Posted in Bears of Blue River

Chapter 3 Lost in the Forest

PREPARING THE LESSON:

by Cicely Mary Barker

OLD FASHIONED BLACKBERRY PIE

Pastry for double crust pie 6 c. fresh or partially thawed frozen blackberries 2 tsp. lemon juice 1 to 1 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 c. all purpose flour 2 tbsp. butter 1 egg yolk 1/2 tsp. water Line a 9 inch pie plate with pastry as directed for double crust pie. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl combine blackberries and lemon juice; toss. In small bowl combine sugar and flour; sprinkle over blackberries and toss until well coated. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter. Top with remaining pastry. In small bowl combine egg yolk and water. Brush evenly over top of pie. Bake about 1 hour or until juice bubbles through slits nearest the center. If edge gets too brown, cover with foil. Cool on wire rack. Makes 8 servings.                     Source: Cooks Recipe Search

 

Traditional Folk Children's Games:

Ring a Ring o' Roses
This is a very old game. Join hands to make a circle and walk round singing:

Ring a ring o' Roses,
A pocketful of posies,
Atishoo! Atishoo!
We all fall down.

As the word down is sung, everyone drops down to the floor.

The story behind this game is a sad one. It is thought to have started at the time of the plague. The plague was a terrible disease that killed many people in the middle of the 17th century. The first sign of the plague was sneezing. To try and stop the plague from infecting them, people carried posies (bunches) of flowers. So this game is reenacting the people getting the plague. 

 

Wolf
One person is chosen as Wolf, who walks along pretending not to care that everyone else is following as close as they dare.

The others ask "What's the time Mr Wolf?"
The wolf doesn't look back but answers in a gruff voice "5 o'clock"

The others ask again and again, getting different times in answer, until when asked the time at last the Wolf shouts "Dinner time!" and turns around and chases and tries to catch one of the others. If someone is caught they become Mr Wolf.

 

Squat Where ye Be

Dirty Dog

Hide & Seek

 

VOCABULARY

pippin - a roundish apple variety

retaliate - to return wrong for wrong

settee - a seat for two or more persons, having a back and usually arms, and often upholstered

dissenting - to differ in opinion or feeling; disagree

 

COPYWORK

Her recollection of everything that had happened was confused and indistinct, but one little fact she remembered with a clearness that was very curious:  the bear, she said, had but one ear.

 

NARRATION

Balser's bear bite wound healed.  His brother had named the two bear cubs "Tom" & "Jerry" and they were soon becoming quite tame and full of mischief.  It was blackberry picking time and the boys along with the neighbor children went off to the forest to find berries.  They had a lunch of squirrel, berries and  Turkey eggs that Tom Fox found and had fried on a rock.  They had a wonderful afternoon picking berries and playing games until Liney (Tom's sister) was attacked by a bear and chased through the woods.  Balser tried very hard to defend her but in his struggle to get his gun he lost her and searched through the night for her.  By this time it was dark, so the other children went back to the house to get help.  They signaled for a search party to look for the two with a fire signal because they were concerned not only about bears and wild animals but Indians stealing the lost children.  Balser wandered through the night until he happened to see a shadow of an Indian carrying what he thought was his beloved Liney into a canoe at the rivers edge.  Balser shot at the Indian not knowing if he wounded him but heard a splash and he ran to the canoe to find that indeed Liney was unconcious in the boat.  He paddle her in the boat until they reached the banks of home and Balser could hear his dogs barking and looking for them.  Liney came to and survived to tell that the bear who attacked her had but only one ear and Balser swore to avenge this bear to one and all.      

 

FOR DISCUSSION

~ Balser had to make some quick decisions and never gave up in his search for Liney.  How do you think you would react in a similar situation?  Is "giving up" ever an option when it comes to people?  Aren't you glad God never gives up searching for His lost?  We should never stop trying either.