Bear Story Part 1

1/1/12

Once upon a time, in upper Michigan, there was a grove of apple trees. Many people don’t realize this, but apple trees have a conscience, feelings and memories just like you and I.

Tucked at the back of the grove, midway up a hill was a young tree named Ursula. She was about 20 years old. I don’t need to convert the age like you do in dog years or cat years, because apple trees live to be 80 years old.

Ursula was a happy tree, and it showed. The blossoms she made were some of the most fragrant in the grove. And the apples she produced were flawless, sweet and juicy. But she always wanted more. It is difficult being a tree and yearning for more. Certainly, she had the comfort of her family and friends to get her through the cold winters. But she would never know what it would be like to be an apple tree any where else but this hilly grove.

One day in the fall, a black bear was roaming through her grove. He was a bear unlike any other. Ursula could sense his presence from quite a distance, and he gave off a warm, positive glow unlike any other. She hoped that he would stop for a while, so that she could get a better read on this particular creature. She quickly searched herself for the sweetest, most succulent apple on her limbs. As the bear came closer, a gentle breeze blew through the grove, and Ursula used that breeze to knock the ripe fruit off the tree, and right before the bear.

“Oh, look, an apple,” the bear thought.

Ursula was shocked, how could she read the bear’s mind? The bear continued in thought.

“This apple is perfect, it smells so sweet and delicious. I’m amazed no bugs have gotten to this apple already. What a treat for me.” The bear continued to think in his own inner monologue, and he hunched lower to eat the apple.

Ursula continued to watch the bear eat the apple, satisfied that her fruits would make the bear so happy. The bear sniffed around the rest of the apple grove, but did not find anything so delicious as that apple. A cold fall breeze blew through the grove and the bear decided it was time to retreat to his cave for the night.

“Whew, that was close,” said Victor, who was Ursula’s father.

“What makes you say that?” Ursula asked.

“Bears are unpredictable,” Victor replied, “Sure they eat our apples, and keep the grove tidy. But they also lash out against our trunks. In fact, on the backside of my trunk, I have a huge scar from a bear sharpening his claws on my trunk from 25 years ago.”

“Father, I have a question for you, did anything seem strange about that bear?” Ursula asked.

“What do you mean, my little girl?” He asked.

“Well, when he was roaming through our grove, I swear I could read his thoughts.”

“Oh, and what did he say, dear Ursula?”

“He just thought about how sweet and delicious the apple was that fell from my tree.” Ursula replied.

“Ok, now you are just being full of yourself. There is no way you can read another creature’s mind. And second of all, your apples are beautiful and delicious, but you really shouldn’t get a big ego over it.” Victor replied. “Brrr, that fall wind sure is blowing tonight. I’m glad we all still have some leaves to provide some shelter. This winter will be brutal.”

“Yes father, it will. I am so lucky to have you next to me in the grove to keep me shelter. I love you.”

“I love you too dear Ursula.” Victor said.

And the last glimmer of sunlight was gone from the horizon. And the apple trees went to sleep.

The next day in the grove was a lot nicer. A gentle warm breeze, along with the sun, graced its presence on the grove. The pickers went through the grove to pick more apples for the upcoming farmer’s market. One of the pickers leaned his ladder up against Victor and started picking.

“Sure is a beautiful day today.” Said one of the pickers.

“It sure is. You think we will be able to finish up this grove today?” A second picker replied.

“Oh, I don’t know about that. These apple trees take a long time. You have to sift through the apples, and find the ones that are flawless for the farmer’s market. The problem is, a lot of the bugs get to the flawless apples first.”

You may ask how the trees feel about the pickers leaning against them, taking their fruit. The truth is that the apples like it a lot. Think of it as grooming for the trees. They also like when the farmers cut their old, dying limbs, as it invigorates the trees.

The pickers continued through the day, filling up bushels of apples, leaving the worst apples on the ground for the bears to eat up. Around 2 p.m. the pickers were done picking for the day and left the grove. There were plenty of bad apples on the ground for the woodland creatures to eat that night, so it was no surprise when the bear came back, and began meandering through the grove. The bear sniffed the trail of apples, unimpressed by the spoiled fruits laid out before him. Ursula, intrigued by the previous day’s exchange searched her limbs again for another perfect fruit, and prepared for it to drop on the ground before the bear. The bear, instinctively meandered up to Ursula, hoping to have another sweet, delicious apple from her tree. The apple dropped from Ursula’s tree mere inches from the bear.

“What’s this?” thought the bear, “Another delicious apple from the same tree, what are the odds.”

The bear sniffed the apple, and was delighted by it’s sweet, flowery aroma.

“Go ahead, eat it.” Ursula said out loud.

The bear heard Ursula, and looked up in shock.

1,017 words complete for 1/1/2012