A BEAR BOXING MATCH FAIRY LAKE.
By: R. A. Johnson

Recently, while leading a party over the Nisqually Nature Trail I came around a clump of trees for a view of the afternoon reflections in Fairy Lake. Reflections were not to be seen however, for there in the middle of the little lake, under a fog of flying spray, a pair of half grown bear cubs were staging a boxing match. Although the cubs were apparently twins, one was brown in color and the other black. Blackie seemed to be making a good stand with his hind feet planted as firmly as possible in the soft mud bottom. Brownie was the most aggressive however, and in what might be termed the third round he delivered a wallop of sufficient force to knock Blackie off his balance, and send him for a fall. The waves closed over his wooly head.

After this sudden upset, Blackie betook himself to dry land where he found a large pasteboard box. As if this untidy remnant of some camper's lunch equipment might have been the harbinger of his recent downfall Blackie seized it and shook it to pieces, while Brownie stood at the water's edge draining his shaggy coat and looking on with apparent disdain. Presently, both cubs joined the mother bear in a clump of fir trees near by. Up one tree and down another they climbed curring the old moss and lichens from the rough bark with their sharp toe nails. As the case with small boys the cold plunge seemed to have stimulated them to excessive action and this is the form it took.