Katmai Bearcams Wiki


" SANTA BEAR OF BROOKS RIVER " by Sand Bear. December. 2014

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wishing Everyone
A Merry Christmas & Happy Hannukah
with the Bears of Brooks River



* Dedicated to the Katmai National Park Staff & Vounteers of King Salmon, Alaska *          



  • CHAPTER 1 *



It was December and all over the Katmai National Park, the bears were busy digging
their winter dens. Dumpling Mountain was a hub of daily den digging activity.

Meanwhile at the North Pole, a crisis had arisen !

Santa Klaus had too much to do every year and just barely kept up with all the human kids gift deliveries, let alone get to the the bear cubs and yearlings all over Alaska !" He called his two head elves, Jingles and Jangles in for a conference.

"I must name a Santa Bear for each Bear Community in Alaska," Santa said. " They will be the Santa in their community so that all the Christmas deliveries will be made and no child or bear will be left out !"

Jingles and Jangles, I want you two to go to each community and appoint the Santa .


They must be of good character, non-violent, and not frightening to the cubs and yearlings.
You two go visit each community and ask the leaders to appoint a candidate for the Santa Bear ! Tell them it's a great honor to be a Santa bear and they will also get a Santa Suit to wear for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ! Hurry and go and get all the sizes so Mrs. Klaus can do alterations to make sure all the suits fit each bear! Hurry as we don't have much time before Christmas Eve! "

Santa Klaus continued with his instructions to Jingles and Jangles , " On Christmas Eve Night , you two will bring the gifts from the North Pole Workshop to the appointed Santa Bear and he will then take them to each cub and yearlings.
They must also have a decorated Christmas Tree in their newly dug winter den . " Go now as we have little time left to prepare for Christmas Eve ! "

Jingles and Jangles zapped themselves with elf-dust and zip-zap-zip away they zapped toward the Katmai National Park, their first stop being the Brooks River Bear Community.



                           

  • CHAPTER 2 *



Arriving at Brooks River,  Jingles and Jangles set out to find the leaders of the community.  They first encountered Beadnose sitting with her yearlings near the bridge and stopped to ask her where the leaders could be found.   Beadnose was shocked at the appearance of these two elves. The yearlings were sniffing around the elves and enchanted by them especially when they walked. They were touching the bells hanging from the pant legs and shirts of the elves. 
Beadnose was trying to corrall the yearlings as she wasn't sure if these creatures were dangerous or not.
She had never before  seen an elf and they were clothed in such colorful costumes and they jingled and jangled when they walked.

The two elves explained to Beadnose who they were and that Santa Klaus had sent them. They told her about Christmas Eve and how Santa Klaus visits all the human kids and leaves gifts for them under their Christmas tree and that he now wanted to include all the bear cubs and yearlings in this yearly treat !

They went on to tell her about the Christmas Tree and how to decorate it and it must be done by Christmas Eve so that gifts could be left for the cubs and yearlings of Brooks River.

Beadnose was intrigued by this news and  assured the elves that she would go this day and hunt for a small tree to put in her den which she had been digging out this very week! She didn't want her yearlings to miss out on this opportunity.
She then directed them to Brooks Falls where Ted and Otis were getting in some last minute salmon fishing before denning time. Ted having been elected High Sheriff and Otis elected  High deputy of the community in 2012 when the community was dealing with Kodi the Kodiak Bear crisis.

As Jingles and Jangles headed up the trail to the falls. ( They saved their elf-dust for long trips) , Beadnose hurried the yearlings toward Amelia's Pretty Bear Beauty Salon to let her know about these two new strangers who looked like humans but had different ears and jingled and jangled when they walked.   She was especially eager to pass on the news of the new treat coming to Brooks River !  She knew Amelia was the one to spread the news all over the Bear Community! 
Jingles and Jangles reached the falls and yelled at Otis acroos the river asking for Ted and Otis.   Otis of course was sitting in his usual spot across the river and  almost falling face-first into the water as he dozed off.

With the rushing water and half-asleep Otis couldn't understand what they were yelling so he just kept saying "What?" Huh" until finally Jingles said to Jangles. " Guess its time to use some elf-dust "...and zip-zap-zip they appeared in the water directly in front of Otis repeating the question, "Where can we find Ted and Otis? "
Well to say Otis was shocked is putting it mildly. He was more like frozen, suspended in time, thinking he was dreaming -maybe had eaten too many dying salmon and hallucinating.

Finally after recovering somewhat back to normal, Otis replied , "I'm Otis and Ted just went  downriver somewhere."

Jingles looked at Jangles and said, "well Santa didn't say we had to tell them both together so Otis can pass on our instructions from Santa  to Ted when he returns."

"Sounds kosher to me,"  agreed Jangles. Jangles was 1/2 Jewish and celebrated both Hannukah and Christmas.
(plus he got presents for both when he was a little elf and he thought he had the best of both worlds ! )

After passing on all the information and instructions from Santa to Otis as well as explaining who Santa Klaus was and about Christmas  Eve and the Christmas Tree and  of course the Santa Bear qualifications, the two elves said their goodbyes to Otis with a chorus of jingles and jangles --- and poof they were gone --- vanishing in a cloud of sparkling gold and silver elf-dust.



