Sure enough the road ahead was jammed with vehicles Tourists leaned out of car windows and stood to look through sunroofs Everyone had a camera in hand Everyone was looking up the hill Warden McKay turned on the truck’s big orange strobe lights and pulled far off the road to park He hopped out before Cricket could undo her seat belt He shook his head Promise me you’ll stay in the truck he said I can help Dad C’mon I’ll be in fourth grade in a few weeks Not this time I can’t be worried about you while I try to get these people back into their cars Cricket sighed As she sat in the truck a little black bear cub tumbled out of the bushes beside the road 4
He stood up and looked at the crowd of people Everyone please get back into your cars Warden McKay ordered trying to get the traffic unsnarled But the tourists kept snapping pictures On the other side of the road Cricket saw a large bush move A long black nose poked out Then a furry head with round ears It was the mother bear
No one noticed as the large black bear walked across the ditch toward the cars The bear spotted a boy leaning out of a car window He had something in his hand and was calling to her Hey bear want some lunch Don’t feed her Cricket yelled out of the truck window Roll up your window quick The boy looked at Cricket in surprise The bear stood up on her back legs She sniffed the air and opened her mouth wide The boy closed his window just in time The mother bear leaned on the car with her front paws and peered in at him She shook her head Then she dropped back to the ground and walked around the car to her cub Together they disappeared into the bushes 6
Cricket took a deep breath Good job Cricket her dad called giving her a thumbs-up Now everyone get moving Come on 7
