Her mother said that Laura could come with her while she milked their cow, Sukey. They got all their fresh milk from the cow. Laura could carry the lantern that would give them a little light.
Her mother went up to the gate and pushed against it to open it. But it did not open very far, because Sukey was standing against it. Her mother said, “Sukey, move over!”
She reached across the gate and slapped Sukey's shoulder. In the weak lantern light Laura saw long, black fur and two little eyes. Sukey was a cow and had thin, short, brown fur. Sukey also had large, gentle eyes. Her mother said, “Laura, walk back to the house.”
So Laura turned around and began to walk toward the house. Her mother came behind her. When they had gone part way, her mother picked her up off the ground, lantern and all, and carried her into the house. Then she slammed (closed hard) the door. Laura said, “Mother, was it a bear?”
"Yes, Laura," her mother said. "It was a bear."
Laura began to cry. She hung on to her mother and sobbed, “Oh, will he eat Sukey?”
“No,” her mother said, hugging her. “Sukey, our cow, is safe in the barn. Think, Laura - all those big, thick wooden barn walls. And the door is heavy and solid, your father made it thick to keep bears out. No, the bear cannot get in and eat Sukey.”
Laura felt better then. “But the bear could have hurt us, couldn't he?” she asked.
“He didn't hurt us,” her mother said. “You were a good girl, Laura, to do exactly as I told you and to do it quickly, without asking why. Laura, you need to know what to do if you meet a bear. First keep away from the bear. Bears will avoid you and not be violent unless they are protecting cubs (baby bears) or food. Walking between a mother bear and her babies can easily be deadly. Walk, do not run, away from a bear. Bears and other meat-eating animals understand that food runs away and that they need to fight animals that run towards them. Dangerous, but non-threatening, animals walk away.”
Her mother was shaking and she began to laugh a little. “To think,” she said, “I've slapped a bear!”
[Answers for Review Questions]
The Little House in the Big Woods
Chapter 1 - Part 1: Introduction
Chapter 1 - Part 2: Wolves in the Night
Chapter 1 - Part 4: Smoked Meat
Chapter 1 - Part 5: Food for Winter
Chapter 1 - Part 6: Butchering Time
Chapter 1 - Part 7: After Butchering Time
Chapter 1 - Part 9: Winter Night
Chapter 1 - Part 10: About the Author & Where to Find the Book
Chapter 2 - Part 1: Winter Days and Winter Nights
Chapter 2 - Part 2: Jack Frost
Chapter 2 - Part 3: Laura and Mary Helped Mother with the Housework
Chapter 2 - Part 4: Churn on Thursday
Chapter 2 - Part 5: The Best Time of All
Chapter 2 - Part 6: Her Father Began to Play his Fiddle and Sing
Chapter 2 - Part 7: Father Told Stories
Chapter 2 - Part 8 - The Story of Grandfather and the Panther
Chapter 3 - Part 1: Introduction (The Long Rifle)
Chapter 3 - Part 2: Making Bullets
Chapter 3 - Part 3: Cleaning the Gun
Chapter 3 - Part 4: Loading the Gun
Chapter 3 - Part 5: Where and Why to Keep a Gun
Chapter 3 - Part 6: The Story of her Father and the Voice in the Forest Part 1
Chapter 3 - Part 7: The Story of her Father and the Voice in the Forest Part 2
Chapter 4 - Part 1: Christmas in the Forest
Chapter 4 - Part 2: Making a Gift for his Wife
Chapter 4 - Part 3: Christmas is Coming
Chapter 4 - Part 4: Children Make Pictures in the Snow
Chapter 4 - Part 5: Prince & the Blue Dress (part 1 of 3)
Chapter 4 - Part 6: Prince & the Blue Dress (part 2 of 3)
Chapter 4 - Part 7: Prince & the Blue Dress (part 3 of 3)
Chapter 4 - Part 8: Christmas Morning
Chapter 4 - Part 9: Santa Claus Only Gives Presents to Children
Chapter 5 - Part 2: The Weekly Bath
Chapter 5 - Part 3: Being Quiet
Chapter 5 - Part 4: The Story of Grandfather's Sledge and the Pig (part 1 of 4)
Chapter 5 - Part 5: The Story of Grandfather's Sledge and the Pig (part 2 of 4)
Chapter 5 - Part 6: The Story of Grandfather's Sledge and the Pig (part 3 of 4)
Chapter 5 - Part 7: The Story of Grandfather's Sledge and the Pig (part 4 of 4)
Chapter 5 - Part 8: Sunday Music
Chapter 5 - Part 9: Birthday Spanking
Chapter 6 - Part 1 - Introduction (Two Big Bears)
Chapter 6 - Part 2 - Getting Ready to Go
Chapter 6 - Part 3 - Milking Sukey the Cow (1 of 2)
by John Larrysson
A native English speaker who has been teaching practical English in Hong Kong for over two decades.
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