  • CHAPTER 3 *


Jingles and Jangles had vanished in a puff of elf-dust hours ago and finally Otis saw Ted ambling up the trail. 

"Hey Ted, shouted Otis as loud as he could so maybe ted could hear him over the roar of the falls. " He motioned with his big paws for Ted to come over and join him as he just hated to leave his favorite spot for even a second if he could avoid it.
Ted got the message and swam over to Otis and asking when he was close enough for Otis to hear him , " What's up Otis? Why you yelling and doing all that wavy stuff with your paws ?
Are you sick or something? "

"No I'm not sick but something really strange just happened to me today and I got a message for you too! You ever hear of a human called Santa Klaus who lives way up north in Alaska ? "

"Nope, replied Ted, " can't say that I have? Why? "

And so Otis told Ted all that had happened with the elves visiting and what they had told him that Santa Klaus wanted them to do at Brooks.

Ted scratched his head... "hmmm, " he mumbled , and trying to keep from laughing as he thought Otis might be losing it  from eating too many rotten salmon and maybe had gotten some sickness that was giving him weird awake dreams.

"Otis," said Ted, "this Santa Klaus sounds like some weird human dude and you telling me these little humans with funny ears just "poof' and disappeared in some sparkly cloud. Bear, have you been drinking that salmon-shine that Lurch makes up on the mountain here? Lemme think on this tonight and get back with you tomorrow morning. I need talk to some the other bears and see if anyone else saw those little human-like critters you say you saw, ok? "

"Yeah ,right bear, go ask if anyone else saw them today. They came up the trail from the Lower River so maybe Beadnose or Brooke saw them. Brooke's always nursing her cubs next to the bridge and Beadnose is always down there in the river teaching her yearlings to catch the salmon, " replied Otis, insulted by Ted's remarks about the salmon-shine. Otis was not a drinking bear.

"Okey dokey, Otis, I believe you believe that you saw the Santa critters. I just need more proof to do what they asked us to do. Sounds like some kind of bear-scat to me. I'll see you here tomorrow morning early."

And so as dusk was approaching, Ted strolled down the trail to try and find anyone who could verify Otis story. Half way to Brooks camp, here came Lurch huffing and puffing up the trail toward Ted.

" Hey Ted, Lurch said, " I heard about those two little human critters from a bunch of sows downriver. Beadnose talked with them and she told Amelia and well you know the sows up at that beauty salon- Yak Yak Yak all day. They saying they were sent by Santa Klaus from the North Pole. I heard about him when I was a kid. All these little human cubs visiting Brooks camp one year was talking about how in the cold snow time of year he would come and bring them all kinds of treats at night.

I also heard about the Santa Bear appointment and if anyone should be Santa Bear, it should be me since I am King of the Falls anyway !
I'm the biggest, baddest bear in this community and I want to be Santa Bear , " Lurch was talking loud now trying to intimidate everyone within hearing distance to vote for him as Santa Bear. He knew that Ted and Otis would put it to a vote because both of them were very democratically minded.

"Well, Lurch," replied Ted calmly, first we have to have nominations of male bears with good character, non-violent, who do not scare the cub and yearlings. But you also have to be nominated by another bear to be in the running for Santa Bear. I'm meeting Otis tomorrow morning at the falls and we will talk about all this and make our decision. Then if we agree all this is true, we will begin accepting nominations and let the entire bear community vote who they believe will make the best qualified Santa Bear. "

"Who gets to vote? Just the boars, right?," asked Lurch, knowing he was not liked by most of the sows in the community - and wondering why --- forgetting that he had killed and eaten many of their cubs !

"Nope, all adult bears get to vote in this election - sows and boars!". relied Ted with a big grin .
"Oh Bear-Scat, grumbled Lurch , you know the sows don't like me and just because I am a big bad real boar- not some wimpy bear like Scare D. Bear ! "

"We'll just see who gets to be Santa Bear- it'll be me or no one!" , muttered Lurch as he hurried off back downriver to begin plotting his dirty deeds.

"We'll just see who gets to be Santa Bear- it'll be me or no one!" , muttered Lurch as he hurried off back downriver to begin plotting his dirty deeds.



  • CHAPTER 4 *



As Lurch left muttering his usual threats and compliants, Ted had a horrible thought, I hope Lurch doesn't convince anyone to nominate him for Santa Bear, if they do we are in for some bad trouble with Lurch on the Loose !
I need to call a meeting of the Bear Posse and I am so glad Lurch is a part of that anymore. He resigned after the Kodiak incident. HarHarHar.

Ted set out to finds some the members of the Bear Posse, most of whom were now at the Lower River catching the last of the dying salmon and trying to fatten up before denning.

He headed down the trail to Brooks Camp and the lower river area. Reaching the lower river, he saw several members of the Bear Posse fishing for salmon.
Calling out to them, several of them came up to him and questioned him.

"Whats up Ted, asked Popeye, "Please don't tell us we have another Kodiak Bear probelm to deal with ! "

"Yeah," added 747, :Wwe dont want Lurch being the big hero again." HarHarHar, laughing at his own joke.

