Bear was walking one crisp winter evening. The snow crunched underneath their feet and they were very satisfied with themself. As they walked past a giant pine tree, a voice cawed down through the evening air. 

 

“Hello Bear,” Crow said. “You’re looking mighty queer tonight!”

 

“Hello Crow,” Bear replied and wiggled with satisfaction. “Do you like my scarf?”

 

“I do,” said Crow. It was a beautiful scarf, with greens and blues and whites and purples. “But I wonder what those little shiny things are in your fur.”

 

“You mean my magics?” Bear tried to pose casually to show them off. “I have plenty of them, Crow, would you like some?”

 

Crow ruffled their feathers with shock. “I could never accept, oh, more than, say, one.”

 

Bear sat down and looked up with a smile. “Crow, do you want one of my magics for your nest?”

 

“Yes please!” Crow crowed, and flew down to sit in front of Bear. Bear carefully plucked a big one out of their fur and handed it to Crow, who gingerly picked it up with their beak. “Fnk yu,” they said, and flew up to put the shiny little magic in their nest. Bear felt good about helping a friend and began to walk away. 

 

“Let me know how I can pay you back, Bear!” Crow squawked after them. Bear looked over their shoulder and smiled again. 

 

“I’m sure we’ll think of something, Crow. Don’t worry about it right now,” they said, and continued their walk through the forest. 

 

They came upon a clearing and sat down for a moment, blinking lazily in the evening sun and enjoying the soft glow on their fur, when a white shadow hopped out of the treeline. 

 

“Hello Rabbit,” Bear said. 

 

“Hello Bear!” Rabbit was very bouncy tonight, and they looked at the scarf with wide eyes. “You look beautiful tonight! Very handsome! I like your scarf!”

 

Bear chuckled at their enthusiasm. “Thank you, Rabbit. I made it myself. Would you like some of it?”

 

Rabbit hopped from one foot to the other, the snow cold against their feet. 

 

“Could I? Really?”

 

“Of course, friend. That’s why I offered. Which colour would you like?”

“Well,” Rabbit said, and thought for a moment. “I do like the snow, and I would like something warm to wear that goes well with the season!”

 

“Would you like the white of my scarf?” Bear cocked their head, patiently waiting.

 

“Yes please, Bear, if you’d be so kind.” Rabbit wiggled their nose.

 

“Of course,” Bear said, and tore off a piece of their scarf and handed it to Rabbit. 

 

“It is much too big for me!” Rabbit squeaked. “I’m so sorry!”

 

“You have nothing to apologize for, Rabbit,” Bear smiled. “Instead of a scarf, think of it as a pretty white winter coat. It looks very good on you.”

 

Rabbit hopped in a little circle and wiggled their tail and wiggled their nose.

 

“You really think so?” They asked nervously. 

 

“I really think so,” Bear nodded sagely.

 

“Oh my goodness!” Rabbit jumped up and began to run away into the forest to tell their friends. “Thank you thank you thank you!” They shouted excitedly behind them as they ran.

 

Bear got up and walked down the river which glistened in the evening sun, which was taking longer than usual to set. They were just beginning to wonder about this when they came across Moon, who was sitting by the river looking sadly into the water. Bear said nothing and sat down next to them. Moon would speak when they were ready. After a while, Moon leaned their head against Bear’s furry coat.

 

“I am tired, Bear.”

 

“Why are you tired, Moon?”

 

“So many reasons, Bear.”

 

“Hmm,” Bear said, and looked at the river. “Is there anything I can help with?”

 

Moon said nothing and cried for a bit, their tears rolling down Bear’s fur. 

 

“I am tired of not being as beautiful as my sister, Bear. She is beautiful and I am…” They hesitated. “This.”

 

Bear looked at Moon.

 

“You look beautiful to me, Moon. I see you every night and you guide my way.”

 

“I am tired of that too, Bear. I am sorry, but I have to guide a lot of ways every night and I am not strong enough.”

 

Bear nodded. 

 

“I understand.”

 

“You do?” Moon looked up at them. “But you’re the regent of these forests, Bear. You are the strongest.”

 

Bear looked down at them and smiled.

 

“And sometimes I am not strong. Sometimes I need to be very small, and sleep for weeks and months. And yet still this is my forest and still I am strong.”

 

Bear gently nudged Moon’s head with their snout.

 

“You are strong and beautiful even when you do not feel strong and beautiful, Moon.”

 

Moon looked at the sunset, frozen in the cold evening air.

 

“My sister is giving me some time, but she needs to sleep soon. I don’t think I am strong enough to go up there tonight, Bear. Everyone will see me and I am not strong today.”

 

“That sounds like a problem,” Bear agreed.

 

“It is,” Moon squeaked sadly.

 

“Why not take the night off, Moon? Your sister takes days or weeks in winter. Why not you?”

 

Moon shrugged.

 

“Some things have to be. I can not take a night off, or you would not find your way in the dark.”

 

Bear shook their big, furry head. 

 

“That is not true, Moon. I love that you light my way, not because I need my way lit, but because I like that it’s you that lights my way. Your light is as beautiful as you are.”

 

“But then what…” Moon furrowed their brow and did not understand.

 

Bear shook their fur and some of their magics fell out. 

 

“How about this,” Bear suggested. “Why don’t you sleep, tonight? My magics will guide the way of every traveller, and you can take the night off. And tomorrow, maybe you will feel a little bit stronger, and come out a little bit. And once a month you can come to me and sleep against my fur and my paws will keep you from harm.”

 

Moon leaned against them again and cried a bit more.

 

“You would do that for me?”

 

“Of course, Moon. You do so much for us already, in the sky every night. You are allowed to be tired.”

 

“Thank you, Bear.”

 

“It’s no problem,” they said. “Here.”

 

Bear shook out the rest of their magics and hung them up in the sky. With relief, the sun finally set, and the magics in the sky illuminated the landscape. Moon looked up in awe. Then, Bear took off their scarf, and hung it around Moon’s neck, and it snaked across the heavens in blues and purples and greens. Moon looked up and cried.

 

“You look beautiful, Moon,” Bear said. 

 

“As beautiful as my sister?” Moon said groggily into Bear’s pelt. The crying and the tiredness had begun to overtake them as they snuggled up against them.

 

“As beautiful as your sister,” Bear said, but their words fell to sleeping ears. Bear nodded. They sat and kept watch as Moon rested their weary head, and smiled.