Narnia, Chapter IV

Beauty and the Chronicles of Narnia, the Other

Chapter IV

*The Big Bear*

Life continued, day after day, building one layer of log after another. I admired their perseverance and developing skill. They gradually became more efficient at their task and the work moved along at an accelerated pace. Which was a good thing, considering it was now August. Once the walls were up, chinking was next. Pink, fluffy, itchy insulation was cut into strips and stuffed into the spaces between the logs to keep out the cold drafts. The next step was to plaster over the insulation to keep it in place.

Several trees were cut down from inside the walls, except for three, which were cut off right where the roof would eventually be. With the addition of some nails, one became a coat stand, another for pots and pans, and a third one, for whatever might need hanging up.

Sleeping in the tent became routine. They totally forgot about what four walls and a roof felt like and adapted to some of the inconveniences. Like when it rained and sleeping bags got soaked and were later in the day flung over bushes to dry or brought to the hot cookstove.

The bear incident had largely been forgotten about, and then, one morning, a couple of months later…

Human moms in general seem particularly alert to sounds which shouldn’t be there, mingled in with what is familiar. But this very early particular morning, it was actually extremely quiet, without a hint of any sound whatsoever. Call it female intuition, or some other form of invisible sensory awareness, but awoke this mom became. She sat up and peered out the crack opening of the tent, just as a huge and black wooly head appeared over the rise of the hill. He must have been standing on his hind legs as he peered over the crest of the hill. She gave a little gasp. And lost no time in shaking Popsi Blui’s arm. There, she pointed. And, just like last time, he was awake and in command of the situation, sliding a round into the chamber. And, just like last time, the reverberating sound made the head disappear. He went back to sleep. The mom, not.

Maybe 15 minutes later, the head was back, along with the rest of his enormous body!

Even more urgently she shook her husband. This time, he was all business, slamming the round in and emerging from the tent in a fluidity of movement and intent. The bear had again disappeared, down the hill, but now with the hunter in pursuit.

Being stationed above the unfolding drama, I tried to alert Popsi Blui that the bear, moving through the bushes, was flanking him to the right. I fluttered my wings near his right ear in an attempt to summon him to the danger. But he was already on it as he had heard the rustling of leaves and breaking branches heading to the right, winding ever closer to the tent. Because he had been a well-trained soldier from the Viet Nam war 20 years earlier and had seen intense action there, his quick thinking and impulses further kicked in and he became a fearless and in control master of the situation. He knew if he didn’t do something immediately, the bear could get between him and the tent, making a shot in that direction impossible. And, being mauled and eaten by a bear did not appeal, either.

He assumed the disciplined stance of his Cavalry training, sinking to one knee for stability, and aimed the weapon in the direction of the bear’s movement. He squeezed the trigger.

It was not legal bear-hunting season, but that did not concern him, nor should it have!

The sound of the shot leaving the rifle was especially deafening in the prevailing quiet, and very alarming to one who has never heard it before.

The bear’s rump jumped up in the air as he bounded away in great haste.

It was never known if the the bear was hit or not, but I can attest to the fact that he (for he was a large male), was terrified and galloped away fast and furious from that place. Very unfortunately for him, as you shall see, his memory did not serve him well, and a couple of months later, he did indeed return and this time, got his “just rewards.”

The mom felt admiration and gratitude for her husband and his ability to protect his family. She had been an anti-war demonstrator back in the day, but today, she admired his training and fearless courage, strengths he had developed during his past experiences as a soldier.

Miraculously, Beauty and Sunwood had slept through it all, missing all of the drama. But they did get to hear every little bit of the story in all of its intense details, wide-eyed and with a mixture of delight and a certain amount of fear.