half-page (#2043)

                            Song of Bear
     
     way, and twisted that way and then turned and looked right
     at the bush where the bear was hidin'."
       "'I know you're in there,' the young woman laughed.  'I
     know you've been following me.  Watching me.  Scaring fish
     my way so I could catch them.  You come out from that bush
     and let me see you.'"
       "And the bear just about swallowed its tongue, but it stood
     up, sunlight glitterin' on its black fur, and it walked toward
     the freshwater pool, just as scared as anybody is when the
     one you love takes notice of you for the first time."
       "'Come into the water,' the young woman invited, and the
     bear walked into the water, and they swam together, and
     they splashed each other, and the girl fastened her fingers in
     the bear's thick fur and the bear swam, pullin' the young
     woman easily.  Then they lay in the sun to dry, and the bear
     stared at the young woman and wanted to touch her and
     love her."
       "'I love you,' the bear managed, even though its voice was
     caught in its throat."
       "'Why did you hide?' the young woman asked."
       "'How could anybody as beautiful as you love a bear?' and
     a tear trickled from the poor bear's eye."
       "Well, the young woman took the bear's head in her lap,
     and stroked its fur and kissed its nose, and said 'But you're
     beautiful.  Strong, and gentle, and beautiful, and I do love
     you.'"
       "'I'm a female bear,' the bear said."
       "The young woman sat for a long long time and then she
     laughed and said 'If I can love a creatre that looks as dif-
     ferent from me as you do, why should I care if you are a
     male bear or a female bear?  I love you, bear.  I wouldn't not
     love you if you were skinny, or if you were fat, or if you
     were shorter, or if you were taller, because it's the love in
     you that I love, and the beauty in you that I love.  Anyway,'
     the young woman laughed, 'meat and bones don't matter, it's
     what's inside them, the love spirit.'"
       "And she stood up and the bear stood up and the young
     woman put on her dress, and took the bear's paw and walked
     
                               118