We love getting special request from our customers. During the last holiday season we got a truly unique request. We were asked to write a story about our soap that included, of all things, bears. We thought about it for a while and finally sat down and penned the short story that you will find below. The customer said she thoroughly enjoyed it and so we decided to share it with you. Please enjoy!
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The night was crisp and clear. The air had a bite that hinted at the coming Winter. The three bears huddled close to the small fire that whose flames licked at the relentless chill. Silence, hung like a shroud on the group. The silence was broken when, Griz, the elder of the group coughed deeply.
“The cold air really gets in the lungs, doesn’t it?” The question drifted up and dissipated into the night. “Seems like the cold came a sooner this year than last.” Will was younger and still new to the pack and their traditions. He felt a close kinship with the small pack that had taken him in but their tendency to a silent kinship still made him uncomfortable. The silence was especially heavy tonight. It was the last night of the pack reunion before beginning their winter hibernation and Oliver had not yet arrived.
Griz looked up slowly at Will and smiled with a half chuckle. “Yeah kid, it came early this year”. Griz had found Will as a young cub, wandering and near starvation. He had convinced the pack to take Will in until he could return to find his home clan. That day never came as Will’s innocent youthfulness had grown on the others. “Looks like Oliver decided to skip the reunion and hit the caves early.” His voice was solemn as he turned to Sten, the third bear in the circle, with a tired gaze.
Sten let the words settle slowly and then nodded. “I suppose he did.”
“Well that’s kind of rude.” Will said flatly. “Seems like he could have let one of us know that he was going to skip the winter reunion.” The night and the silence yawned for a moment. “It just seems like the nice thing to do.”
Griz and Sten looked at Will and then at each other. They couldn’t help but smile at his naivete despite the dour implications of Oliver’s absence.
“Guess your right, kid. He should have let us…” Griz was stopped short by another deep and lingering coughing spell.
“Maybe we should go ahead and do the exchange. I’m tired and want to get a good nights rest. My cave is three days trek from here and I want to get an early start” Sten had always been a bit gruff. Will was learning that this didn’t mean he didn’t care about the pack, just that he wasn’t good at showing it.”
“That’s a good idea Sten.” Griz offered. “Why don’t you get us started. I think you were suppose to get something for Will weren’t you?”
“Yeah.” Sten responded. He reached behind him and pulled out a small box, that he held out to Will. “I got this from a campsite that was filled with a bunch of hipsters. I thought it might help you with your courting next year.”
Will took the box and opened it enthusiastically, shredding the paper and ribbon. A grin spread across his face as he held up a polka dotted bow tie. He turned to Sten, “Thanks, this is great. This will really catch Leah’s eye.” Sten almost smiled at Will’s enthusiasm. “But Sten, how did you know they were hipsters and would have a bow tie?”
“Oh, when I came up to the site all the cars were Volvo’s and everyone had solar chargers sitting around the campsite for their iPhones.” Griz and Will broke out into laughter and even Sten let out a little chuckle.
“Ok, my turn.” Griz said, glad that the mood had lifted. He held out a large plastic bag in Sten’s direction. Sten reached into the bag and carefully pulled out a ukulele. Will, had no idea what it was but he knew it was a great gift. In the eight months he had spent with the pack he had never seen Sten smile like he did as he stared at the small and strangely shaped item.
“Where did you find this?” Sten said with surprising enthusiasm.
Griz smiled. “It’s a funny story. I was nibbling on some berries near the Appalachian trail and heard someone strumming. I wandered over to the trail and caught a glimpse of a couple who were sitting at an overlook playing. It looked just like you had described it. I walked over to the trail when the couple noticed me. I put my paws in the air to show them I had no ill intentions and tried to explain that I just had a question about their ukulele. They started acting real nervous and yelling and finally just threw all their bags and gear at me and then ran off and just left the ukulele sitting on the ground.”
“So you got your hibernation gift and a meal out of the encounter.” Will asked.
“Well, sort of.” Griz responded. “All they had in their bags was some of that greek yogurt.”
“Ooohh, I think I’d rather go hungry!” Sten chuckled as he continued to examine his new prize. “Hey look, something is scribbled on the front of the ukulele.”
“Yeah.” Griz sighed. “I tried to wash it off but it was apparently written in permanent marker. I guess it was the name of the owner or something. Can you read it?”
Sten squinted in the dim light. “It look’s like…” He paused and started slowly. “Jake Shi…ma…bu…kuro. Yeah, the guy probably put his name on it in case he lost it. Well, I tell you what; if I ever run into someone named Jake Shimawhatever I will give him his ukulele back. Until then, it is all mine.”
With that Sten started picking at the strings on the instrument carefully. Griz leaned back against a tree, closed his eyes and took in the music and the moment. Will, having never heard a ukulele, was amazed at the sound and the unexpected dexterity of Sten’s claws.
After Sten played a couple songs Griz turned to Will. “Well kid, I guess it’s your turn.”
Will slumped and looked a bit sheepish.
“What’s the matter kid, let’s see what you got for ‘ol Griz.” Sten was actually smiling by this point.
Will slowly pulled his gift out from behind the log he was sitting on, “I didn’t really know what to get. This is my first exchange.”
“Don’t worry about it kid. The exchange isn’t about the gifts, it’s about us being together. Let’s see what you got there.” Griz always had a way of making Will feel better.
Will held up two bars of soap strung on a lengthy piece of twine. “I was surprised when I stumbled onto a small campsite. I couldn’t smell the people or the site at all. The scent blended right in with the woods. They had these sitting out on their towels.”
Will held the gift out to Griz. “I was thinking you could either bathe with it or just wear it around your neck. When you are wondering through the woods you don’t have to worry about humans smelling you. “
Will was excited about his gift. He was sure it was quite clever. Griz and Sten looked at each other, trying to muffle the laughter that wanted to erupt. Neither one had the heart to tell Will that humans had the worst sense of smell of all the creatures in the woods. Griz examined the bars with a wide grin.
“I like the little wrapper on the soap.” He read slowly, “Whis…per…ing Wil….low. Pat..chou…li”. He looked at the next bar. “..In..to the Woods” He smelled the bars and smiled. “You’re right kid, this smells just like the woods. Very nice.” Griz turned and laid his paw on Will’s shoulder. “This is a great gift, Will. I’ll make sure I wear these everywhere I go.”
Griz glanced at Sten and smiled, “The humans will never smell me coming.” Sten smiled and nodded beginning to strum again on the ukulele.
Will was beaming. He had picked well for the exchange. He loved his new pack and felt like he had finally given back a little of what they had given him over the season.
As the fire waned so did Sten’s strumming until silence and the night enshrouded them. The trio nestled onto the ground for a good night’s rest. In the shadows, Will caught a glimpse of Griz gently stringing the bars of soap around his neck. A tear trickled down Will’s fur.
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Hope you enjoyed the story.
Be Well,
Wayne & Julia
