Olga and the Black Bear
One day, after moving into a new house in a new neighborhood, Olga decided to go on an adventure.Her new home was in the country and she had always lived in the city before. In the city, she knew most of her neighbors, except for Mr. Mackey. He was the man who cleaned the streets at night and rarely came out during the day.
But she now lived in the country and saw only a few houses when she drove there with her mother, father, baby brother and her pet cat, Nosey. Nosey was not especially curious for a cat but he liked to rub noses and so Olga gave him that nickname.
She did not know any of her neighbors yet and school was still a few days away. So with her parent’s permission, she made a little lunch, some sliced veggies, a little cheese, a delicious apple for dessert and a big bottle of water. Then she put it all in her rucksack and started on her way.
At first she thought of taking Nosey along but her father mentioned that there are some animals that are bigger than cats in the forest nearby, so Nosey should stay inside. Her mother asked her to promise not to leave the road as some of the animals may not like little girls either. They did not want to scare her but sometimes animals play too rough or get upset if you ruffle their fur the wrong way.
So Olga promised to stay on the road and return long before dark. She kissed her mother and father goodbye and started up the walk to the road. She turned to wave and saw her parents and baby brother were waving from the window and Nosey was looking at her from an upstairs room. He had already found a nice sunny spot for a nap.
Since her house was the last one on the road, it was easy to decide which way to walk. In a little while, she could not see her house through the trees and she became a little frightened but continued walking. She heard a dog barking and saw a little cottage with an old woman sitting on the porch. She waved as she passed by and the woman waved back. The dog was curious about the new person in the neighborhood and sniffed her a few times before he dropped a stick at her feet. Olga knew about sticks and picked it up and threw it. The dog happily chased it and brought it back in his mouth. Olga threw it closer to the house each time until she was near the porch.
The woman and Olga introduced themselves and Ms. Hasty, her new friend, gave her a cookie and said she could visit anytime as long as she would throw the stick. Jasper still enjoyed chasing a stick but Ms. Hasty was not as good at throwing as when she was younger. They both laughed and Olga walked back to the road.
After a while she sat on a rock and noticed it was too late for snacks but too early for lunch so drank some water and started walking again. She met two more neighbors whose names were difficult to pronounce. She tried but could not say them properly. Finally, they agreed Olga should call them Rin and Yumi. They thought she was brave to walk alone on the road and told her to be home before dark.
Olga thanked them and promised to practice their names. Since she already promised to be home before dark, she thought about how far she could go before she would turn around. It will take as long to get home as it did to get wherever she was. Her grandmother made her learn this early. She did not like people to be tardy. So Olga was never tardy.
There were many animals near the edge of the forest, some curious squirrels and some birds. Most seemed shocked as though she were the first girl they had seen. If she tried to talk to them or get nearer, the animals would run away and the birds would scream as they flew home. She heard a noise above her and looked up to see a large bird feeding some babies. Sadly, Olga forgot to stop walking and walked right into a tree. Her head hurt and she felt like she fell asleep.
When she woke, it was very dark, even darker than on her new porch at night. There were no lights on the road so she could see many stars from her favorite rocker. But there were no stars that she could see. Just dark.
A deep voice behind her said, “Please do not move much. I fear you banged your head a good one.” She could not see who made the voice but knew he was behind her. As her eyes got used to the darkness, she realized that she was in a very small cave.
The voice behind her said, “I am afraid I must apologize to you. It is not your fault but you are now in the company of a thief. That is why I hide here.”
Olga wondered what she had of value. She was surprised when that husky voice became soft and mumbled, “I am sorry but I stole the cookie Ms. Hasty gave you.”
Olga chuckled to think of a big sounding thief being sad over a cookie. Then she turned around and saw a big Black Bear. She noticed that a small bit of his ear looked frightful as though he had been in a fight. But she still had to giggle when she saw this big animal with cookie crumbs all over his face.
He seemed to smile and said, “You might not laugh when you learn how delicious they really are. They are considered a special treat throughout the shire.”
