BEAR WOMAN

[sidhe_faerie]

BEAR WOMAN
Summary: THIS IS MORE OF A CHILDREN'S STORY WITH A NATIVE AMERICAN FEEL

BEAR WOMAN
(EWTU AND URSEE)

There was a little girl named Ewtu. She was very sad because her mother went to live with the ancestors. One day Ewtu was walking in the woods and she came face to face with a black bear. Ewtu was not afraid.

The bear looked at her and asked “What is your name little girl?”

“My name is Ewtu what is your name?” she replied

“My name is Ursee. Will you be my friend Ewtu?”

Yes Ursee, I will be your friend.”

The little girl and her friend the bear played together until the sun was low in the sky and Ewtu had to go home.

“Will you play with me tomorrow?” Ewtu asked.

“Yes. I’ll meet you in the same place tomorrow.”

The next day Ewtu came to the place where she had met the bear but the bear looked different. The bear looked like the fetishes that Grandfather carved.

“Ursee, why do you have lines on you?”

“This is my life line,” Ursee replied.

“Why does it start at your mouth?
” Ewtu asked as she stared at Ursee’s mouth.

“Because this is where I breathe”. Ursee said

“Why does the line touch your head?” Ewtu said looking at Ursee’s head

“Because that’s where I think” Ursee said.

“Why does it touch your heart?” Ewtu asked as she rubbed Ursee’s chest.

“That is where I love” Ursee growled.

“Why does it touch your back?” Ewtu climbed on Ursee’s back.

“That is where my soul lives.” Ursee lay down on the ground.

“Why does it go thru your behind?” Ewtu looked at Ursee’s behind.

Because we all have a beginning and an end. Ursee got up and Ewtu slid off her back.

“But why do you have lines on you?” Ewtu asked again.

“I am a magick bear I can change myself into any kind of bear I want to.” She stomped her foot and she changed back to the black bear she had been the day before.

“I like you better with no lines.”

“I shal
l stay that way for you.” Ursee started walking. Ewtu got up and followed. They walked till the sun was low in the sky and Ewtu had to go home. They walked every day they could.

One day while they were walking they saw a mountain lion. The mountain lion stood in their way.

“Move bear I want to eat that girl” the mountain lion said.

Ursee stomped her foot and a silver belt with arrows attached to it appeared around Ursee’s middle. She had turned into a guardian bear.

“Go away mountain lion” Ursee growled loudly.

“Who are you?” the mountain lion growled back.

“I am a guardian bear. Don’t make me use my arrows on you. Ursee growled even louder.

The mountain lion saw that there was no way he would get Ewtu. So he bowed his head and ran away.

One day when Ewtu and Ursee were playing, they came across a fawn and her mother.

The doe said “Bear. Can you help my daughter? She ate some poison berries”.<
/p>

“I can help her.” Ursee stomped her foot and a belt made of hemp with a pouch of medicine herbs appeared around Ursee’s middle

“Ewtu, take the herbs from my bag and give them to the fawn”

Ewtu took the bag and fed the herbs to the fawn. She was better almost at once.

“Thank you, bear” the doe said. “And thank you too.”

“You’re welcome” Ewtu replied.

Ursee stomped her foot and changed back to a black bear.

The doe bowed her head. The doe and her fawn disappeared into the woods.

Every day as Ewtu and Ursee walked and played. Ursee taught Ewtu about the plants and animals and the medicine they held.

Day after day and over many years, Ewtu and Ursee met to walk. As time passed Ewtu grew into a woman.

One day Ewtu was chosen to be the medicine woman for her people because she had learned so much from Ursee. She ran to their meeting place and found Ursee standing there. Ursee was waiting fo
r her.

“Ursee! They chose me to be the new medicine woman!” Ewtu hugged her friend.

“I know and I’m so happy for you but I’m sad too. This means I must go now.” Ursee had tears in her eyes as she stomped her foot. Ursee turned into a shimmering spirit bear. “It’s time for me to go live with the ancestors”

Ursee stood up on her hind legs and held out her paw to Ewtu. Ewtu touched the palm of her hand to the bottom of Ursee’s paw. Ursee disappeared into the wind.

“Ursee! Don’t leave me alone!” Ewtu called out.

Ursee spoke to her on the wind. “I will never leave you. Ewtu, look at your hand.”

Ewtu looked at her hand and there was a mark in the shape of a bear on her palm.

“I will always be with you, my daughter! Ursee whispered in the wind.

Ewtu lived many years as the medicine woman for her people and she never forgot the bear that taught her.