An episode appeared twice a month
in The Michigan Farmer magazine.
Whitepaw Tries Climbing Again
"What story are you going to tell us today, Uncle Joe?"
Jerry asked almost before we were in the tower.
Uncle Joe finished his work, seated himself, and then turned to Jerry
and me. "Do you think a cub bear could fall from the top of that
big elm tree near the den and still live?"
"Did Whitepaw do that?" Jerry asked breathlessly.
Uncle Joe nodded. "Would you like to hear the story?"
Jerry was all eagerness and Uncle Joe needed no second urging. "It
was the last of July that Whitepaw decided to try climbing trees again,"
he began. "It was very warm and the mother bear was away in the
woods where she could hunt for food where it was cool.
"After wandering around aimlessly, it was about noon that Whitepaw
finally decided to try his hand, or rather I should say his claws, at
climbing a tree. Perhaps he thought it would be cooler up in the tree-top.
"Whitepaw wasn't content to try climbing alone. He stood up on
his hind legs with his front paws on the tree trunk. Then he turned
to Blackpaw and seemed to be trying to coax her to follow him."
"Do you think that bears have a sort of language?" I asked.
"Yes, I do," Uncle Joe replied without hesitation. "While
they do not have words exactly like we do they can make each other understand
many things.
"When Blackpaw wouldn't follow, Whitepaw very boldly started his
climbing. Bears' claws are long and curved and sharp, and Whitepaw had
no difficulty in climbing.
"When Whitepaw came to the first large branch, he paused a moment
and tried again to urge Blackpaw to come. But by this time she had seen
something which he couldn't and she was trying to tell him about it.
She kept running back and forth excitedly. This semed to make Whitepaw
disgusted for he immediately began climbing again.
"I was puzzled about Blackpaw's actions," Uncle Joe paused,
"and I believe Whitepaw was too, by the time he reached the last
crotch in the tree."
"It must have been nice up in the tree," Jerry suggested.
"Whitepaw should have been able to see a lot of things from way
up there."
"Yes," said Uncle Joe nodding. "He could see way out
over the woods because the tree is on the side of a hill. He could see
the course of Friendly River for nearly a mile. And lastly he could,
and evidently did, see the mother bear returning to the den. Blackpaw
had seen her for quite some time but Whitepaw had been on the other
side of the tree.
"When Whitepaw saw the mother bear coming, and very near by now,
he suddenly decided that he had had enough tree climbing for one day.
He turned about with the idea of getting to the ground before his mother
arrived. Right then and there he made a mistake. In his haste, his foot
slipped; some bark let go under his right paw. Then he was pawing empty
air. He was turning over and over as he fell from the top of the big
elm tree."
"Tomorrow?" Jerry asked, as Uncle Joe paused. He was eager
to know the rest of the story but he knew that this was the point where
Uncle Joe always stopped.
Jerry brightened. "We'll be here bright and early tomorrow, Uncle
Joe."
Click HERE to read "Whitepaw
Has a Narrow Escape"
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© 2004 Leo VanMeer
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