Chapter 5
FOREST BEDROOM

I was not prepared at all to sleep outdoors in a wild forest. Anastasia had put me to bed in a spaciously dugout. When I woke up, I had a feeling of felicity and comfort as if I were on a wonderful, cozy bed.

The den was rather spaciously paved with small, fluffy cedar twigs and dry herbs producing a very pleasant aroma. When stretching myself out I touched some fluffy fur and noted to myself that Anastasia was, evidently, hunting somehow. I moved closer to the fur, pressed my back against its warmth and decided to doze for a bit longer.

Anastasia was standing at the entrance and when she saw me awaken, told me right away,

”Please, don't get scared”.

Then she clapped her hands and the “fur” moved...

Being terribly horrified I realized that it was not a fur. A wild bear started to crawl very cautiously out of the den. After receiving an encouraging pat from Anastasia the beast left. It turned out that she had put some sleeping herbs in the den and then made the bear lie by my side to keep me warm during the night.

She, herself, was sleeping outside rolled up into a ball.

“How could you do it to me? The he-bear could kill or press me down!”

 

“It is not a 'he', it is a she-bear. She could do nothing wrong to you”, answered Anastasia, “she is very obedient. The greatest fun for her is to get a job and fulfill it in the best way. She even did not move during the whole night long. She pressed her nose to my feet and stood still in a great bliss. She only startled a bit when you in your dreams were stretching your arms giving her slaps on the back”.

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