The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

As Jonathan begins his journey up the mountain, his mother is pressing cookies in the kitchen. She begins worrying about Jonathan. She tells herself to stop worrying since there are no bears on Hemlock Mountain. Meanwhile, Jonathan is walking up the mountain and eating a cookie, keeping his courage by telling himself the same thing.

When he reaches the top of the mountain, he is tired and rests on a log. He takes his food out of his pockets and lays it on the ground for the wildlife. As Jonathan assures himself that there are no bears on the mountain, the rabbits, squirrels, and birds come out and begin enjoying the food he put out. Jonathan enjoys their company and feels less lonely and afraid for a while, but he remembers that he must keep going.

Jonathan begins to hike down the other side of the mountain, chanting to himself that there are no bears on Hemlock Mountain. As he stands and looks back at his set of footprints in the snow, Jonathan can hear the drip of the snow melting in the mild spring temperatures.