December 18-23, 2000--Day 1: As Mark and Cherry stroll about the grounds at Lost Forest, Cherry hopes Mark plans to stay home for awhile. She wonders if he has a new assignment. Mark replies that he is going to a meeting for some outdoor friends later this week, but it's close by! Meanwhile a small boy wearing a light jacket speaks to a huge grizzly bear, saying that since his daddy died, Bruno is his best friend. The sort of take care of each other. The boy says, "I bet you miss not performing in the circus...I'm just glad you ended up here in the mountains with us!" (One might interpret the statement to mean that the bear was fired for not performing his circus stunts. But it's also possible that the bear, being European, has an imperfect grasp of English and that the boy is translating accurately. Philosophically, the statement is merely that the bear very likely misses not doing his job. The phrase "not performing" can also be read as an act of passivity or meditation. Readers are invited to shed some light on this problem.) Meanwhile, a man wearing a heavy coat, a scarf and a cowboy hat says that the hunting trip was a bummer. On top of that they are out of booze. His companion is guzzling from a whiskey bottle. Scarf Man grabs the bottle and guzzles as beads of sweat appear to emanate from him. The other hunter hates to see the trip wasted; he has an idea. Scarf Man hopes the great idea includes getting out of the cold. It does. The first man thinks he knows where they can get warm and get something to drink. He throws away the whiskey bottle and says there's a widow woman living on the mountain; she might invite them in. Foreground Porcupine watches with interest. Scarf Man says it "Sounds interesting." At the Widow Woman's house, they explain that they were hunting and are a little cold and hungry. The Widow Woman, who is young and attractive starts to say she can't help them, but the Non-Scarf Man tells her to "HOLD IT, LADY...you DON'T HAVE A CHOICE!" She shouts at the men to get out of her house. Non Scarf Man tells her to relax, all they want is a little whiskey and food. His hand drifts near the Widow Woman's abdomen. Her father appears and shouts at the man to get away from his daughter. Non Scarf Man shoves him and tells him to "GET OUT OF THE WAY, OLD MAN!" He tells Scarf Man that this is a classy place; he could learn to like it here. Scarf Man agrees that it's all right; they may find more than food and booze here. As the drunken hunters rifle through pots and bookshelves, the old man wields his cane and shouts at them to leave or he'll call the police. Non Scarf reminds him that there are no cops within 50 miles. He grabs the cane and orders the old man to sit down.
December 25-30--Day 1 to Day 3: Non Scarf doesn't want to hurt the old man, but he'll bust him one if he doesn't back off. The old man is sitting on the floor holding his head. The Widow Woman shouts, "TAD, BRING BRUNO IN HERE QUICKLY!" A huge grizzly bear charges through the door with Tad. Scarf Man shouts, "WHAT TH'?" as Non Scarf's jaw drops in amazement. The drunken hunters decide to get out of there. The widow woman thinks that Bruno sobered them up. Tad agrees. Mark attends the meeting of outdoor writers later in the week; it must now be at least Day 3 of this adventure. A man identified as Joe tells Mark about a possible story for his magazine--one which could tops his story about the pet cougar. Joe knows of a ten year old boy who has a pet grizzly which was once a trained European circus bear. The boy's father died last year, and the bear, the boy and his mother live in their mountain home. Mark says the story sounds interesting. He would like to check it out. Mark tells Cherry the story. Cherry says that there have been a lot of pet bears. Mark still thinks this one is special. Cherry allows that if the boy is attached to the bear as she was to the cougar, it will be interesting to learn what's going to happen to the bear. Mark calls Joe and tells him he has decided to check out the story. Joe says he will call Mrs. Parker and find out if she will let them come for a visit. Mark says he will see Joe next week.
January 1-6 Day 3 to Day 5: Several days later (Shall we say, Day 5?) Joe calls Mark. He has set up the meeting. Mark will be there tomorrow. On Day 6 he and Joe meet Mrs. Parker, the Widow Woman. She says that it is good to meet both of them. Mark appreciates her seeing them. Mrs. Parker introduces the men to her father, John Thomas. Mr. Thomas is familiar with Mark's work. It is a pleasure to meet him. The Widow Woman introduces her son, Tad and Bruno. Bruno's trainer and owner was her husband's brother. After his death they got permission to bring Bruno to the mountain. Tad adds that they made him a den to live in. Mark photographs Tad and Bruno and asks Mrs. Parker if she doesn't worry about Bruno being shot. She does, but she feels he must be free. Bruno does what he wants during the day, but always returns when Tad comes home from school. Bruno's head changes shape during the conversation. Meanwhile, not too far away, the Drunken Hunters shout for service in a diner. A angry looking woman named Hazel holds a toy poodle and wields a coffeepot, telling Buck (Non-Scarf Drunken Hunter) to take it easy...bums like him don't deserve good service. Buck, with several day's worth of stubble on his face, tells Hazel she ought to drown "that worthless mutt." The dog itself replies, saying, "Look who's talking!" The dog no longer resembles a poodle. Buck tells Hazel she should show a little respect since they are the best customers she has. The tiny poodle bares its fangs. Hazel says that's a joke. The Drunken Hunters only have money after they've stolen something. Meanwhile, the Widow Woman shows Mark a painting of Bruno. Her husband was working on it just before he died. Mark asks about Bruno's history. Bruno was born in captivity. His parents were circus performers, so he wouldn't know how to survive on his own. He and Tad are very attached.
