Great Woods Adventures

As summer passed and warm weather became chilly, Chesterfield became more aware of Mother’s sensitivity. She had begun to teach him to pay attention and understand changing weather patterns and where and how to find food. Her nose was like a weather barometer. When she sensed bad weather, they ventured to an area where they would be most protected. They never went far off, though. One day, Mother told Chesterfield that although he had much growing to do, he had some features that would help him in the event of approaching danger. By lying quietly, no one could hear him. When he was hidden by boughs and branches, no one could see him. And most importantly, as a newborn, he would have no scent at all, so no one could smell him. This meant it would be difficult for other animals to find him. Mother also told him that later, as he grew, whenever the wind blew at his nose, he could pick up the scents of other animals, but they could not smell him. She explained how fortunate he was to have such fine, sensitive ears that could hear sounds from far away and a nose that could detect many, many odors. These features, she said, would make him more alert to what was around him and warn of possible dangers. His large dark eyes, she informed him, were much less dependable than his other senses, and he may not see much ahead of him. “They are beautiful,” she said, “but you must remember to trust your other senses first.” One day in late October, Chesterfield was playing in the deep green moss as Mother was feeding on Spanish moss that had hung from cedar trees and fallen to the ground. Suddenly, her ears twitched rapidly back and forth with alertness as she stood absolutely still. She motioned for him to lie very still and hide behind a large cedar tree deep in the moss until she came back for him. She then bounded through the air as quickly and swiftly as lightning.