Bub, Snow, and the Burly Bear Scare

Chapter 1Tiny specks of ice filled the air and bit into my hide. Banks of white covered the mountain up to my knees. I followed carefully behind Mother, watching where each of her huge hooves left a print in the snow. It seemed as if we had been walking forever."Little Bub Moose, are you doing okay?" Mother's beautiful face peered back at me. Small icicles hung from her chin and her dewlap -- the loose, flabby, beardlike piece of skin that swayed beneath her throat."I'm fine. Are we there yet?"Mother rolled her big brown eyes. "You just asked that a moment ago, Bub. We're still not there."A strange growly sound came from my tummy. I looked at the ground. There were no signs of tender morsels to eat."I'm hungry. Are we almost there?""No, Bub. We still have to move farther down the mountain. A stand of pines and aspens will mark the entrance to a valley where the snow isn't as thick. We should be able to find food there." Mother gave a low snort and began walking again.It would be nice to get some warm milk from my mother. I was almost big enough to forage all on my own but not quite. I had learned many lessons in the forest and could take care of myself. But Mother couldn't stop to feed me. She needed all the strength that she had to keep us moving through the big snowstorm.The sky darkened again. The wind whistled, driving the snow so thick that I could hardly see Mother's rump. Ice slapped against my face. We had stopped for a short time during the night. Now we had to keep going. Mother was determined to get us to the shelter of the canyon that she knew. My feet slipped as I tried to keep pace with Mother's long stride.Alert for danger, I kept my ears perked. Mother had told me that we needed to be watchful for the wolves that were lurking in the trees. The only wolf that I knew was my friend Snow. We had gone on an adventure last fall when we were still babies. Actually, we had been lost together, but I really had a lot of fun with the little wolf.It was hard to think that someone like Snow could be a danger to me. Snow had helped me learn about things in the forest. When his parents found us, they didn't harm me in any way. They just wanted their baby back.The forest was warm then. The leaves of the trees were just beginning to sprinkle down to the ground. We had played in them, hiding and jumping around for hours. The forest was very different now. Heavy snow covered everything. Small trees were shrouded in white. Some were totally buried by the heavy blanket of ice and snow.The hungry feeling in my tummy kept coming back, but I knew that I must be brave for Mother. Someday I would be on my own. Being brave was probably a good lesson for me to learn. I could hear small grumbles coming from inside of me. Being brave was hard to remember when I was so hungry."Are we almost there?" I snorted for Mother."We may have to stop soon, Little Bub. It will take us another day or two before we reach the valley. We may have to rest." Mother's fur seemed to sag around her big bones. I suddenly noticed how tired she looked."It's okay, Mother. We can stop if you think we need to." I spread my long legs out to keep from slipping."That might be a good idea, Little Bub. Come, get some milk."I scooted closer to Mother's warmth. When I leaned down to get my milk, I could see a broken willow tree a few feet away. Probably snapped by the weight of the snow, the place where it split was bright and shiny. The light-colored wood reminded me of my friend Dudley. Only, he didn't break trees. He chewed them down. Mother's milk made me feel safe and happy. I closed my eyes.I could almost see Dudley and the clearing where we first met. I had been just a baby back then. Mother told me that Dudley was a beaver and had lived in the forest for a long time. Asleep near a pile of brush where Mother had left me, I almost got whacked with a little tree Dudley tookGurney, John Steven is the author of 'Bub, Snow, and the Burly Bear Scare' with ISBN 9780743406406 and ISBN 0743406400.