“Wait! Just one more question, please.” I scooted even closer to the beaver.
“Okay, but remember you have to pay attention. Question two?” He closed his eyes. He smushed his face up tight. His big yellow teeth seemed to shine in the light that came through the trees.
“Why do you have a tail like that? It should be fluffy like your body.”
“What are you talking about, Bub? I’ve got THE BEST tail in the whole forest. It helps me swim. It helps me warn my family. I can slap the water so they know there’s danger. You need to pay attention! Besides, if you look close, you can see that there are some hairs on my tail. Not many, I guess. You should have a good tail like mine. I need to get busy. You have any more questions, go ask your mother. She knows us. She pays attention. When there is trouble around the pond, she listens for our warnings. Go back to sleep. Moose need their rest. This beaver has work to do, Bub!” He turned back toward the tree.
Lying down and tucking my body into a ball, I listened to the forest sounds. I could hear the soft crunch of Dudley gnawing on the tree. Birds chirped above me. Insects buzzed and whizzed around in the grass. Mother would be here soon.
• • •
When I woke up, Mother was pushing me with her big nose. “Let’s go, baby. You don’t look like you’ve been thinking of a name.”
“Uhh . . . uhhh . . . Sure I have. It’s Bub!” I smiled. “Bub Moose!”
Chapter 3
Well, it’s Bub, is it? Did you get some help with that?” My mother’s big eyes seemed to shine brighter.
“I got a little help, I guess. Well, it was Dudley over there.” I turned my head toward the tree where the big beaver was still working.
“Oh, Dudley helped you? The two of you did very well. I’m glad that you finally decided on a name.” Mother nudged at me with her nose.
“Dudley said that you knew all about his family. Does he have a big family? Do they all live in the pond?”
“Beavers have lived in the forest a long time. Dudley and his mate were already here when I came. Twelve is the most that I have seen in the pond. They call the babies kits. They stay with their parents for two years, then they have to find new homes for themselves. It would be too crowded if they all stayed here, so the young ones move on. Dudley teaches them well. They know how to find food and protect themselves when they leave.”
“Where is the rest of our family?” I looked up at Mother.
“You and I are family, little Bub Moose!” Mother licked at my fur.
“Is that all the family that we have? You said there were lots of beavers in the pond. Dudley said that was his family.” I stretched my neck to get a bite of leaves from a bush nearby.
“Well, your father is in the woods. Moose usually browse alone. You also have an older sister who has gone out in the forest by herself. Someday you will be ready to go out on your own. Right now, you just need to learn how to take care of yourself. There are many lessons for a young moose to learn.” Mother pushed me toward the pond.
“I’m a good learner. There are just some questions I have to ask to be sure.” Walking to the edge of the pond, I slowly followed Mother into the water. She must have thought I was ready for the pond now that I had a name. I could feel the dampness on my legs and stomach. I sucked up a big drink. Mother stepped farther away.
“What do you find to eat in here?” I shook my face in the cool water.
“The tender pond weeds along the bottom are good for moose. Sometimes we have to dive down a ways to get to them, but they are wonderful. Follow me. We’ll explore the pond a bit.” I stayed close behind Mother as she waded deeper into the water.
“Put your head down, Bub Moose. The roots are under the surface, way down near the mud.
“Won’t I get water in my nose?”
Mama shook her head. “No. We moose have very special noses. It keeps water from coming in. All you have to do is take a deep breath before going under, and your nose will take care of the rest.”
I took a deep breath and did what she told me. It was scary, but Mother was right. My nose didn’t let any water inside at all.
Mother smiled when I raised my head. Little drops poured from my face and chin. Mother kissed my ear with her long pink tongue.
“See, that wasn’t too bad. With a little practice, you can stay under the water for a long time. You can remain long enough to gather as much food as you want.”
I peered down. Things became clearer as I moved my body deeper into the water. Lots of small weeds poked up from the bottom. I liked the way the tender shoots felt in my mouth.
When I looked up, Mother was still by my side. “Good work, Bub Moose. You are such a quick learner. Do you want to go deeper into the pond?”
Mother nudged me gently, and we walked farther away from the bank. As the water flowed higher around my body, I felt lighter on my feet. I could bob and float. My legs pumped and I could move around without even touching the bottom. Keeping my head high, I watched Mother as I practiced swimming.
“That is enough for today.” Mother moved back toward the shore.
“But I like this. It feels good. Let me stay a little longer.” I bobbed a few more times. The look on Mother’s face helped me decide to follow her to shore.
“You will have lots of time to practice swimming, Bub Moose. Right now we need to find a place to rest for the night. You are getting stronger, and before long I won’t have to worry about your safety. Right now, though, we need to think about a place to sleep.”
We walked awhile before Mother helped me nestle down in some pine needles. She finally settled down, too. Her big ears stayed perked as she listened to the new sounds the night was bringing.
“There are lots of things in the world that you need to know. One day you will have big antlers on your head to help protect yourself.”
“What is an antler? How will I get one?”