January 8-13 Day 5 to Day 26: The Widow Woman knows that keeping a wild animal is dangerous, but they have had no problems so far. Mark says they are unpredictable. He knows how attached you can become; he recently had a pet cougar. Mark notes that Mrs. Parker has valuable paintings in her home. Her husband was a collector. Mark says he will not mention the location of the Parker home. Mrs. Parker appreciates that. Mark asks if he may mention the valuable art collection. Mrs. Parker sees no reason not to; most of the pictures will be in a museum some day. Mark thinks this would be very generous of Mrs. Parker. Mark tells Tad he will send him a copy of the magazine and proofs of the pictures he took. Tad hopes Mark will come back so that he can show him the tricks Bruno can do. A few weeks later (few must mean a minimum of three, so we are now at Day 26) copies of Woods And Wildlife featuring Marks story appear throughout the country. The Drunken Hunters appear at Hazel's cafe. Buck asks for some of the awful coffee Hazel makes. Hazel says, "Can't you bums go somewhere else?" Buck says Hazel shouldn't be reading on duty as he grabs a copy of Woods and Wildlife from her. Buck says it's no wonder the service is so slow. Hazel demands that he give it back, but Buck points out the cover photograph to Scarf Man (now wearing the scarf around his neck). Buck addresses Scarf Man as Amos. Amos recognizes the kid and the bear from the widow's house. Buck can't believe the grizzly was a pet and smiles as he says, "That widow woman sure pulled one on us!" Amos replies, "Yeah, that old bear scared me out of my wits!" Hazel notes that this wouldn't be hard to do. Buck tells his old buddy Amos that he has a great idea. Hazel and the little dog watch as Buck's hand shrinks. Amos asks what the great idea is. Buck says the pet bear might make them a bundle of money. Buck knows a man who rents animals to use in movies. Amos, a week's worth of stubble on his face, looks pensive and sober. Buck bets that the man would pay a pretty penny for a pet grizzly. Hazel, clearing dishes, appears alarmed.
January 15-20 Day 26 to Day 29: Amos wonders how they will capture an 800 pound grizzly and deliver it. Buck has it all figured out. They will use a tranquilizer gun and load him on the truck with a block and tackle. Amos admits Buck is a clever old bum. Buck agrees; if the plan works, they will be on a beach somewhere next week. Buck's friend at the zoo will loan him a tranquilizer gun for a few bucks, but first they need to go back to the mountains and check out the area. Later, Buck watches through binoculars and sees Tad get off the school bus and the bear going to meet him. If that is their regular schedule it will make the Drunken Hunters job easier. In the foreground, Tad tells Bruno he is lucky to have a friend like him. Buck says to Amos, "Come on, let's go get our tranquilizer gun!" After watching the bear for several days (Day 29), Buck and Amos return with a truck and a gun. Buck says they will tranquilize the bear before he meets the boy. Bruno approaches on schedule and Buck takes aim. He fires the dart which quickly takes effect. Bruno's shoulder grows huge as he staggers and collapses. The hunters use a block and tackle to load Bruno onto a truck (The truck has morphed immensely during the loading. As Bruno is loaded, the truck is large; the bed is at waist height and the box containing the steel cage has three sideboards. Minutes later, the truck is a pickup with two sideboards on the box.). It has gone easier than they thought it would. They leave the area as Tad arrives, wondering where Bruno is...he's always on time.