Then Olga realized that this was a BEAR. A B I G Black Bear. Not a black bear but a Black Bear. These are bigger than black bears and only live in areas where there are few people. And he spoke.
She worried that perhaps she hurt her head much worse and she was now having a nightmare. Well, not a nightmare. An odd dream, perhaps. But in nightmares, the bears do not usually talk. At least they never apologize for stealing cookies.
Olga asked the bear how he could talk. He pushed her knapsack to her and suggested she eat to be sure she was okay. He joked that it is easier to carry food in the stomach than in a backpack. They both laughed. Then he told her his story.
He did not know how he could talk. He had always talked. When the bears spoke, he could answer and understand but they did not speak the same as he and Olga. At least they did not speak in Olga’s language like he did. They must have been talking in bear. Sometimes, when he decided to sleep through the winter, he had strange dreams about once walking on two legs instead of four. And other people spoke as he did but it was different from bear and this language. The people in his dreams were like Olga but much larger. Yet each spring, he awoke as a Black Bear.
He was not only friendly but also polite. He was a very polite bear. Olga was hungry but still offered half of her lunch to the hungry bear. He was happy with half of the apple.
Olga did not know but thought that maybe he was magical or the result of magic. There were myths and legends everywhere but Olga did not yet know the local myths and wondered if they spoke about the Black Bear. Perhaps she would wake in her bed and all her adventure would have been a dream.
As she ate her lunch, which by now must be evening meal, she realized her parents would worry about her and probably look for her. The bear said it was now dark and he would follow along her path as far as he could to be sure she was okay. He first left his cave to be sure no other animals were around. Some animals do not like little girls or boys except as snacks. But it was clear and the moon was nearly full. Olga was amazed at how such a large animal could squeeze though such a small hole but he made it look easy.
He asked her politely not to tell anyone of his home. He lived in the forest for more suns than he could count and did not like company. Except he enjoyed it when Ms. Hasty used to walk along the road. He chuckled and then admitted that Ms. Hasty had often left treats for the birds in the forest and he ate some of them. He especially liked the banana nut bread.
At the end of the forest the bear sat back and seemed to wave as Olga rounded the corner and could see the lights on her porch. Her mother and father opened the door and waved to her as she started running. They seemed a little cross that she was late but when they saw the bump that Olga received from walking into a tree, they hugged her and her mother put a bandage on the cut.
The next morning, Olga raced to the mirror on her dresser to see her head. The bandage was still there and covered a small bruise. It would remind her to be more careful when walking. Then she remembered her odd dream from last night. How she had been helped by a friendly black bear. Excuse me, a friendly Black Bear. He seemed particular about that. He was proud to be more than a bear or even a black bear. He was a Black Bear. What a silly dream.
Her mother was happy that she was well and made Olga her favorite breakfast, waffles with fresh strawberries. Sometimes her mother used blueberries. Then of course there were boysenberries, raspberries, blackberries and 'erries of many flavors and colors.
When her parents talked about her adventure, Olga decided not to mention her dream. It was too silly. If she did, they might think she was still hurt and would take her to a hospital. Hospitals were good when you were ill but Olga did not feel ill. They all agreed that perhaps Olga should not go so far down the road next time. Perhaps she should only go as far as Rin and Yumi’s house but no farther.
Olga remembered that there did not seem to be much past their house anyway. The only other residents, the deer and fox and birds, did not seem to want to be friends. Perhaps she might bring along some treats to see if the squirrels or birds would eat nuts or berries if she offered. She was sure they would not be as polite as the Black Bear.
The next few days were used to prepare for school, to town to purchase a few new outfits and some pencils and paper. Her father was teaching her computer so they bought some supplies. At night, she sat on her porch or lay down in the grass in front to watch the stars and constellations. Most nights, she was rewarded with a meteor or two and tried to remember the stories about the different things in the night sky. Some of the constellations were named after animals like swan, bear or scorpion and others for men or women. Her favorite had always been the Little Dipper. There was a Big Dipper as well but she liked the smaller one since it looked like it would serve a child’s portion.