The truth was Lurch was probably more terrified of the Kodiak Bear than any of the other Brooks River Bears.
But to hear Lurch tell it, allthe other bears did was hide in the bushes and throw dried bear scat at Kodi the Kodiak while he and he alone had ran the Kodi off.

"I think I saw Lurch slinking off back toward Ranger Mack's Cabin right in the middle of the fight, " said Scare D. Bear, "and he has the nerve to call me a scraredy bear!  At least I threw some dried bear-scat and rocks at that Kodiak ! "

"Well, said Ted, "I called you all here to tell you about the two little human looking critters with the weird ears came to tell us."

They all gathered around Ted and listened. Scare D. Bear, 747, Jack, 868, 856, and were allowing Backpack and Chunk to join the Bear Posse since they were now officially adult boars.  Lurch didn't know of all this as he was slinking around the forest surrounding Brooks Camp grumbling about alwsys being misunderstood and called the bad bear and so on.
He also was looking for any stray sub-adult he could kill and eat.

Ted told them everything that Otis and Beadnose had shared with him about the elves and the Santa Bear appointment by this Santa Klaus human.

They talked it over and all then agreed that the best thing to do was to allow the sows to nominate the candidates for Santa Bear.

They would nominate 3 candidates for Santa Bear and then put it to a community vote.
They would give 1 days for all 3 candidates to state why they would be a good Santa Bear.
After that day, the vote would take place 3 days later.

Ted went to find Beadnose and Brooke to let them know the decision they had made.
He appointed the two sows as leaders over the nominations.
They would call a meeting of all the sows at the Pretty Bear Beauty Salon on Dumpling Mountain and pass on all the information about Santa bear and Christmas Eve.
The sows would then nominate 3 candidates for Santa Bear and let the nominees know to have their speech the next day if they wanted to be the Santa Bear.

Ohhh my, what will Lurch do now when he finds out the sows will nominate the candidates for Santa Bear?





* CHAPTER 5 *



In mid-December and all the sows of Brooks River were gathered at the Pretty Bear Beauty Salon to hear what important news Beadnose and Brooke had to tell them.

"Well Beadie, Brooke, we're all here and we're all bear ears !" said Four-Ton. "Make this quick,  will you,  as I need to hurry back down to the river and fish for salmon. I'm trying to fatten up before denning as I sure don't want to starve to death in my den during this long winter's sleep. I may have some cubs I need to feed during the denning time."

"I'm hoping I have some cubs this sleep time as well," added Amelia, " and I need to eat plenty more salmon before denning myself. " 


"Listen up then," I have some interesting news to tell you." An so she told them all about Santa Klaus and Cristmas and that ted and Otis had asked that the sows to nominate 3 boars for the Santa Bear position and the requirements of good character, non-violent and non-scary to cubs and yearlings.

"Well, that lets Lurch and 856 out of the running !" said Brooke with a shudder. "I don't want them near my cubs, treats or not! "

" I agree," added Holly, "They can't be trusted not to kill and eat our cubs and yearlings!"

"I agree with Brooke, said Beadnose, let's eliminate them now and also Patches. He had that cache last year you remember?"

And so all the sows agreed that Lurch, Patches and 856 were not to be nominated for Santa Bear.


Holly spoke up, "I would like to nominate Backpack to be the Santa Bear. "


"I think Chunk would be good for that role," said Amelia. "I've never known him to be mean and he still acts like a yearling most of the time and so does Backpack."

"What about Ted or Otis? ", chimed in Four-Ton. " Otis really would make a sweet Santa Bear. He's so easy going you know. He rarely ever gets riled about anything and you know how it is at the falls when all the boars are there fishing - stealing salmon and bullying always goes on there during the salmon jumping days." 

"Ted told me since he's the high Sheriff, he doesn't want to be nominated," said Beadnose.

"We have to choose 3 and then let them say why they would make a good Santa Bear. And we have to ask them if they want to do it."

"How about Otis and Backpack and Chunk then as the nominees for Santa Bear?  All who agree raise your paws," said Beadnose. They all raised their paws in agreement.

She added, " Ok, thats final then. They are the nominees. Now we need someone to go and let them them know they were nominated and see if they are willing to do this if elected. Also we need them here at the Pretty Bear Beauty Salon tomorrow evening to tell us why they would be a good Santa Bear for Brooks River. Anyone volunteer? "

"I'll go and let Backpack and Chunk know," said Holly, "They're usually together somewhere together."

"I'll go and let Ted and Otis know what happened at our meeting today and let otis know he was nominated also," replied Beadnose with a sigh, " I'm tired, I just want finish my den now and sleep.
Lets all meet back here tomorrow evening ." 
The sows left the Beauty Salon, cubs and yearlings trailing after, most heading down the trail to the river to feed on  salmon before sleeping.

Wonder what Lurch and Patches and 856 are going to think of being eliminated from the nominations up front?
That is, if they somehow get wind of what went on at this meeting of the sows.
Might they resort to bribery and threats?