“As you grow, so will your antlers. They are like strong trees on your head. They help you push your way through the forest. You will use them to protect yourself from big animals that try to hurt you. Your father has antlers. Later in the year we will be able to see them shining in the sunlight. We will watch for him near the pond. When winter gets close, his antlers fall to the ground. In spring they start to grow again.”
I nestled against Mother’s soft brown fur. “Do I need to be afraid of anything else?”
“I can protect you from almost everything now, little Bub Moose. Each day you are growing stronger, and soon you will be able to protect yourself. You just have to pay attention to the things that are around you.” Mother licked my fur again.
“Pay attention! That is what Dudley said. He said that I didn’t pay attention. What do I need to do?” I tried to flatten myself lower into the needles.
“As you get bigger, you must listen and watch for everything that happens in the forest. Keep your ears alert to all that goes on around you. Before you move, take time to watch. Go carefully from place to place. When you are young, there are lots of dangers in the forest. But when you are grown—when you are strong and tall and handsome, like your father—there is hardly anything that will frighten you.”
I closed my eyes and tried to think what Father looked like. He must be big like Mother. He had trees coming out of his head. I let out a little snort at what that must look like.
“Bub Moose, keep your ears perked and listen to the forest sounds. Do you hear anything unusual?” Mother’s big ears turned toward the valley.
I tried to perk my ears like Mother’s. I listened as carefully as I could. Sounds came to my ears—noises that I had not heard before. A steady roar came from the trees in the distance. Then from nowhere a howling noise seemed to surround us. I looked at Mother. Her ears were still and pointed. I watched her as she quietly stood up. Her huge body seemed to hover over me as the howling slowly moved away from us.
“I wanted you to hear the noises from the cars on the road. They are the most dangerous things
for us. We have to watch for them and the people that they bring.” Mother gently settled her big body back down into the nest that we had made.
“What was that other sound? It was so near.” I nestled closer to Mother’s warmth.
“Wolves. They make a lot of noise, but they really aren’t much danger to us. I can protect you from them. In a few months you will be able to take care of yourself against a wolf. People . . . they are something else. You can never be safe from them. Most of them are okay, but some come to the forest to harm us. Cars that bring people here are always a danger.
They move fast. All animals have to be watchful of them. Look over there. Can you see the shiny spots? Those are lights from a car. You must stay away from those places, especially at night.”
The twinkling lights moved briskly before my eyes. They looked like the stars in the sky, only they moved so quickly.
“Can we go see them sometime?”
“Yes, sometime. But we can only go in the daylight, Bub Moose. People whiz by so fast that most times they don’t see us very well even when the sun is shining. Nighttime is more dangerous. There are places where we can see people who aren’t in their cars. People are interesting. They walk around on two legs instead of four. They slosh around the swamps, but they have trouble spotting us. We can see them. Their colors are bright and they show up against the trees and brush.”
I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what people were. Father must look like Mother, but people . . . with bright colors . . . shiny lights . . . I didn’t know.
“Can we go see people and their cars? I will pay attention. I will follow all of my lessons. Please, can we go?” I looked at Mother. Her ears were still perked as she stared into the darkness.
“Bub Moose, you are a good little moose. You have been learning your lessons very well. I am proud of you. Tomorrow, in the daylight, we will go down to the people place. This is a safe time of the year. We will have to stay away from their cars, though. Can you do that?”
“I’ll pay attention, Mother. I will listen to you very carefully.” Closing my eyes, I tried to rest. Bright colors and shiny lights were visions in my head that wouldn’t let me go to sleep. I wiggled and twisted.
“Bub Moose, it’s time for bed. If you are going to take a long walk with me tomorrow, you need your rest.” Mother put her head against me.
“I will, Mother. I’ll pay attention.” I thought about the things that Mother had told me. Each time I closed my eyes something new would pop into my head.
Chapter 4
I knew that I needed to rest up for the trip, but it was hard to go to sleep. When I wiggled, Mother nudged me gently with her beautiful nose. I tried to listen for the peaceful sounds of the night forest. Owl called out a loud “Whoo!” Tilting my ears, I heard another “whoo” in the distance. Owl’s wings were so quiet that only the keenest ears, like mine, could hear as he whooshed near our nest and moved on. I was awake most of the night listening for familiar sounds.
When the light finally broke, I opened my eyes. Mother wasn’t there!
“Mother!” Fear tightened around me.
Near the pond I heard a loud “Hronk!”
Frantically I scrambled to my feet and hurried to her. Nuzzling her side, I started my breakfast. I felt warm and safe.
Mother continued to browse. When I finished eating, I took a few leaps into the air. Stretching my legs and bouncing as high as I could, I started running around the clearing. I was ready to go, but I had to be patient. Maybe running would help.
Keeping a close eye on Mother, I moved slowly toward the pond. Maybe I could find Dudley. The sticky mud clung to my feet as I searched for signs of the beaver.
