[Primrose Bolger]

She’d just settled down into a fretful sort of rest. The night sounds about her had settled, too, into the background and no longer set her on edge. She’d sorted them out or simply didn’t care any longer because she was so sleepy and none seemed to be coming any closer.

A pleasant dream of hot buttered muffins washed down with honeyed tea was just drawing her down to sleep when her eyes flew wide open in the darkness. SOMETHING was coming closer . . . and closer . . . and closer still! Sassy hunkered a little further down beneath her cover of leaves and twigs, hoping it would pass her by, unnoticed. It was big and clumsy as it clomped along. She thought she could hear its ragged breathing as it approached. In her frantic thinking, the Bear, for that’s what she had decided it was, was snuffling along and would soon catch her scent. She grasped her whacking stick firmly in her little fist and tried to breathe as quietly as possible.

She just thought her little plan might work when the Bear seemed to lunge forward. He was almost upon her! Sassy rose from her leafy hideout and stood just in the path of the Bear wavering for a moment on which way to run. The creature raised its big, long arm at her and roaring loudly came at her.

Sassy screamed, a long , loud, shrill scream and fell over in fear at the attacking Bear. There was no light really to see him well but she was sure she could see blood red eyes fixed on her and the glint of sharp fangs and claws. As he neared her, she found the courage of the beset upon and struck out blindly with all her might at the knees of the creature. Her stick came around in a quick arc, and struck the Bear savagely on his lower leg. Surprisingly enough the creature yowled and fell over into the mud and leaves.

‘OWWWWW!’ the Bear called out. And then, ‘My knee!’ There were fearful requests that followed that the tree spirit please just leave him be . . .

‘Tree spirit?’ Sassy thought to herself. Just about ready to run from the monster, she paused. Something about the voice penetrated her panic. Careful not too come too close in case she was wrong, she called out in a hesitant voice.

‘Bingo? Is that you?’

The moon peeked through the thick clouds for a moment revealing the Bear’s face. Sassy came closer, brushing the mud and leaves from her face as best she could. ‘It’s me. Sassy.’ She bent down, offering her grimy hand to help him up. So relieved to see it was someone she knew she hugged him fiercely as he clambered up.