On Sunday morning, her father said they had ordered a pie from Ms. Hasty. She sold pies and cakes for people who were sometimes too busy with work or chores to do it. Olga was asked if she wanted to get the pie. It was not far and Olga thought she could go and return before the pie cooled. She was wrong.
After she gave Ms. Hasty the money from her parents, she was rewarded with a few throws of the stick and a large butter pecan cookie. They chatted for a few more minutes and Jasper, the dog, fetched the stick a few more times. Olga had almost forgotten her silly dream.
Most of the way home, Olga realized that she had not eaten the cookie and decided to take a small bite. It was delicious. One of the best cookies she had ever eaten.
She knew that the pie would also be very tasty and almost dropped it when she heard a familiar voice from the woods say, “I told you Ms. Hasty made the best treats, did I not?”
Olga was speechless. It had been several days and she now thought the Black Bear was just part of a dream but here he was. He was talking and generally being polite. She was so happy to know it was not a result of an injury that she offered her cookie to the Bear. He looked at her and said he would only accept half the cookie. Half was always better than none. Also, he thought it would be rude for him to eat it all. Olga was glad because it was a very delicious cookie and they each enjoyed their portion. The Black Bear asked if he had crumbs on his chin and of course he did. Bears are sometimes messy eaters. Olga dabbed a napkin until he was again a respectable looking bear.
He walked her back a little way but not so he could be seen from the house and always away from the road. He then explained that it was why his left ear was odd looking. One year, he was looking for some berries or nuts for supper, perhaps a salmon from the nearby lake when someone hurt him. He could not understand why at the time because he always tried to be pleasant and polite. Even when his stomach growled from hunger or he felt ill, he would not be cross.
But other bears told him. There are times when men go into the woods with bright colors and thunder makers [Olga decided that these were guns of some type]. He heard a loud noise, saw fire and smoke and then felt a pain in his ear. He ran away and until he helped Olga, had stayed away from people ever since. Olga felt sad that anyone would shoot this polite Bear for no reason. She apologized although it was not her fault. The Black Bear again thanked her for sharing her treat and they waved goodbye. Olga got to the porch with the pie and was eager to taste it.
Her father and mother were pleased she had returned home unharmed and thanked her for being careful. She nearly spoke of the Black Bear but it felt odd as though she would tell some secret that should not be told. Instead, she smiled and told them of the wonderful cookie she had eaten. Normally, she did not snack between meals but her mother agreed that it was a proper reward for her journey.
After eating all of her dinner, she was rewarded with a small slice of pie. She was not surprised that it was the tastiest she had ever eaten. Even the crust was sweet with 'erry juice and she was sad that it was gone. She read some of her favorite books with her father and then got ready for her first day in the new school.
Her old school was very old and a little musty but her new school had only been recently opened. It had fancy lights hidden in the ceiling and each room had a way to talk to the office. The desks were for one person and had room for many books and papers. The gym was large and had a swimming pool that Olga learned was open on the weekends. There was a very beautiful lunchroom and the food was different than what she used to eat. There were machines with fruit and milk and a long counter with many types of hot food that could be chosen. Ms. Thurber, the cook, gave her a little bit of many things to try. Some were too spicy or too sweet but all tasted good.
Her library had more books than she had ever seen in one place. And it was organized by reading level so it was easy for her to find books to read. Some were poems and others adventure stories and a few had pictures. It was a busy time and she learned as much as she could. She no longer thought of the Black Bear as often and again wondered if it was not a dream or nightmare. And then she found the book. It was titled, “Mythology of the Indies”. At first she thought it had been placed in the wrong section, Maine instead of India or the islands called the West Indies. Instead, the term was one used by the original settlers to mean natives. Most of the stories were frightful and told of wars between the Indies and invaders from other places. Then she found the story of Prudence and Jn'im jilsik.
