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 a view of the mountains in the background.

Girl stopped to look – she wasn’t as used to the mountains as Bear, and still stopped, enchanted, every time the light changed, or she found another vantage point. Bear indulged her, and sat while she stood, one hand on her hip, looking out at the view.

After a while, Bear started to get bored. It wasn’t HIS view, so he started to look around. He looked down at the hill sloping off below them, then took another, closer look.

Then he chuckled softly to himself, shifted his position slightly so he had edged behind her, then moved smoothly forward and shoved!

Girl yelped, then tumbled over and started rolling down the hill.

At first, she tried to fight it, but when she was halfway down, she pulled her arms to her sides and started whooping noisily.

Bear lumbered quickly down the hill, wondering if he had hurt her.

And when he reached, he was convinced she was screaming in agony. Yet, as he got close, it seemed as if she …laughing?

“Girl, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

She sat up and smacked her hand against his side. “THAT is for pushing me down the hill, you big, overgrown rug!”

She scrambled to her feet and took off up the hill. “Come on! Last one up the hill’s a rotten egg!”

Being surprised, Bear got a late start, but had almost overtaken Girl when she reached the top, did a jump-turn, stood, feet planted wide, hands on hips, and said, “Now, it’s YOUR turn, fur-ball!” And she moved towards him, set her feet, and shoved his side.

Bear could easily have resisted or turned the tables, but figured he’d go with her game, so collapsed his legs, and rolled down the hill, rapidly picking up speed, watching the world whirl around him.

When he got to the bottom, he felt dizzy – and euphoric, and started laughing, as she had.

Almost immediately after that, he felt a thump – and Girl had rolled right into him.

The two of them lay there, laughing so hard that even Bear started to cry. When they finally stopped laughing. Girl jumped up again and said, “One more time. Last one up the hill's…”

“…a rotten egg, I know,” finished Bear. He leaped up and galloped up the slope, easily overtaking Girl this time, and stood, prancing from foot to foot, shouting, “Girl’s a rotten egg…Girl’s a rotten egg…”

She reached the top, but instead of stopping, she launched herself at his side and actually succeeded in bowling him over. “Ha! Gotcha!”

Then she squirmed herself around and started rolling down the hill. It took Bear a moment to realize what she had done, then he started rolling to follow her.

She made it down first, and he had to be careful not to roll over her because – at 1800 pounds – he could do some real damage.

They both lay there, panting and laughing. Then Girl heaved herself up and lay across Bear’s body. “Bear…”

Bear lay on his back, his tummy facing the sky. “Girl?”

She nuzzled his cheek. “You’re so much fun. And a Silly Old Bear.”

Bear raised his head and looked at her. “Guilty as charged, kid! You, too.”

And he licked her face.

“YUCK!”