• "Father am I a man now", I asked. "Not yet son". My Father was not pleased when he saw me bring home a dead rabbit. "A Bear", he announced. "A Great Big Bear. When the spirits send you a Bear you are ready to fight. Then you are a Man", father said. I walked away and sat near the fire. I had a thought in my mind that the bear will be at least 8ft tall. A big brown one that would tower over me. What would I fight him with? I hadn't told father that I broke my spear wile hunting for a fish. What Shall I do? That spear had been in my family for many years. My Grandfather gave it to my father when he was a boy and now me. Father would not be pleased with me at all. He would be very disappointed in me. He would never honor me as his son again. What would Ma say? I would be the disappointment of the whole village. None of my friends would want to go canoeing with me ever again. THAT'S IT! I will make a new one! Father would never know. I ran along the river and got a stick and started to carve. By the end of the day my hands were bleeding. There was to many blisters in the palm of my hand. OUCH! I tried harder and harder to pull the wood out. More blood would come gushing out every time I tried to take them out. "Be Strong", was all I could think of. Finally the bleeding had stopped and I finished the spear. I looked up and felt a rain drop fall onto my face. It looks like its going to rain down hard with the looks of the clouds. While I walked up stream more drops fall onto my face. I was looking down at my feet until I heard it. I saw with my own two eyes a bear. Just like I pictured in my mind. The spirits have finally sent me a bear that I can fight. Tonight will be the night I get to fight this enormous beast. The storm was coming in faster and faster. The clouds were getting bigger and I could see the lightning strike. Then the thunder kept getting louder and louder. The spirits must be getting ready to watch me fight. The Bear looked at me and turned away. She and her cub headed up to the cave. I followed her into the trees until I lost her. I walked to the mountain and started to hike. I found the bear half way up and I started to scare her. She was so frightened that she raced up to the top of the mountain. By that time it was pouring down rain and lighting striking as fast as it could. I had my spear in hand and I was trying to strike at her. She decided to fight back. She knocked me down and my spear almost fell off the side of the mountain. I was scared out of my mind. I quickly got up and tripped over the rock. I broke my leg and I tried to pull my self back up and get the spear. I reached as far as I could and got it. She came closer to me and I shut my eyes holding the spear out. I stopped and thought," This innocent thing does not need to be killed. Who will take care of her cub? My eyes shot open and I threw the spear over the side of the cliff. The rain, lightning, and thunder stopped. And the bear ran away. I laid there staring up at the sky waiting for something to happen. One of the spirits came down from the sky and said, " Young Girilal, you have done a magnificent job by not killing the Great Bear. You are no longer Girilal, son of mountain. You are now Girish, god of mountain. You are rewarded your grandfathers spear back and you are now you are a Man for being so brave and noble. Your father will be so pleased with you Girish. Now go back to your village and celebrate". I was so proud of myself and so was my father. He was honored to have me as a son. But now I'm Girish, god of mountain.