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Just then one of the dancing little bits of light froate, and Laura saw long, shaggy, black fur, and two little, glittering eyes

Sukey had thin, short, brown fur Sukey had large, gentle eyes

Ma said, “Laura, walk back to the house”

So Laura turned around and began to walk toward the house Ma caone part way, Ma snatched her up, lantern and all, and ran Ma ran with her into the house, and slammed the door

Then Laura said, “Ma, was it a bear?”

“Yes, Laura,” Ma said “It was a bear”

Laura began to cry She hung on to Ma and sobbed, “Oh, will he eat Sukey?”

“No,” Ma said, hugging her “Sukey is safe in the barn Think, Laura—all those big, heavy logs in the barn walls And the door is heavy and solid, et in and eat Sukey”

Laura felt better then “But he could have hurt us, couldn’t he?” she asked

“He didn’t hurt us,” Ma said “You were a good girl, Laura, to do exactly as I told you, and to do it quickly, without asking why”

Ma was treh a little “To think,” she said, “I’ve slapped a bear!”

Then she put supper on the table for Laura and Mary Pa had not come yet He didn’t come Laura and Mary were undressed, and they said their prayers and snuggled into the trundle bed

Ma sat by the la one of Pa’s shirts The house seee, without Pa

Laura listened to the wind in the Big Woods All around the house the ent crying as though it were lost in the dark and the cold The wind sounded frightened

Ma finishedthe shirt Laura saw her fold it slowly and carefully She s she had never done before She went to the door and pulled the leather latch-string through its hole in the door, so that nobody could get in from outside unless she lifted the latch She ca bed