Spotting movement near the edge of the water, I stepped closer. My eyes narrowed. Keeping my head low, I watched, trying to figure out what it was. Suddenly birds fluttered up. They startled me and made me jump. Only, I didn’t go anyplace. My feet were stuck in the gooey mud. They skidded and slipped, but I couldn’t move from my spot. Confused and a little scared, I started to run. Only instead of running, all I managed to do was splash mud all over the place.
“Hey, Bub!” A familiar voice seemed to pierce the air.
“What?” My feet were still sticky and out of control.
“Slow down, Bub. You’re making a big mess out of my pond.”
“I’m stuck and you’re worried about YOUR pond!” My legs shook as I tried to pull them loose.
“Hey, Bub! Calm down. Real moose don’t get stuck in anything! Take your time. Cool off a minute!” Dudley’s voice soothed my shaky legs.
“What do I do?”
“Take just a few seconds and look all around. Are there any limbs against your feet?”
I stared at the gooey stuff that was holding me. “I don’t see anything except MUD!”
“Okay then, slowly pull your back feet out carefully, one at a time.”
I pulled my hind legs from the sticky hold. My front legs came out easily, too.
“Thanks, Dudley. You saved my life.”
“Don’t worry about it, Bub. You just have to pay attention.” Dudley went back chopping trees.
“Hronk, hronk!” At last Mother was ready to go.
• • •
“Remember your lessons, Bub Moose. You have to stay close and listen to everything that I tell you. There is always danger when we get near people, and you have to be ready.” Mother nudged my side.
“I will be ready.” I promised.
“Then follow close behind me. Watch your step and keep your eyes open.”
I stayed right behind Mother as we followed trails that took us to the bottom of the mountain.
“Mother, I see a stream. Can we get a drink?”
“Pay attention, Bub Moose. Look carefully!” Mother stared at the place where the water was.
Frowning, I stared at it as well. It looked like water. It shone and sparkled in the sun, only it didn’t seem to move. There was a long yellow stripe in the middle of it, too.
“Listen, Bub Moose. Do you hear anything strange?”
Perking my ears like Mother’s, I tried to recognize the new sound that roared closer. I looked up at Mother’s face. She didn’t look frightened, so I wouldn’t be afraid, either.
I watched the spot where the sound came from. It grew louder and louder. Suddenly a huge monster came toward us. It stayed on the place that I thought was water. I had never seen anything so ugly in my life. It was big. No, it was huge! The gray monster raced past the spot where we stood. But it didn’t run on legs like we had. Its legs were big and black and round. They spun so fast I couldn’t even see its hooves. The horrible sound grew quieter.
As we stood in the clearing, smaller monsters followed the same path that the big monster had taken. A few came from the other direction. The monsters, all different colors and shapes and sizes, raced back and forth. They stayed in the stream with the yellow line that wasn’t made of water.
I stood near Mother, just barely touching her side. We watched for a long time. Listening for more new sounds, I heard only the woodpecker’s familiar tapping.
I glanced at Mother. “People really are ugly animals!”
“Those weren’t people.” Mother smiled. “The small ones are cars. The big ones are trucks. They all have people inside.”
I felt my mouth pop open. My eyes got big. “Did the cars eat the people?”
“No.” Mother tried not to laugh, but her tummy jiggled. “People made the cars. They get inside them on purpose. People aren’t able to run fast like we can. They are always in such a hurry to get someplace else. Then once they get there, they hurry to get back.”
“What about the stream that they were on? What is that?”
“Bub Moose, stay away from that! It is a road. The cars and big trucks move along it. They whiz so quickly that a little moose can’t get out of their way. Are you listening? This is an important lesson.”
“Yes, Mother. I’m listening. It’s a road. Stay aw
ay!”
Mother smiled. “Come on, we need to move on, Bub Moose. It has been a long day. We need to go into the trees before we settle down for the night.”
“Wait, Mother.”
“What is it, Bub?”
“See that leaf down beside the road? The great big one that’s shaped funny? What kind of tree does that come from? Oh . . . and the one beside it. It looks funny, too, but it’s so thin I can see through it.”
Mother leaned forward. Her big brown eyes narrowed to tiny slits. Finally she sighed. “Those are not leaves, Bub. The big white one is a piece of paper. I don’t know the name for the clear one. It’s like paper. The people throw them from their cars. And see over there—that shiny thing?”
“The one that looks like a short tree limb. Like Dudley or one of the other beavers chewed both ends off a branch? It’s slick and hard and shiny looking, though.”
“That’s it.” She nodded. “That’s a can.”
“Is a can a type of tree?”
“No, dear. Paper and cans come from people. They put things inside the papers and the cans. Then when they are through with them, they call them trash. They throw the trash away and clutter up the forest.”
“Why are people so messy, Mother?”
She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know, Bub. Some of them are okay. I guess others just don’t love the forest. They don’t live here, like we do, so they don’t take very good care of it.” She nudged my rump with her nose. “Let’s go find a place to spend the night.”
We walked to the edge of the forest. Mother began to sniff the ground. She led me to some trees that were leaned up and piled together. These trees looked weird. They were all the same size and flat instead of round. They had no branches or leaves. She walked around sniffing the thing for a long time.
Bub Moose Page 2