  • CHAPTER 6 *



Brooks River was a busy place this morning.
Lots of sneaky stuff going on.

As usual , Lurch had his little spies out and about reporting back to hi on all the goings on in Brooks River. Today he was waiting from one of the sub-adults he had terrified into spying on the sows. Threating death and eating them, had 3 reporting back to him twice daily now. This sub-adult had been hiding near Amelia's Salon and picked up bits and pieces as the sows left the meeting and headed back down to Brooks River for their evening meal.

"I, i,i,i, uhhh, heard Beadnose and Brooke talking about the meeting and they --uh,uh,  ( poor sub-adult was so terrified of Lurch he could hardly even speak)  uhh ..errr... uhhh....

"Speak up punk, or I'll tear you from limb to limb," Lurch growled right at the poor sub's snout, causing him to start trmblng from his snout to his bear paws, "i ain't got all day here , i got plans to make! "

"Ooo..kkk..."They said Otis and Backpack and Chunk was nominated for Santa Bear. They're gonna speak tomorrow afternoon and tell the sows why they will make a good Santa bear."

"Where they going to speak at? " asked Lurch with another fierce growl. 

"At the Pretty Bear Beauty Salon," answered the sub-adult in a tiny trembling voice.

"Good Boar, now you'll live another day, as long as ypu keep quiet and do what I tell you!" Lurch growled.  "Now go and keep listening and report back everything you hear this evening.  I'll be on the beach near Ranger Ray's cabin." 

Okkk. Lurch I'll be there, answered the sub-adult, "but thinking to himself, 'I'm going straight and tell Ted what he's up to as soon as he's out of sight.'

Meanwhile, Tundra is having a chat with Dancer, so called because of her dancing on the spit, trying to convince her that the sows of Brooks River had been too long under the hard yoke of boardom.

"It's time for all sows to throw off their yoke and be independent sows, " she declared. " These old sows have just put up with their bear-scat too long!  It's gonna be up to us young sows to break the yoke of the boars!  "I have a plan to do just that, she said to Beauty but I need your help."

"This Santa Bear contest is just the place we can start. I am going to talk to Four-Ton and ask her to let me nominate her for Santa Bear ! We sows have just as much right to be Santa Bear as the boars do!
Then we get all the sows to vote for her.
Heehee, can't you just see their big snouts drop when we announce our new nominee ?! "

"Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, Dancer replied while bouncing up and down on her sow paws!  Beauty was such a hyperactive sow that Tundra was afraid for a moment she might have made a mistake letting her in on this secret plan. She might get too excited and blab to everyone." 

Tundra also had a plan that she and Beauty could sway the votes of Backpack and Chunk. She was going to put Beauty to work on Backpack while she worked on Chunk. Tundra knew that Chunk had his eyes on her for a mate.  They were going to use their sow wiles on those two dumb boars.  She had seen Backpack hanging around Dancer every chance he got to watch her dance on the spit. It was obvious he was smitten with Beauty and was after her for a mate. They just had to do a little sweet sow talking now.

Meanwhile Lurch had set out to find Patches and 856 and let them know how they were all 3 ousted form the nominations for Santa bear from the get-go!
He had been thinking of a plan himself to mess up this entire Santa Bear contest. He and Patches and 856 were going to have a  big bad boar talk Backpack and Chunk! The nerve of Ted and Otis and those silly sows...They were all gonna pay for trying to keep him from being Santa Bear!

And off he rushed to set his evil plot in motion.



                                    
* CHAPTER 7 *


Lurch had persuaded Patches and 856 into helping him scare the bear-scat out of Backpack and Chunk. They now had the the two young adult bears hemmed up between them and Ranger Mack's cabin which they had just some minutes before been trying to break into to see what they could steal.
Bad Bad Bears, these three.
They have no Christmas Spirt of Giving whatsoever !
Their names have now been written down in Santa Klaus's Naughty List as the Bad Bear Trio.

What they don't know is that Santa Klaus has a magic snowglobe in his house at the North Pole and he can shake it up and see what's happening anywhere in the world whenver he wants.
Today he has been watching Brooks River and he can see the Bad Boar Trio trying to scare Backpack and Chunk into helping them disrupt Christmas.

Since they can't be the Santa Bear, they have devised an evil plan to steal all the gifts after Jingles and Jangles bring them to the Brooks River Lodge.

They did scare some information from Backpack and Chunk, mostly Chunk as he was in terror of the Bad Boar Trio.
He didn't want to be dinner for any other bears!
The only other information they knew of was the nominees names, Otis, Backpack and Chunk and that the gilfts were to be delivered to the Brooks Lodge Porch and the new elected Santa bears would meet them just before dark sky time to collect them. there would be 2 bags of gifts & treats, one red and the other green. ( no one yet except Tundra and Beauty knew of the plan to have Four-Ton nominated and chosen )

Backpack was a little more brave and a little more sneakier.
He was sick and tired of being bullied by these bad boars, especially Lurch,  who had ran him off his favorite log at the falls more than once !
He loved that log and he was not going to forget what Lurch did!

