faces, one was mine and the other my uncle’s. My uncle was in the same wind breaker that draped
over my shoulders then. I raised my head and looked at the bear sitting across from me.
I got up and started to move towards the bear, and winced at the surging pain of my leg.
“You’ve met my uncle?” I asked it. I don’t know why but I was half hoping it would nod its head.
Instead, it let out a soft whimper, and averted its gaze from me. “Are you alright?” I asked and put
my arms around it. It returned my hug with a great big bear hug. I smiled in the warmth of its fur.
Suddenly, I saw a gleaming blue speck from the corner of my eye. It danced in the breeze like
a snowflake in winter. I squinted, curious about what it was. It was unlike anything I have ever
seen before. Just looking at it filled me with joy. Gracefully, the speck danced across the room,
and landed on the tip of the bear’s nose.
What happened next was even harder to describe. The bear started glowing in a blue magical
luminous glow. I had to back away from the magnificent blinding light. I turned to the wall. Once
I saw the light dimmed, I turned around.
In the place of the bear stood my uncle, youthful and strong. He smiled and held out his arms.
I embraced his hug. I was the happiest boy on earth.
Later, as we were walking under the blanket of stars, I learnt that my uncle was turned into
a bear by the spirit of the desert after he tried to harm one. He had been hungry and wanted to
catch something to eat. “Only by love for nature can the spell be lifted,” he told me. The hug I
gave him lifted the spell. “Thank you, nephew,” he said, “you have not only lifted the spell, you
put love in my heart as well. We must continue spreading the love for nature.”
We humans have harmed and destroyed the habitats of countless animals, for example, there
are only around 50 Gobi bears left on our planet. They deserve the right to live, and we have the
responsibility to help them. It is the least we can do for the planet that nurtured us.