She was much too young to understand love other than that felt for a brother or parent or even a cat like Nosey. But the story made her happy and sad. Prudence was the daughter of a settler from across the ocean and Jn'im jilsik was from a tribe called Mi’kmaq. When Jn'im jilsik first saw Prudence, he thought of her as another invader but as he watched, she spoke to the animals. Not many people have that gift. It made his heart warm to see the deer and fox eat from her small hand. Even some of the animals who were not normally friends, like the squirrels and birds, would sit beside her as she fed them and sang them little songs. Jn'im jilsik watched her for some time and realized that she was a very special person. He wanted to say hello but worried he would scare her. Then, she stood up and apologized to the animals for having no more treats but promised to return another day with more.
Jn'im jilsik would return to the glade each day and wait to see the lovely Prudence feed the animals. One day, his heart defeated his head and he entered the woods near her. At the sight of him, the animals were torn between which friend to visit. Prudence was first shocked to see what she thought was a savage native, unclean and only half dressed. But she too noticed how easily he spoke to the animals, calling some of them by name. She knew that he would not hurt her.
After several minutes of silence, Jn'im jilsik said, “My friends have been telling me about a new friend who brings them treats. I was curious to see who it is that talks to animals”. Prudence introduced herself to him and he likewise. He said his name means “man who marks with a knife”. There was a moment when they each remembered who they were but at this place, at this moment, their tribes and histories were not important. Two spirits that were able to talk to animals had met and each knew they would soon be friends. Nothing else seemed to matter.
They talked about nothing for so long, it was suddenly dark. Neither had seen the animals go home to bed nor the sun set. It was only the moon reaching through the treetops that let them know how late it was. Jn'im jilsik agree to walk her to the end of the forest so she would not get lost and they agreed to meet again to have a ‘party’ with their animal friends.
But when Prudence and Jn'im jilsik spoke to their communities about the afternoon, no one was interested in whether or not animals could talk. The only concern others showed was that a child of the tribe was interested in someone ‘outside’. Prudence was forbidden to go to the forest without a male companion so she was heartbroken that the animals would not get their treats. She did not say so, but she was also very sad that she might never see Jn'im jilsik again. For Jn'im jilsik, his elders told him of his responsibility to the tribe and his eventual place as chief elder. He must not have a woman from away for his wife. The only one who seemed pleased was the spirit chief. He had waited years for a reason to place his own son to the top of the list for elder. That night, he called upon Glooskap, to punish Jn'im jilsik for his failure.
The next day, unwilling to listen to his tribe, Jn'im jilsik went to the clearing and waited to see if Prudence would return. She did not. As each day passed, he became sadder. He decided to wait for her and never returned to the village. One day, he noticed that he seemed to be growing much more hair and his nails were getting very long. His nose and ears seemed to be growing rather long and when he saw himself in a pond, he realized he looked more like a bear than a man. The evil spell requested by the medicine man had been granted by the spirits.
He knew that Prudence would no longer recognize him so he wandered around the woods, slowly becoming a bear.
Olga was very sad that the polite Black Bear may one day have been a prince or of similar importance but was turned into a bear. Of course many lands have myths and gods who are no longer recognized but Olga decided that this must be true. This must be how that polite bear learned to talk. She could not decide whether or not to mention this as she worried she would cause his heart more pain with the memory. Sometimes forgetting sadness is a blessing.
Winter arrived and it was very cold, so the school would send a small bus to pick up Olga and the only other child in the area. His name was Etienne and his parents were from France. Olga knew where France was and asked him about the places he visited before he moved. He talked of castles and rivers and mountains. Of course Olga had seen many of these but they were always different and beautiful in different ways. One day, they brought photos and showed each other churches and offices and statues. They were in different classes so their conversations were always on the bus but it made the ride to and from school pass quickly and they did not worry about the snow and ice on the road.
The more days that passed, the more she knew her way from here to there. School became her joy and on the weekends, Etienne’s mother or Olga’s would drive all the children to the heated pool. It reminded her of her first home in the mountains in Europe. Snow was always falling but people took hot baths outside and then jumped in the snow to cool off from the water. But not long enough to grow icicles.