January 22-27 Day 29 to Day 30: Tad asks his mother if she has seen Bruno. She hasn't, but she tells Tad not to worry; he'll show up when he gets hungry. Tad says Bruno's never been this late; he's going out to look for him. Unknown to Tad and his mother, the pet grizzly has been drugged and taken miles away. Buck tells a man named Roger he can make a lot of money off Bruno. Roger asks where the bear came from. Buck tells him not to worry about that. The people who had the bear didn't want it any longer. Roger has had several calls for a grizzly; maybe he can make some money adding Bruno. If he's as tame as Buck says, Roger will give him $3000 for the bear and the cage. If he causes any trouble, Roger will be looking for the Drunken Hunters. Buck assures him that he made a good investment. Bruno wakes up after a long time and learns that he is caged. He cannot understand why he is confined. Meanwhile, Tad, wearing a glum expression talks to a rock, saying that something must have happened to Bruno. Back at the house, he asks his mother if they will ever see Bruno again. She doesn't know. As Mark Trail said, wild animals are unpredictable. Tad suggests they ask Mark for help. Mom guesses that he could give them some suggestions. Bruno misses his friends and freedom and lies listlessly in the steel cage wearing a sorrowful countenance. An unidentified man is worried about the grizzly, telling Roger he hasn't eaten since he arrived. Roger says he looks healthy...maybe the drug is still affecting him (Since Roger knows that Bruno, a tame bear, was drugged, he must suspect that the Drunken Hunters did something illegal. Roger's medium length sideburns display his weak moral nature.). Since Bruno has not eaten since arriving, yet the drug may not be completely worn off, we must deduce this to be at least Day 30.
January 29-February 3--Day 31 to Day 32: Roger's assistant tells Roger that the old bear still won't eat. We may assume that we are now at Day 31. The old bear is no good to Roger if they can't get him to move around. Roger tells the man to get the cattle prod; a shot of electricity may give him a little life. Meanwhile, the widow woman thanks Mark, who doesn't look much like his normal self, for coming. Bruno just disappeared, and she and Tad have no idea what happened to him. Mark hopes he can help; he'll have a look around. As Mark's right arm begins to shrink, he thanks the widow woman for her offer to stay in her home; Mark has already registered at a motel in town. He will start checking around the area tomorrow and tells Tad to try not to worry; hopefully they will find Bruno. Tad says, "Thank you, Mr. Trail!" As Mark leaves, looking rather grave, he says to himself, "I just hope the old grizzly wasn't killed by a hunter (Mark may be thinking of a recent case in Minnesota in which a black bear that had been befriended and tamed by a kindly man was shot and killed by hunters.)!" The next morning (Day 32) Mark has coffee at Hazel's restaurant and admires her little dog. He is called Tiger and is a lot of company for Hazel. She asks if Mark is from around here. As Tiger licks Mark, he says he will only be here for a short time; he is staying at the motel next door. Hazel thinks Tiger likes Mark. Hazel notes that Mark seems to like animals; does Mark have any pets of his own. Mark replies that he has a big dog that he's very close to. Mark knows how attached you can become to your pets. Mark says he'd better be on his way. He will probably see Hazel and Tiger again tomorrow. Hazel hopes that he will come back. The silhouettes of two men are seen outside the door approaching the restaurant. The silhouettes are, indeed, the Drunken Hunters, Buck and Amos. Buck grabs Tiger and suggests to Hazel that he "get rid of this ball of fur!" Amos pipes in, saying, "Yeah, we don't like hair in our coffee!" Buck grabs Tiger by his long ears and yanks him about, saying, "Look, Amos, this little mutt can dance!" Amos says that Tiger should be in show business. As Buck continues to mistreat the small dog, Mark stands up and shouts, very loudly, "HEY, YOU STOP THAT!" Hazel shouts, even more loudly, "STOP THAT...YOU'RE HURTING HIM!" Buck continues to hold the little dog by the ears, swinging him through the air. Mark appears to fall awkwardly towards Buck, but he unleashes a deadly right as Amos, watching the action, reaches for what appears to be a full whiskey bottle on the restaurant counter. As Buck falls to the floor, his hat still levitating, Mark crouches above him and Amos brandishes the whiskey bottle (Amos holds the bottle as though he is a confused 89 year old man..