"Okk little bears, here's what we want you two to do to keep from being dinner for us three big bears, " ordered Lurch gruffly in his scariest voice, and backed up by Patches and 856.
"You both go the meeting today and tell those silly sows you don't want to be the Santa Bear. That will leave only Otis and we can deal with him as well! " 

"Yeeesss  ssirrr, mumbled Chunk, I 'll do it. I didn't wanna be that Santa Bear anyway !" 

"I may and may not , depending on whats in it for me ! " said Backpack, smirking now with some boldness. 

"Did I hear you right , little bear? " laughed Lurch. " HarharHar..listen up Big Bears, this little bears say he may or may not do what we ordered him to do."   Whatcha think about that?"

"Kill him now!" piped up 856, "I'm so hungry I could eat another bear right now! "

Chunk was now down on his bear knees and praying to the Great Bear in the sky....and mumbling to Backpack to "cool it man, pleeese,  you gonna get us killed and worse, chomped to bits by Big Bear Teeth ! And even worse, we'll have to smell their smelly breath before we die. "  

Backpack now thought maybe he'd gone too far and needed to back out of this situation..." Ahh ,  Big Bear Lurch, I just want some of the action, Bear, a little piece of the salmon, you know, I'm just learning and a Big Bad King Bear ( he knew Lurch loved flattery and liked to be thought of as the King of Brooks River).. uhh.. like you... could teach me a lot. I could learn a lot from you." Whatcha say, just gimme one the treats for helping?"

Now Lurch liked the way Backpack was talking; calling him King Bear and such and so he asked Backpack would he be their lookout bear on Christmas Eve? "  He was also testing Backpack to see if he'd try and wiggle out of the job. 

"Ohh Backpack, what are you doing? Are you joining up with the Bad Boar Trio?",  Chunk whispered.  

"Don' worry, Chunkie Bear, I got my own plans," Backpack replied in a whisper so Lurch or the other wouldn't hear.  "ohh yeah, I'll be your lookout. I'll be there. Just dont forget what you gonna pay me. "


"Yeah right, little bear, you'll be lucky if you get away alive!", though Lurch, but saying to Backpack, " Sure little bear, you be there to lookout for us and I'll give you a reward!"

"Now both of you , Go, and don't forget what you have to do today- tell the silly sows you won't be Santa Bear, Lurch said, and you Backpack, be here behind Brooks Lodge on Christmas eve before dark. We'll be waiting." 


"Now both of you , get gone and don't tell anyone about our little chat today or you'll be our dinner tomorrow!" 

"Yum Yum Yummy," said 856 and licking his big bear snout, "I can just taste the bear meat now."  


Backpack and Chunk ran.

Santa Klaus sent word to Jingles and jangles that he needed the speak with them asap.
He had another job for them.



  • CHAPTER 8 *



Backpack and Chunk were running fast, trying to put as much distance as they could between them and the Bad Bear Trio.
As they rounded a corner, they ran smack into Tundra and Beauty, who had been looking for them to try out their sow wiles on them. Chunk skidded to a stop before knocking Tundra down but Backpack slide into Dancer before he could come to a stop.
Both were on the ground now and Backpack looked over and asked Beauty, "Are you hurt, Beauty? " I'm so so sorry but we were running away from Lurch and his 2 buddies now, Patches and 856. Before they decided to kill and eat us! "

"No, I'm not hurt, just knocked the air from me.

Tundra was trying desperately to give Dancer signals to play like she was really hurt so Backpack would feel obligated to her when they tried out their plan on the two young bears.
Making signals with her paws behind Chunk's back  waving her paws trying to get the message across but Beauty was too swept up in Backpack's big brown eyes that she was sure had a tear in them.

"Ohh for me, she thought, he's shedding a tear because he thought he had hurt me." 

In truth,Backpack had shed tears of relief that they has escaped with their lives from the Bad Bear Trio. He had not a thought of Dancer until now after he realized he had knocked her down.

"Ohh Backpack , she simmered sweetly, you're so sweet to be concerned for me."  Now Backpack did notice her, looking over at him with her big brown eyes, smiling sweetly at him and batting her thick black eyelashes.

"She is so beautiful and she is really a great dancerer",  he was thinking,  not even trying to get up off the cold ground, " I think I'll ask her to be my sow, but not now while Tundra and Chunk are around. They'll blab it all over Brooks River, then Lurch will have something to bribe me with.
He might even kidnap Dancer to make me do his evil deeds.
When I ask her to be my sow I will warn her not to not tell anyone, not even Tundra! It will be our secret.
Dancer meanwhile was too caught up in her daydreams of romance with Backpack to even think of getting off the ground.

"Well, are ya'll gonna lay there all day or get up ?" Tundra asked," ya'll look stunned, are ya'll OK for sure?
"Something the matter with ya'll? " she added, trying out her newly learned  southern drawl she had heard from some visitors to Brooks the past summer.

"Uhh, no, we're Ok," answered Backpack. He held out both his big paws to Beauty to help her up. 

"I'm Ok too, replied Dancer as Backpack helped her up to a standing position.