In school, she learned more about the local birds and insects but no one mentioned the Black Bears. It was the lynx and fox that were thought to be dangerous. Even some coyotes had moved into the area. She wondered now if her dream was actually a movie she had seen or maybe one of the many books she read. Except for the bandage.
Every time she thought she might no longer believe she would look in her secret hiding place behind her dresser. There was a small door that was no doubt supposed to be a safe in earlier days. That was where she kept the bandage from her head. But that did not mean the Black Bear was real, only the bump on her head.
Olga never told anyone about the very polite Black Bear except Jasper. But that was so he would know not to bark or chase him. And whenever she stopped to talk to Jasper and Ms. Hasty, she would always leave half of her treat on a stump near the woods. The spring became summer and then fall. Suddenly, the snow started again and school was open. Olga was anxious to learn more.
Etienne was no longer on the bus. He was in another grade so Olga made a few new friends. Most of the children were much younger than Olga but she enjoyed helping Mr. Bean get the children seated. It was often cold when Olga waited for the bus in the little kiosk she helped her father make and she would always be glad when the bus arrived. Those days when it snowed and the wind howled sometimes meant school would be closed and Olga could stay cozy in bed until her mother made a hot breakfast or Nosey wanted attention.
One day, the wind was very strong and the air felt like snow but school was not cancelled. After she was on the bus, she did not mind but decided she did not want to walk home today! She got to school and the snow started falling. It was not a gentle snow that makes the pine trees pretty but lots of snow so that soon the playground was all white and even the slide was coated. After lunch, the principal spoke on the intercom and said everyone would soon go home. Olga was a little frightened when she got on the bus because many tires were spinning as the cars and busses tried to leave.
Once they were on the main road, they got behind a snowplow. It meant that the trip home would take much longer but at least they would have clear roads until they were near her house. Most of the children watched the big truck scrape the snow off the road and pile it up near the sides. It also put sand and salt out of the back to help make it less slippery. Every once in a while, the plow would hit a bump in the road and the children were treated to a small fireworks display. The sparks from the road did not make noise or last long but it was interesting.
As they turned down her road, Olga knew the plow had not been there. The snow looked at least fourteen inches deep and Olga knew that her baby brother and Nosey would disappear if either tried to walk through it. Suddenly there was a big THUMP and the bus leaned sideways and back again. Several children fell out of their seats and one bumped his head on the seat next to him. The bus driver helped the children back into their seats and checked for injuries. Most of them seemed minor. Everyone was very lucky. The bus had slid off the road but thankfully, did not crash hard.
But now they were stuck. Mr. Bean could not get the bus back onto the road after trying for some time. He would back up a few inches or move forward a few but as soon as he stopped, the bus would slide back into the snow and ice. Finally, Mr. Bean asked Olga if she knew who lived in the area. They were just a small distance from Rin and Yumi’s house so Olga volunteered to go and call for help while Mr. Bean tended to the other children. She bundled up very tightly and Mr. Bean wrapped his scarf around her neck to make sure she did not get ill.
She started walking but it was difficult to fight against Mother Nature. This seemed to be an angry storm and it was difficult to keep warm. But Olga was a brave girl and was slowly getting used to such cold and wind. Before long, she saw the long driveway up to her neighbor’s house and was glad that Yumi’s car was parked in the yard.
The driveway was rather narrow and very steep. She started yelling to see if she could be louder than wind and thought she saw Rin looking out the window, so she waved.
Just when Olga thought she was at the top of the driveway, she lost her footing and fell. The snow was not as soft as it looked but she did not hit her head. Instead, she started sliding down the driveway on her behind. She had gone sliding many times before but always with a sled. Olga would have enjoyed this slide as well but she went right into the post that held up the mailbox. She felt some pain in her leg and head and then everything went dark. She thought she heard a familiar voice say “Another bump?” but she was not sure.
