RED DEER'S CHILDRENS ADVENTURES ( PART TEN )

Red Deer started to walk back along the passages,
into the cavern, it was very dark and he did not
have a torch. He stayed close to the damp walls,
feeling his way along.

He finally came to the Cavern, with the pool of
water. Walking up to the well of life giving water,
he remembered drinking from, he suddenly felt a
presence behind him, looking back...he suddenly
saw a clear vision of the Bear sitting on a rock.
In his paws, he held a wooden bowl.

"So you have returned?" said the Bear, "I have been
expecting you," he said in a quiet, soft voice.
"Yes!" said Red Deer, "I'm so hungry...it's been
ages since I ate, I have nothing to hunt with."

The Bear got up from the rock and told the boy to
take a drink from the cool water, then he gave the
boy the wooden bowl, "here this is for you," he
said.

Red Deer could not believe his eyes, in the bowl
was crumbled fish, rice and corn bread. "Where did
you get this from?" he enquired.
"It doesn't matter, all that matters is that you
do not starve." said Bear, in a matter of fact way.

"Thankyou very much!" said Red Deer, gobbling down
the food.

"I see you have managed to claim an Eagle feather,"
Bear said.
"Yes!" said Red Deer, my Father will be very proud
of me."

When Red Deer had eaten his fill, he asked the Bear, "do you live here alone?"
"Ofcourse dear boy." the bear replied. Suddenly as
the Bear spoke, a whistling of wind came down the
tunnel and into the cave. "What's that?" said the
boy. "Oh! that's the wind coming to take you away."
The Bear sat on his rock, without a care in the
world.

Then without warning, it went very strange, as the
sound of the wind surrounded Red Deer, he woke up
with a jump, to find himself back at the entrance
to the cave, still clutching the feather.

The wind was howling outside, he realised he had
been dreaming again, but this time, he could taste
the fish and he no longer felt thirsty and hungry,
'what was going on?' he thought, 'was he dreaming,
or did he really happen to meet with the Bear again.'

He sat in the entrance gazing out at the dust storm
and thought about the dream, it was all very strange to Red Deer.

To be continued ............