They were both now standing snout to snout, close enough for a snout kiss, thought Backpack,  if only Tundra and Chunk would leave, but no chance of that ', he thought. " I got to find a way to get Dancer away from Tundra so I can talk to her alone."

Tundra used to have a crush on him when she was a sub-adult, he knew and he wasn't sure she was over it, from some things she said to him from time to time.
He didn't want her to mess things up with Dancer if she got jealous.
Maybe Chunk can handle her- at that thought he laughed out loud.

"What's so funny, asked Tundra, who had been watching him wondering what he was thinking or up to.

"Just thinking how we're gonna outfox the Bad Ber Trio. You and Dancer wanna help?" 

Ever since Tundra had been going to Katmai Bear University or KBU as they called it, she was all into that sow lib movement and trying to get Dancer all heated up about it as well.

He didn't want his sow on that kick! He would be the Boar in charge of any relationship he had !
There ain't no sow born can boss me around, he thought.  

Chunk meanwhile was just watching and listening and wondering, Is something going on here I don't know about?

"There's usually no bears at the falls now except maybe Otis or Ted, Tundra said, "Lets go up there and make some plans to foul up the Bear Trio's plans."

"Good idea," Backpack answered, "Let's get going now and I'll tell you what happened that Trio is up to for the Santa bear project, ansered Backpack, "I'm sick and tired of being threstened with death by those Big Boys. I'd like to teach them a lesson and I'm sick of Lurch running me off my log at the falls. He knows that's my own personal private spot to rest!"

"Well, I am sick and tried of Boardom Control here in Brooks River and I plan to put an end to it soon ! " Tundra said and adding, "Equality for all is my new motto! "

Backpack had sense enough not to respond to that declaration.
Chunk just giggled.



  • CHAPTER 9 *  



While Backpack and  Tundra  are making  plans against the Bad Boar Trio,   Ted is receiving a visit from the three sub-adults that Lurch had terrorized into spying for him.
The 3 subs had decided to take their problem to Ted.  After  all, they said to each other, he's the High Sheriff and it's his duty to protect us from Lurch and his pals.

Ted listened to their tales of woe,  and advised them to go right away and dig their dens , then place a little tree in there so that Santa Bear could leave them some gifts and treats since they had been very good bears now !
By letting Ted know how Lurch had been finding out everything said and done in secret, they were now on Santa's Good Bears List.

Then he  added,   " After you do that, head straight to Margot Creek and hang out there until Christmas Eve and come back to your den at dark sky time and sleep in the den for Christmas Eve night.
Lurch won't leave Brooks River as the Bad Boar Trio has plans to steal the Christmas Gifts before Santa Bear can get them from Jingles and Jangles. You'll be safe from them at Margot Creek.

Meanwhile at the North Pole, Santa Klaus had ordered Jingles and Jangles to deliver the 2 sacks of toys and treats, one red and the other green, with treats to Ted at his new den that very night as he had a surprise planned for the Bad Boar Trio.

" Go find Ted at Brooks River and have him meet you two at his new den. Tell Ted to keep it a secret about the early delivery of the 2 sacks and let no one else know he has them.
Tell him I said to hide them in his den until Christmas Eve and then give them to the newly elected Santa Bear of Brooks River to deliver Christmas Eve night," said Santa Klaus.

"Go now to my workshop and get the sacks ready and  carry them to Brooks River to Ted right away.  Go by my house and pick up the treats there as Mrs. Klaus will have the treats ready for you to put in the sacks. Report back to me as soon as you return from this errand as I have another very important errand for you on Christmas Eve."

Jingle and Jangles zapped off in a chorus of jingle-jangles.

"After they had left,  Santa Klaus brought out 3 sacks, one red , one green, one blue and filled them with big black chunks of coal. He then placed in each sack a big giant chocolate chip cookie made by Mrs. Klaus and smeared a little vegemite on each one.
The vegemite was from a jar at least 40 years old. Some kid by the name of Rod had left it for Santa one Christmas Eve when he was making his rounds in Australia. That same kid had also left him a basket of Emu eggs.

He and Mrs.Klaus had tried the vegemite on toast Christmas morning and decided to gift it to the reindeers along with the Emu eggs.

Most of the reindeers took one sniff and turning their noses up, left the barn .  Rudolph being a daring reindeer, took a big glob of vegemite and ate it,  and his nose lit up and for the next 3 months, they couldn't get it to go off! 
Santa took the jar of vegemite and stored it in his workshop  cupboard, thinking it might come in use for something,  someday.   And now it had, 40+ years later ! The reindeers promptly used the emu eggs and rolled them in the snow making emu egg covered snowballs, which they used for a snowball fight.   What a mess was left on the snow covered grounds.  Santa thought, remembering the times  he had slipped in squashed emu eggs  !

Santa Klaus tied the red sack with a frosty green bow, the green one with a sparkly red bow, and the blue sack he tied with a glittery yellow bow.   They looked so pretty and smelled so wonderful, the aroma of the cookies drifting out.

'Ohh my,' Santa Klaus moaned to himself , 'if Mrs. Klaus knew what I have done to her wonderful cookies, I would be in big trouble and she would kick me out of my warm bed to sleep with the reindeer in their ice cold barn.  But I want to teach those three bad bear bullies a lesson they won't soon forget.'

