As she crouched among the leaves, trying to track the wolves by the movement of ferns and bushes, Lusa heard another sound. Two high voices were raised in excitement, and the little cubs she had seen the day before tumbled into the open, play-wrestling with each other.

“You’re a grouse and I caught you!” Flo squealed.

“Okay.” Fala shook off her little sister and stood up. “Now you be a grouse and I’ll stalk you.”

“No, I don’t want to practice anymore,” Flo objected. “I want to do it for real.”

“Yeah,” her sister agreed. “Let’s find a big deer and catch it for Mother!”

Oh, please don’t make so much noise! Lusa willed the cubs. There are wolves close by.

To her relief the little bears were quiet as they padded across the open ground beneath her, sniffing at the air as they tried to locate prey. They were moving away from the wolves, and Lusa began to hope that they would escape.

But then Flo noticed the dug-up earth where Lusa had been foraging for maggots. “Look!” she yelped. “Grubs! Come on, Fala—they’re so good!”

Lusa heard a rustle in the undergrowth and knew with a cold shock of horror that the wolves had heard them. She caught a glimpse of the dark shapes slinking toward her, their lean gray backs just visible over the tops of the ferns. The cubs had no idea they were there, and stayed happily at the foot of the tree, munching the maggots and playfully swiping at each other.

Lusa wanted nothing more than to stay in the safety of her tree, but she knew she couldn’t stay there and let Fala and Flo be torn apart by wolves. Gathering her courage, she leaped down and raced over to the two cubs.

“Wolves! Climb the tree!” she ordered.

At first the two cubs didn’t seem to have heard what she said.

“Where did you come from? Are you a bear-squirrel?” Fala asked curiously.

“Or a bird?” Flo barked. She gave Lusa a friendly nudge. “Hey, wait. I know you! We saw you by the stream!”

“Listen!” Lusa’s terror was growing. “Wolves are coming. You have to climb this tree.”

Now the cubs’ eyes widened, and they exchanged a frightened glance.

“We don’t know how to climb,” Fala protested. “Mother told us to run away if wolves came.”

“It’s too late!” Lusa said, glancing over her shoulder to where she could see the betraying movement of the ferns. “If you run, they’ll catch you. Wolves could outrun you in their sleep!” She didn’t wait to argue anymore. She shoved Flo up the tree, ignoring the little cub’s squeak of protest. “Put your paw in that knothole,” she directed. “Push with your hindpaws. That’s right. Now sit on that branch and hold on!”