshing, plus there was a rainbow. It was one of Bear's favorite spots. Girl found a convenient rock and sat down, contemplating the glade, the mist, the rainbow…and her newest, but perhaps, most important...

When Girl awoke the second time, she stretched, then quickly got up. “Are you okay, kid?” Bear asked. Girl stopped, looked at him, and said, “Yes, but I really need to pee!” and hustled out of the store room. Bear gave his deep, rumbling laugh, then got up, unbolted the front door, and trotted out into the woods. Shortly thereafter, both friends were reunited, refreshed, and ready for the morning. Girl made some breakfast...

Bear had settled onto the rag rug in the great room and was starting to drift off to sleep when he thought he heard something, so perked his ears up. There it was again. He lifted his head and turned it towards Girl's room, and this time heard it clearly. He lumbered up and padded quietly down the hall to her room’s door, then stood and listened. The sounds were intermittent. It almost sounded as if she were talking to so...

~~~~~~~~~~ Bear chuckled. “And that’s how I get my supplies.” He sat back and looked at the Girl, waiting for a reaction. She giggled, then looked thoughtful. “But how do you get the money to order stuff?” ' ”That,” Bear said, “is another story for another day. But if you think about it, the answer should be fairly obvious. And no,” he held his paw up. “I’m not going to discuss it, so don’t go asking the questions I know...

~~~~~ Bear shifted his weight. “When I was a kid, we’d have fireflies every summer, sometimes for many nights. But as I got older, I saw them less and less frequently. As an adult, I didn’t even think about it – until one night, my wife, family, and I were staying at a campsite in…um…rural Pennsylvania, I think it was. And there they were. “I hadn’t thought about fireflies in years at that point. But all of a sudden, I fe...

~~~~~~~ She sighed. “I said I was nothing. I know that’s not true, but sometimes it feels that way. And I know what you’ve told me, about myself, and about how my presence has… well, you said I had saved you.” She turned towards him, “Bear, you’ve become very important to me, and not just because you’ve saved my life at least twice. I worry about you, more than you may realize. “What you were saying about purpose – I get...

~~~~~~~ He gently laid her on the bed, pulled the covers up over her, and said, very softly, “Good night, Girl. Nothing but good dreams, okay?” Her smile deepened, “Night, Bear. You, too.” He padded out to his place on the rag rug, slumped down on the floor in front of the fire, heaved a deep sigh, looked into the flames for a while, then closed his eyes, and slept. It had been a very good day. When Girl awoke, it was twi...

~~~~~~~ “I’m sorry I shouted at you, Bear.” “I’m sorry you shouted at me, too, Girl.” She chuckled, crossing her arms on her chest, and leaning back on him. The two friends sat there, staring at the fire, and listening to the rain pounding on the roof overhead. They were at peace. Even with each other – for once. It was a lovely feeling, for both of them. The next day was a quiet one. They didn’t want to venture too far o...

~~~~~~~ Bear stopped, sat, and turned to look at her. “Okay, now listen to me, Girl, and listen carefully. Mother Nature is not a ‘person,’ she is a ‘Person.’ And you must speak of, and to Her, with respect, understand me?” Girl wasn’t quite sure what to do, but realized that, for once, Bear was completely serious. Finally, she nodded, and said, “I promise, Bear.” “Good. Now, it’s starting to get dark, so let’s get back t...

It was a lovely day in the Rockies. Bear and Girl had broken their fast, and were sitting in their favorite places on the porch, watching the mountains age. There was a light breeze, and a leaf blew onto Girl's lap, where she sat on the rocking chair, with her feet on the seat, her knees up high, and her chin resting on them. She smiled, picked up the leaf, and looked at it. "Bear," she said. His head swiveled towards her...

Bear had settled onto the rag rug in the great room at the end of the day and was starting to drift off to sleep, when he thought he heard something. He perked his ears up. There it was again. He lifted his head and turned towards Girl's room, and this time heard it clearly. He lumbered up and padded quietly down to her door, then stood and listened. The sounds were…intermittent. It almost sounded as if she were talking t...

Bear and Girl were lying in the grass on the meadow outside the cabin, enjoying the warmth of the Summer evening and waiting for the stars to smile down at them. “Bear?” “Girl.” “Do you think there’s life on other planets?” “No way of knowing,” said Bear. “Yes, I know that, silly. But do you think so?” There was a long pause, then, “Oh, well, probably.” Girl giggled. “Will they be as…interesting…as you and me?” She asked....

Bear came rumbling into the great room of the cabin, muttering to himself. He threw himself down on the rag rug in the center of the room, gave a huge sigh, and closed his eyes. Girl, who was making herself some lunch, said, “Is everything okay, Bear?” Bear ignored her. She walked gingerly over to him and stood nearby. “Bear?” “WHAT?” he shouted. Girl jumped back. This was most un-Bear-like behavior. “I’m sorry, I didn’t...

~~~~~~~ Instead of a rabbit hopping away, it was Henry, sitting off to one side, smirking at Bear. Bear relaxed. “Did you warn them off?” he asked. Henry just nodded, then patted his tummy. Bear settled back down on the meadow grass, then started a bit when Henry climbed up and made himself at home on top of him. Girl giggled as quietly as she could – but Henry lifted his head, looked at her – and winked. Bear lumbered co...

~~~~~~~ Girl woke in the night, needing to get up and pee, but feeling as if the blanket had gotten particularly heavy on her legs. She started to get up, only to find Henry curled up next to her legs in the bed, with her original blanket drawn most of the way over him. She carefully extricated herself from the bed, walked quietly to the bathroom, then returned – and found Henry occupying the top of the bed again. She chu...

“Bear…” Bear lifted his head from the rag rug in the great room, but said nothing, then put his head down again. “Bear!” Sighing, he got up. It was a cold, wet, windy day: dull, drab, and bone-chilling, and all Bear wanted to do was to lie by the fire. But no; Girl had to go exploring the cabin. He padded around, looking for her, and finally found her at the back of the storeroom. “What,” he said, sounding annoyed. “Bear,...

Girl had found the boxes of books from the storeroom to be a treasure trove. Bear had long forgotten they were there, although he, too, had plundered their wealth when he was a boy, then discarded them when he reached his late teens. Girl was distinctly older than that but found that reading them let her pretend she was a child again, and rediscover a time when life seemed simpler, fresher, and more promising. As such, sh...

The next morning, the two friends were quiet with each other. After saying good morning, and after both had foraged for breakfast, each in their own way, they retired to the porch, Girl to her rocker, Bear to his favourite spot at the end of the porch, looking at the mountains. After a while, Bear got up and said, “I’m going to go for a walk. Like to come?” Girl thought for a moment, then nodded, unwound herself from the...

The two friends were out for a walk. The day was so–so–overcast and dull, but the temperatures were warm, and the wind was soft, so they decided to escape the cabin for a while. They were just ambling along, not going anywhere in particular and enjoying it. They’d visited a couple of favorite places – the waterfall, one of the lookouts – and were starting to head home, when they came to a long, gently sloping meadow, with...

Bear awoke with a start, then strained to listen. Something was wrong, but Bear wasn’t quite sure what, or what woke him up. He swiveled his head left and right, listening. Then he heard it. It was Girl, and she was weeping. Bear got up, and padded towards her room, then stopped. The sound wasn’t coming from her room. It was coming from the bathroom. He turned and padded that way, then stopped outside the door. He heard s...