Big Bear began life as a playful a cub, living with his mother in a beautiful northern forest. His mother taught him how to hunt for food. He ate grubs from under logs, acorns, and ripe berries. She taught him how to fish in the clear, cold streams that ran through the woods near their cave. Then one fateful day his mother was captured by people from a zoo in the big city. She was taken away, never to be seen again. The cub struggled to feed himself. One day he wandered down the mountain looking for food and saw a little Indian girl feeding leftover food from her village to the crows. The little girl saw Big Bear and was frightened. She tried to run away, but she had a disabled foot. Big Bear quickly caught up with her when she fell, and he licked her face. The little girl, who had few friends herself, felt pity for Big Bear. They needed each other. Soon they became great friends. The little Indian girl brought food for him every day.