Free The Shadow of the Bear: A Fairy Tale Retold by Regina Doman Page B

stood on the steps of the church in the snow. The spell had dissipated, but the girls still felt the remnants of its strangeness.
    “What time is it?” Bear said at last.
    Rose held her watch up to the streetlight. “Two o’clock.”
    “Let’s go,” he said, setting off. “I hope your mother won’t be worried about us. We really should have given her a quick call.”
    “Why did you take us there?” Rose asked as they set off for home.
    “Well, it’s just my secret place,” he confessed, “You let me in your house. I thought I’d show you my place.”
    “Do you live there?” Rose wanted to know.
    “Oh, no. But I go there, now and then,” Bear said, kicking at a clump of snow with his foot. “What did you think?”
    “It was—breathtaking,” Rose admitted. She felt terribly drawn to asking him about the stains behind the altar.
    “Uh—you know, since it is my secret place, you wouldn’t tell any of your friends that I took you there, would you?” Bear suddenly seemed a bit flustered.
    “Oh, we don’t have any friends to tell,” Rose assured him. “Just Mom.”
    “Oh, I don’t care if your mom knows.”
    They lapsed into an unnatural silence on the walk home, which Rose found stifling and unbearable.
    So, as they came to their block, she scooped up a mitten full of snow, packed it, and tossed it at Bear’s face.
    “Hey!” he yelped in shock, and even Blanche had to laugh at his expression.
    “So that’s what you want!” he exclaimed, and thrust two big gloves into the snow. He let loose two snow balls at Rose while Blanche ducked to get out of the way of Rose’s return fire.
    She laughed at them and unexpectedly slipped a mitten full of slush down Bear’s neck when his back was turned.
    “This is betrayal!” he roared, and took off after her. She squeaked and ran, while Rose heroically pounded him from behind.
    He chased them both to their doorstep, and they stood on their stoop and rained snow missiles down on him, keeping him from gaining the porch quite effectively. He raged and protested and pleaded while Rose kept a stream of well-aimed snow balls coming at him and Blanche managed a few lucky pot shots of her own. At last he fell on his knees and begged to be let back into the house.
    “No mercy,” Rose grinned, and whomped a snowball squarely on his chest.
    With a grunt, he flopped over on his back, rolling his eyes and sticking out his tongue in feigned death. Blanche muffled a scream of laughter with her mittened hand, and Rose had to harden herself to stand firm. At last, finding them pitiless, he rolled over on his stomach, shielded his head and moaned, “Snow White, Rose Red, will you beat your lover dead?”
    “Oh, have some mercy, Rose,” Blanche protested.
    “Well—I suppose in charity we should relent,” sighed Rose. “You there! Sir Bear! We have decided thou shalt receive our pardon and our favor, if thou so desirest.”
    “A thousand blessings upon you,” panted Bear, crawling up the steps on his hands and knees.
    “Only—” Rose stopped him, “if thou will kiss our royal feet.”
    “Fair maiden, I will,” he returned, and actually kissed Rose’s proffered dirty boot. Blanche dissolved in giggles as he then pretended to bite it.
    Rose whipped her boot away indignantly. “I protest, foul wretch, thou must take no revenge, and must prove thyself a noble, valiant lord before we allow thee to re-enter our graces.”
    “I vow I will be ever most noble and ever most meek,” Bear beat his breast, “in thanksgiving for your many favors to such a peon as I. I promise you riches and many blessings if you will only allow me to serve you and will bestow upon me the joy of your company again.”
    “Well, since it is cold out here, we shall relent,” said Rose. “It’s too late tonight, most noble Sir Bear, but return tomorrow and we shall wine and dine thee upon hot chocolate and cookies.”
    “For such a promise, fair ones, I shall return. I’d best say