Backpack and Tundra had now agreed to secretly joined forces against the Bad Boar Trio and convinced Chunk and Beauty to go along with them.

They had thought of a great plan and it involved a pulling a big bluff on the Trio, especially Lurch.

The two sows were going to hang out at the lower river all the next day out where Lurch could easily see them and hopefully he would try to involve them in his own plans to steal the gifts and treats.
Then they would pull the big bluff on him.



  • CHAPTER 10 *



Tundra and Dancer were up early and hanging around the lower river waiting for Lurch to see them and hoping he would try to talk them into joining in with the Bad Boar Trio.

Backpack and Chunk were hiding in some bushes behind the Lodge waiting for their part of the bluff on Lurch. The four had lured the two magpies, Heckle and Jeckle with some treats they promised if all went well.

They even had a new friend now, a young newly orphaned Wolf in on their plan.

Wally was a black wolf who had wandered into the Brooks River area a few months back and decided to stay for the winter. One day when he had first arrived and was so hungry he risked trying to fish for some salmon at the falls and was spotted at the edge of the falls by 856 who promptly chased him away.  Backpack and Chunk, feeling sorry for the hungry pup, followed him into the wood and made friends with him, sneaking him some fish to eat when the big boys weren't looking.
And to add to the mix, they had also enlisted the help of the otter family who lived under cabin 27. 

Soon Tundra spotted Lurch fishing in the back pool of the river.  She had been fishing near the bridge but now swam over nearer to Lurch.   "Hey Lurch, she yelled, ready to rile him up, " Have you heard who might be elected Santa Bear? I know Otis would make a really good Santa, don't you? "

"Hmmmppp," muttered Lurch, "That old windbag couldn't even keep the Santa hat on his head, much less carry the Santa sack! I'd make a better Santa Bear then any other boar on this river!"

"Hey Tundra, he said as she drew closer to him, "I hear you trying for some sow liberation thing here in Brooks Community ? I got a deal for you if you help me out. Beauty was hanging back behind Tundra as she was terrified of Lurch.

Tundra was just about to answer him when Heckle and Jeckle came flying over their heads and screaming frntically, " He's coming down thw trail, he's back, he's back run and hide Tundra, he's mad and he's a monster! "

"Calm down, Heckle, who's back? What monster?

That Kodiak Bear, he's back. he was just at the falls and tried to kill Patches and 856, and said he's coming for Lurch and he's gonna kill 'em all for running him off last year! He's huge, and looks like a monster bear !"

About that time, Backpack and Chunk began to run through the forsts along the trail to he falls, and roaring as loud as they could and running here and there in the bushes making fighting sounds while the otter family did the same. It was  sounding like choas coming down the trail !  The wold was darting here and there just enough so Lurch could get a black flash of fur an think it was the Kodiak coming for him !  Meanwhile Hecke and jeckle were still flying all around the river screeching about the Kodiak was coming to kill everyone ! "

Lurch spotted just a flash of black in the trees and suddenly like a flash he was gone up the dumpling mountain trail to his newly dug den !"

As soon as Lurch was was out of sight, backpack and Chunk began to laugh and laugh. Tundra and Beauty came up to them and they all four laughed their snouts off , soon joined by the otter family of 5 and Wally the Wolf.

Heckle and Jeckle were having too much fun flying over Lurch and still screeching as loudly as they could about the Kodiak and snickering when Lurch ran into his den and pulled some branches in front of it to hide the entrance! " 

"Hey gang, we did good, didn't we?" said Backpack and they all did a high-five! "Old Lurch will probably hide in his den all night." He won't come out until he's starving for salmon!"

Heckle and Jeckle returned from the mountain and reported, "Yep, for sure. Lurch is holed up in his new den for awhile. HeeHeeHee. "
They began to screech "The Kodiak is back, he's here and out for the kill. Big Boys, you better watch out and the entire gang laughed until their bellies ached!"

It was a sight to see, 2 boars, 2 sows, 1 young black wolf, 5 otters, Emma the erminette, Fanny the foxette and 2 silly magpies laughing and laughing.... all lounging about on the front porch of Brooks Lodge.




  • CHAPTER 11 *


The election for the Santa Bear of Brooks River is today and Ted has asked everyone to be at the grassy spot by the lower river bridge to cast their votes.

Tundra rushes to find Four-Ton and convinced her it's in all of the sows best interests if she is nominated for Santa Bear. She agrees. They head for the grassy spot by the lower river bridge .

Arriving there, they find Ted and Otis already waiting for everyone to show up so they can get started with the voting. Tundra announces her nomination of Four-Ton and they convince Ted it's only fair that a sow be nominated as well as a boar.

Otis doesn't care if Four-Ton is nominated or elected. he 's just laid back and easy going a usual. And he likes Four-Ton a lot - he wouldn't mind her being his permanent sow if she will agree. 

Tundra nominates Four-Ton, Ted and Otis agree, and the election is now ready for the voting to begin. Most of the community has arrived with the exception of Lurch, Patches and 856. There are now 2 candidates for Santa bear, Ted explains to everyone and he will ask for a show of hand as he announces each candidate.

