Wisdom-of-Bear-Wood

WisdomofBearWoodMichaelWelzenbachApril17,2015WhenIwas12yearsold,myfamilymovedtoEngland,thefourthmajormoveinmyshortlife.Myfather'sgovernmentjobdemandedthathegooverseaseveryfewyears,soIwasusedtowrenchingmyselfawayfromfriends.Werentedan18th-centuryfarmhouseinBerkshire.Nearbywereancientcastlesandchurches.Lovingnature,however,Iwasmostdelightedbytheendlesspatchworkoffarmsandwoodlandthatsurroundedourhouse.Inthedeepwoodsthatvergedagainstourbacklaurelsaheadasyouwalked.Ispendmostofmytimeroamingthewoodsandeldsalone,playingRobinHood,daydreaming,collectingbugsandbird-watching.Itwasheavenforaboybutalonelyheaven.Keepingtomyselfwasmywayofnotformingattach-mentsthatIwouldonlyhavetoabandonthenexttimewemoved.ButonedayIbecameattachedthroughnodesignofmyown.WehadbeeninEnglandaboutsixmonthswhenoldfarmerCrawfordgavemepermissiontoroamabouthisimmenseproperty.Istartedhikingthereeveryweekend,upalong,slopinghilltoanalmostimpenetrablestandoftreescallsBearWood.Itwasmysecretfortress,almostaholyplace,Ithought.slippingthroughabarbed-wirefence,I'dleavethebrightsunandthetwitterandrustleofinsectsandanimalsoutsideandcreepintoanotherWorldavaultedcathedral,withtreetrunksforpillarsandyears'accumulationoflongbrownneedlesforasoftlycarpetedoor.Myownbreathingranginmyears,andtheslighteststirringofanywoodlandcreatureechoedthroughthisprivateparadise.onespringafternoonIwanderednearwhereIthoughtI'dglimpsedapondtheweekbefore.Iproceededquietly,carefulnottoalarmabirdthatmightloudlywarmothercreaturestohide.PerhapsthisiswhythefrailoldladyInearlyranintowasasstartledasIwas.Shecaughtherbreath,instinctivelytouchingherthroatwithherhand.Then,recoveringquickly,shegaveawelcomingsmilethatinstantlyputmeatease,Apairofpowerful-lookingbinocularsdangledfromherneck.Hello,youngman,shesaid.AreyouAmericanorCanadian?1American,Iexplainedinarush,andIlivedoverthehill,andIwasjustseeingiftherewasapond,andfarmerCrawfordhadsaiditwasokay,andanyhow,Iwasonmywayhome,sogood-bye.AsIstartedtoturn,thewomansmiledandasked,Didyouseethelittleowlfromthewoodovertheretoday?shepointedtowardtheedgeofthewood.Sheknewabouttheowls?Iwasamazed.No,Ireplied,butI'veseenthembefore.Neverclosethough.Theyalwaysseemerst.Thewomanlaughed.Yes,they'rewary,shesaid.Butthen,gamekeepershavebeenshootingthemeversincetheygothere.They'reintroduced,youknow,notnative.They'renot?Iasked,fascinated.Anybodywhoknewthissortofstuwasdenitelycoolevenifshewastrespassinginmyspecialplace.Oh,no!sheanswered,laughingagain.AthomeIhavebooksonbirdsthatexplainallaboutthem.Infact,shesaidsuddenly,Iwasabouttogobackforteaandjamtart.Wouldyoucaretojoinme?Ihadbeenwarnedagainstgoingowithstrangers,butsomehowIsensedtheoldwomanwasharmless.Sure,Isaid.I'mMrs.Robertson-Glasgow,sheintroducedherself,extendinghernehand.Michael,Isaid,takingitclumsilyinmyown.Weseto.Andaswewalked,shetoldmehowsheandherhusbandhadmovedtoBerkshireafterhe'dretiredasacollegeprofessorabouttenyearsearlier.Hepassedawaylastyear,shesaid,lookingsuddenlywistful.SonowI'malone,andIhaveallthistimetowalktheelds.SoonIsawasmallbrickcottagethatglowedpinklyinthewesteringsun.Mrs.Robertson-Glasgowopenedthedoorandinvitedmein.Igazedaboutinsilentadmirationatthebookshelves,glass-frontedcasescontainingguresofivoryandcarvedstones,cabinetsfulloffossils,traysofpinnedbutteriesand,bestofall,adozenorsostuedbirdsincludingaglass-eyedeagleowl.Wow!wasallIcouldsay.2Doesyourmotherexpectyouhomeataparticulartime?sheaskedassheranthewaterfortea.No,Ilied.Then,glancingattheclock,Iadded,Well,maybebyve.Thatgavemealmostanhour,notnearlyenoughtimetoaskabouteverysingleobjectintheroom.ButbetweenmouthfulsofteaandjamtartIlearnedallsortsofthingsfromMrs.Robertson-Glasgow.Thehourwentbymuchtooswiftly.Mrs.Robertson-Glasgowhadtopracti-callypushmeoutthedoor.Butshesentmehomewithtwolargetomes,onefullofbeautifulillustrationsofbirds,andoneofbutteriesandotherinsects.Ipromisedtoreturnthemthenextweekendifshedidn'tmindmycomingby.Shesmiledandsaidshe'dlookforwardtothat.Ihadmadethebestfriendintheworld.WhenIreturnedthebooks,shelentmemore.SoonIbegantoseeheralmosteveryweekend,andmywellofknowledgeaboutnaturalhistorybegantobrimover.Atschool,IearnedthenicknameProfandsomerespectfrommyfellowstudents.Eventheschoolbullybroughtmeadeadbirdhehadfound,orprobablyshot,toidentify.DuringthesummerIspentblissfullylongdayswithmyfriend.Idiscoveredshemadethenestshortbreadintheworld.WewouldexploreBearWood,munchinghappilyanddiscussingthebooksshehadlentme.Intheafternoonswewouldreturntothecottage,andshewouldtalkaboutherhusbandwhatanemanhe'dbeen.Onceortwicesheseemedabouttocryandlefttheroomquicklytomakemoretea.Butshealwayscamebacksmiling.Astimepassed,Ididnotnoticethatshewasgrowingfrailerandlessinclinedtolaugh.Familiaritysometimesmakespeoplephysicallyinvisible,foryoundyourselftalkingtothehearttotheessence,asitwere,ratherthantotheface.Isuspected,ofcourse,thatshewaslonely;Ididnotknowshewasill.Backatschool,Ibegantogrowquickly.Iplayedsoccerandmadeagoodfriend.ButIstillstoppedbythecottageonweekends,andtherewasalwaysfreshshortbread.OnemorningwhenIwentdownstairstothekitchen,therewa