When she woke, she was on Rin and Yumi’s couch with a cold cloth on her head and there were several people in the room. She recognized Mr. Bean and was pleased that Yumi had called for help. Yumi was very petite so Olga was surprised that she could carry her up the driveway. That was when Mr. Henry, the local constable stepped up to her.
“You’re a very brave girl! First, you had an accident. Then you took a nasty spill down the driveway. You’ve had quite an adventure.” It was then that Olga noticed blood on her pants and was sure she had broken something. But Dr. Herrick was also there and he said that everything was okay except for another of those pesky bruises on her head.
Mr. Henry continued, “Since you were so brave, I will tell you how much of an adventure you had. Ms. Inatomi looked out her window after she heard noises and saw a bear trying to drag you away. She phoned the police station and I came as quickly as I could. Thankfully, I was next door with Ms. Hasty to be sure she had food and heat during the storm. I don’t know why but the bear seemed to be dragging you up to the porch. As soon as I hit my siren, the bear stood up and I shot him. He ran off but I am sure he will not get far. I am sorry he bled on you.
Olga panicked. She asked Constable Henry, “Was it a big BLACK bear?” and hoped he would say no. Instead he said, “So, you remember! Yes, a very big, black bear with a torn ear. He looked very hungry and very mean. You are lucky! I do not understand why he was even in the area since most bears sleep all winter. Definitely an odd bear.”
When Olga started crying, the adults thought she was just reacting to all the troubles of the day. She would not say that Mr. Henry might have done something very bad. She knew that he did not know the Black Bear and had no reason to know of his fondness for banana nut bread or how polite he was and how thankful when Olga helped wipe away the crumbs. Constable Henry may not even know the legend of Prudence and Jn'im jilsik. So she was very sad that such a friendly and polite bear would be mistaken for a beast.
After her parents took her home and she was in bed, she still cried. Her parents heard but did not know why. Since she had shared her secret with Jasper, she also told her story to Nosey. Finally, she fell asleep and Nosey rubbed noses to welcome her home.
The next day, her mother brought her the morning paper. Olga had made the front page. There were people who wanted to give her awards for merely walking to a friend’s house. She did not understand. She was considered a heroine for looking for help when the bus slid off the road. Constable Henry also was called a hero because he saved Olga from some awful animal. None of this mattered to Olga. She wanted desperately to leave and find her best friend. There, she said it. Her best friend was a bear. He was a polite Black bear.
School was closed so the children on the bus could spend time with their parents after the accident. The doctor stopped by to be sure she was okay.
When she looked out her window, she was surprised to see much of the snow was gone. It had been plowed and the temperature was much warmer so much also melted. When she heard her mother mention one of Ms. Hasty’s pies, she pleaded to go and get it. But her parents thought she had been on too many adventures and only agreed to let her walk along with her father.
Ms. Hasty gave them a wonderful smelling apples and cinnamon pie and a ‘hermit’ for Olga after she threw a stick for Jasper. Both could tell she was not in a fun mood. The hermit was another wonderful cookie and had molasses and raisins. She was very thankful but a little sad. On the way home, she pretended to stop and tie her shoe so she could leave the cookie on the stump. She did not know if the Black Bear would ever enjoy it but she hoped so. She did not want to think of her friend alone and possibly injured or even worse, but there was nothing she could do.
Slowly, the weekend came and went and she had to return to school. It would be hard not to be scared after the accident but Olga took her responsibilities with the younger children seriously so she would try and be cheerful and calm. This was impossible when she rode past the stump. It was not because the cookie was gone but because she noticed the front of the stump now had some new markings. They looked very crude, as though drawn with claws or maybe a knife. It was a very large stick figure and a small one. The large one was on four legs.
Now Olga knew she had to find her friend. She needed to thank him again for helping her. He had tried to keep her warm and safe as he had done when they first met. She knew that it would only be polite to thank him and hoped she had enough saved to buy banana nut bread. After all, he was a very polite Black bear. And Olga was a very polite girl.