A Post Storm Bearish Incident

 

            Cecil de Bear was hungry, and he didn’t care who knew it.  In fact, he hoped they did know it, whoever they were. He was getting to be a big bear these days and he felt he should be let to get on with it, without Mother Fran.

            Inside his ursine skull there was a sense memory of a place. A place of shelter, recently. He remembered it well. It was a large cave. There were Forest People, big kittens and a loud black bird in there all having something nice to eat while the storm quieted down outside. He was included, a central fact that remained with him, enticingly. It seems that perhaps raw and cooked are the dividing point in all the eating done on earth.  Cecil had just encountered the savory seductive goodness of cooked and seasoned meat. The thought worked on him.
            Fran was asleep under a wild rose bush, as rose hips are pretty good to a bear. Seeing her safely sedate, Cecil saw his chance to follow his nose, as it were, and wander un-directed back to the wonderous hospitable cave.
            It was the work of but a few moments to retrace the steps that he and Fran had taken to leave the cave. Bears are good trackers and there has never been a bear who wasn't hungry.
            As it happens, Ramona was having a well earned nap in the big bed with Cherry beside her. Ralph and Twigg were giving Berry and Bob hunting lessons. (A story for another day.)
            When Cecil reached the home clearing where almost everything happens, only Constance was in sight. You remember Constance. A sort of Squatch au pair. She was sitting on a log by the fire, cleaning some 6 or so ducks whose bad fortune it had been to be caught by Ralph. We wouldn’t do this, but Constance did.  She was throwing the feathers into the fire. After all the feathers were off, she was planning on gutting these ducks and then massaging them with salt, and herbs, doing all such housewifely things as that.
            She didn’t figure on a bear “attack.”
            Sizing Constance up, Cecil said, in bear, “might I have a duck, ma’am?” He looked at her in the same beguiling way that he always looked at his mother. It came across to Constance as a lot of wuffling, whining, and some yelping, with horrible eye rolling. It would have been better if he had even tried to speak hominid of some kind. The mere word “duck” would have helped.
            Constance threw a handful of dirt in his face.  She threw ashes in his face. She began to scream for help, “oh help please”, in heavily accented Saslingua. She stood on the log and kicked Cecil in his snout. Etc. This came as a surprise to Cecil.
            Now, you remember Ferdy, who ever lurketh near Constance? This day was no different. Ferdy heard her cries. In his elegant way he burst into the clearing. Though very refined for a Squatch, he was large enough to inspire fear in a yearling bear.  Cecil reconsidered the whole attack, sat on his haunches and began to bawl like a big baby.
            Fran heard from afar and started running toward her child, who was obviously in distress, bellowing as she came.
            Ramona came out of her cave, since napping was impossible with all the hoohah going on outside. It took her a moment to interpret the scene outside. Who could blame her?
            Ferdy picked Constance up in his arms, and said, “NOW will you marry me?”
            Of course, Ralph and Twigg and Berry and Bob, returned from the hunt just at that very moment also. Eyes were wide that day!
            Into this choir of witnesses charged Mother Fran. She grabbed Cecil by his ear and led him squalling away. He didn’t feel very in charge of his own life right then and he was still hungry.
            From her perch in Ferdy’s long and muscular arms, held way up high, Constance said, “yes, of course I will.  You never actually asked me before!”
            “I thought I did,” said Ferdy.  “Nope,” said Constance. “I’ve been hanging around waiting!”
            On that cheerful note, we will end the story, assuring you that they all had a very fine dinner which had to be augmented, as six ducks will not feed a tribe of Squatches and two adolescent pumas adequately. But, as usual, Ramona had the situation well in hand. 
            And they all sat up late making jolly plans for a big arboreal wedding, very soon. The stars were bright, and the moon was full, and the night breezes were gentle and kind.