The Encounter

It was very cold outside, and Jeff was freezing. He had on a bunch of blankets, but he could still see his breath in the air. Jeff and his family had come up the mountain for a weekend of skiing and snowmobiling.

Jeff knew the fire needed more fuel. He could hear his dad snoring, so he knew that he was fast asleep. He put on his slippers and coat. Opening the door, he could see the fresh blanket of snow on the ground.

As he turned the corner, he found himself face to face with a bear. Jeff gulped. He froze, pondering what he should do at this moment. The bear looked at the ground and began pawing around. Jeff knew this was his only moment, so he jumped and ran to the front door.

He slammed the door shut. Nothing happened. Jeff crept to the window and peered outside. The bear was still standing there as if nothing had happened.

“What are you doing, Jeff?” asked his mother sleepily.

“Oh, playing hide-and-seek,” explained Jeff.

“At this hour?” grumbled his dad. “Why don’t you get some firewood?”

“Oh, I tried,” said Jeff. He jumped on his parents’ bed and said, “We are going to have to get warm the old-fashioned way. I don’t think the bear outside wants to share the firewood.”

“Huh?” asked Jeff’s mother. Jeff just dove deeper in the blankets. He knew there was no way to get them to believe this!