The Dark Past of the Polar Bear

THE SUN RISES above the Arctic Ocean, spreading a fiery glow over the pale ice. Across the frozen sea, a white bear lumbers.

- Rebecca E . Hirsch

The bear pauses and sways his head from side to side. There is nothing to see but endless ice and blushing sky. He sniffs. His powerful nose senses what his eyes cannot: a beluga whale is nearby.

The bear follows the scent and spots a large hole in the ice where a small white whale is swimming. He silently creeps toward the hole, then stops, standing motionless. The whale does not see the bear, whose white fur makes him appear invisible against the ice.

Finally, the whale swims close to where the bear is waiting. With terrifying speed, the bear comes to life and lunges. In a moment it is over, and the bear eats his first meal in nearly a week.