In the morning, I was awakened by the bird songs, which I had never heard so clearly,coming through the slatted wall of the shed. There was a window, and muted light was also coming through the openings of the wallboards. I lay awake for a time, eyes still
closed, enjoying the feel of fresh spring air, and the serenade all around.
At last, I slowly opened my eyes to the half light and as my eyes adjusted, I found myself staring into a wide open mouth, with large pointed teeth, below the largest, most frightening eyes which surpassed any thing my most horrible nightmare could have
conjured! The hair around all this was black as coal, and I realized I was looking into the face of a monster bear, whose main intent was to have me for breakfast.
I was frozen, and simply waited for what I knew would be my last breath on earth. As I waited, the light began to increase as the sun rose higher, and bright shafts of light, made their way through the slats and poured through the window, and I was beginning to
make out the form of the bear. Instead of a full body I could see that there was a flat sheet of black hair, and gradually I could see that this was not a live bear, but a huge rug, and as I slowly worked my way out from under, I brushed over a large clawed paw and then onto the floor.
If this had been a joke, or simply a way to keep me warm for the night, I never knew, because I never mentioned it to any one. As I was dressing, I noticed on a shelf on the wall, a much smaller black bear, standing on all fours, in a natural pose, and I wondered if
my father had shot them, and if he had, under what circumstances.