Cougar: The Low Side of the Mountain
by Kristen

"The hunters are settling on the low side of the Mountain," Mother Cougar said to her three cubs, Anna, Max, and Marley. "Stay on the high side of the mountain and nothing bad will happen," mother says. "I am going down there to catch a rabbit for dinner. I will be back in a while."

After mother left Anna said to her brothers, "Let’s go and see what’s on the Low side of the mountain."

"No", Marley said. "Mother told us to stay up here!"

"Fine!", Anna said. "I’m almost six feet, the length of a fully-grown cougar. I’m big enough, so I’ll just go down by myself!"

"You’re not brave enough! And if you think that you’re so brave, I dare you to go down to the hunter’s campsite, and walk in circles showing off your fur. Then growl just to show them how ‘brave’ you really are!" Marley and Max said.

"Fine!" yelled Anna. "I’ll prove it to you! I’ll go down there right now!"

As Anna made her way down the mountain, she could see smoke coming from the hunter’s fire. "I’m not scared!" she thought to herself. She walked on toward the campsite.

As she approached the hunters, she peered through the bushes. She saw the hunters sharpening their knives. She had to admit that she was a little scared at such a sight.

Then she thought about what Max and Marley had said before, and jumped through the bushes. She stalled as she saw the hunters sitting on fat logs, still sharpening their knives, and were staring at her. Then she started walking in circles, showing off her tawny fur and her white nuzzle.

The hunters chatted for a while. "Too bad I can’t understand them," Anna thought to herself. The hunters got ready to pounce and capture Anna so they could sell her beautiful fur. But before the hunters had a chance to move off their feet, out of nowhere, came Anna’s mother. She picked Anna up by her fur coat, and carried her back to the high side of the mountain.