Who wants Otis for Santa Bear, Ted asks, raise both paws high so we cans ee them. Beadnose and Brooke were to count the votes.

Half the paws in the community went up!

Who wants Four-Ton for Santa Bear?

The other half of paws in the community went up !

Beadnose and Brooke spoke up, " We have a tie with the votes, Ted. What do we do now?"

Everyone was silent not knowing what was going to happen next.

Who would be the Santa Bear? 

Ted spoke then, "Lemme think for a little bit here what to do now.
Seems Miss Tundra had created a problem with her sow lib obsession!"
He was getting irritated with all this Christmas Stuff and just wanted to be fishing for salmon!

"It's only fair, Ted, sows have just as much right to be Santa Bear as the boars do, " Tundra said loudly for all the sows to hear, not wanting to lose any of Four-Ton's votes.

Finally Otis spoke up in a soft voice and said, "I have a solution that should please everyone. Why don't we have 2 Santa Bears ?"  You voted half for me and half for Four-Ton and if she agrees, she can be the Santa Sow and I can be the Santa Boar . There will be 2 Santa bears a and we can get more gifts and treats delivered faster and no-one will be left out!"

"Yay, Yay for Otis and Four-Ton !!!, our new Santa Bears of Brooks River!",  the entire community shouted together.

"That's it then, said Ted. "Otis and Four-Ton have been elected this day as the Santa Bears of Brooks River.
Now Let's go fishing !"   And so they all did just that! 

And just as they all went into the water, snow started falling on Brooks River, big white flakes pouring from the sky as if to announce it's Christmas Eve !



  • CHAPTER 12 *


Christmas Day arrived and it was a winter wonderland of white !
It had snowed all night Christmas Eve.

The Santa Bears had left gifts and treats for all the bears, even the adults.
The 2 Santa Sacks just never seemed to run out of gifts and treats !

The cubs each had gotten a stuffed Panda Bear,  a sled , and a beach ball which they were now happily throwing all around the icy waters of the lower Brooks River.
The yearlings each got skis and a soccer ball while the sub-adults all got skis and a football, and all the bears from the youngest to the oldest got a box of Mrs. Klaus's special Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies and a box of Dark Chocolate Mint Truffles from Pieces of Heaven Chocolate Shop in Carmel, California.

As the Bad Bear Trio came ambling up the trail and not in a good mood as they has spent the night throwing up the cookies they had found in the Santa sacks. As well as being covered in black soot from snout to paws as they rummaged in the sacks looking for toys and treats.
It had not been a good night for the Bad Bear Trio.

" Them was some nasty cookies," remarked Patches. "...and I thought Mrs. Klaus was such a great cook!"

"Maybe some of the elves made them," answered 856. "They tasted like reindeer-poo."

"I know one thing," added Lurch, " I will never ever steal Santa Klaus's Sacks again !"

As they were heading up the trail to the top of Dumpling Mountain, zip-zippity-zip came the yearlings on their speeding sleds knocking the Trio down on their big bear butts like bowling pins.

No sooner had they gotten back up than zip-zip-zip came the sub-adults whizzing into them on skis, knocking them backward and they went rolling head over paws down the trail.

Before they could even get back upright, here came  a bunch soccer balls and beach balls rolling down the trail straight toward the Bad Bear Trio and banging into them . The as they were flat on thier bear backs on the cold ground, some sneaky sub-adults had the nerve to throw footballs straight into their big bear heads !

Finally, being sick as well as tired, the Bad Boar Trio just rolled over to the side of the trail into some bushes and sat there nursing their wounded pride at being outwitted and run over by a bunch of bear kids !


Backpack however was in a very good mood this Christmas day. He had asked Dancer to be his sow and she had agreed and even kissed him snout to snout and then she twirled him around with her dancing feet !

Poor Chunk, though, every time he started to ask Tundra to be his sow, he could only giggle.
Tundra thought he was just too silly!
She finally stalked off in a snit, mumbling about stupid boars and dumb sows and sow liberation being a lost cause here in Brooks River. !

Otis asked Four-Ton and she agreed to be his sow.
They were both practical bears,  having went through many, many moons of long sleep times.
Instead of a kisses, they both thought the time was better spent fishing for salmon.
After all, denning was just at hand and they knew they needed food more than kisses to make it through the cold winter sleep time! 

Ted was thinking maybe he'd better resign as High Sheriff. It was just getting to be too much aggravation. He'd rather spend his time fishing for salmon!

Ted banished The Bad Bear Trio for this winter's sleep time to go and den  on the far side of Mount Katolet as just punishment for their evil plots against Christmas!

And so as the Bad Bear Trio trudged slowly away with heads hanging down in shame, the falling snow covering their tracks behind them, the rst of the Brooks River Bear Community all went into their respective dens for a long winter's sleep !

In the distance was heard the faint sound of bells jingling and jangling as the two elves zip-zap-zipped back to the North Pole.


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...MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A LONG WINTER'S SLEEP...


...From the Brooks River Bears...

..The End..