February 5-10 Day 32 to Day 35: As Amos slowly aims the whiskey bottle at the back of Mark's head, Hazel shouts, very loudly, "LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!" Mark instantly whirls and punches Amos in the nose, sending bottle and hat flying. Hazel praises Mark, shouting, "Yeah, way to go (A rather modern, hip expression for our hero's strip!)! As Mark warily watches the two ruffians, Buck says, "I don't know who you are, Mister, but you're gonna be sorry you interfered! NO ONE messes with us without paying a price--you'll see!" Amos holds his sore head as the two leave, Buck carrying Amos's hat. Hazel thanks Mark for helping her little dog. Buck and Amos are nothing but trouble. Mark is glad that Tiger wasn't hurt. Hazel says that was a nice thing Mark did, rescuing her dog from those bums. She asks Mark's name. He tells her, adding that he's just here for a few days. Hazel recognizes the name. She read the magazine article about the pet bear. Mark says that's why he's here. The bear has disappeared and the owners are worried. Hazel can tell Mark about that bear. She overheard Buck and Amos talking about the bear. Mark asks for more information. Hazel says it sounded as if they were planning to capture the bear and sell it. Mark asks where he can find this Buck and Amos. Hazel says, "They hang out at the whiskey store down the street...maybe someone there knows where they live!" At the Whiskey Store Mark looks down at a man who appears to be about 3 feet tall, surrounded by huge bottles of whiskey. The man knows Buck and Amos, but warns that they aren't the most trustworthy characters in the area. They live in a shack in the canyon north of the Whiskey Store. The man adds that the traveling in that area is rough. Mark will need a horse. Meanwhile, Roger's friend says, "We can't waste any more money on that old bear, Roger...he still won't eat...he seems to want to die!" Roger will try to get rid of him before he does. He calls a man named Joe and suggests that he has a tame grizzly that will be a good attraction at Joe's small roadside zoo. A few days later (Day 35), a man with long hair and a scruffy beard watches as Bruno is again tranquilized and moved. As a short bald man watches, a man wearing a red bandana over his longish hair pokes a stick at Bruno and says, "Come on, old bear, don't just lie there...give me a big growl so I can get a good picture."
February 12-17--Day 35: Bruno is often taunted by sightseers at the small roadside zoo. Meanwhile, Mark tells the Widow Woman that Bruno is probably still alive; he was tranquilized and sold to an animal dealer. Mark has some leads as to who stole him and hopes to find Bruno. Tad is glad Bruno is alive. (Just what Mark Trail has been doing these past three days is unclear. On Day 32, the tiny whiskey salesman told Mark where to find Buck and Amos, but Mark hasn't yet gone to find them as of Day 35. Apparently, Mark took three days to relax in the small mountain town.) Tad asks if he can go with Mark. He used to ride in the North Canyon area with his dad. Mark thanks Tad, patting him on the shoulder, but since these are apparently bad men who took Bruno, Mark had better go alone. As Mark rides a horse into the North Canyon, a guard at the Roadside Zoo takes away a stick from a scruffy looking man with a camera who is wearing a bandana. It appears to be the same man who was poking sticks at Bruno several days earlier, hoping to get a good picture. The guard tells the man to stop it and to go somewhere else to get his kicks. The guard then tells a man resembling Saddam Hussein that the grizzly has been taunted so much that he's getting mean. Saddam does not want a lawsuit on his hands. If the bear gets out of hand, they will have to destroy him. In the North Canyon, Mark spots the only building in the area; it must be where Buck and Amos live. Mark will leave his horse hidden and try to see if they are inside. One of Buck and Amos's horses is spooked and neighs. Inside the shack, Amos and Buck are sitting at a table with two empty plates and a bottle of whiskey. Both of the drunken hunters are wearing their cowboy hats. Amos says, "Something's disturbing the horses!" An almost unrecognizable Buck replies, "Yeah, we'd better check it out!" Mark thinks Buck and Amos are in the shack. Maybe he can get close enough to look in the window. Amos strolls up behind Mark, holding a rifle, and says, "We don't like snoops around here, mister...put up your hands!" He shows Buck what he found and asks if Buck remembers him. Buck does. He suggests that Amos tie Mark up; they can have some fun. When Mark is tied up to a chair, Buck asks him WHY he is here. Mark says he wants to know WHO Buck sold the bear to. Buck says, "So that's it...hey, your picture was in that magazine...YOU wrote that article about the bear and the widow woman! We OWE this guy, Amos...we made a bundle off that old bear, and thanks to that story...we also learned that the paintings in the widow woman's house are worth a lot of money (Buck has uttered the longest run-on sentence in recent memory)!
February 19-24--Day 35: Buck tells Mark that even though the fine-looking widow woman wasn't too nice to them, they're going to give her a second chance. Buck continues to speak freely, saying, "That article you wrote said that those pretty pictures she has in her home was worth a lot of money...we're going to go back there and relieve her of those fancy pictures and there is no bear to stop us!" Mark looks uncomfortable, but says nothing (After Buck's verbosity, there is no room on the panels for further dialogue). Buck asks Amos what to do with Mark while they go get the Widow Woman's pictures. Amos says to leave him there. If things don't work out, they can squeeze Mark for some money. Buck replies, "Yeah, but before we leave--this is one I owe you!" He then delivers a terrific right to Mark's jaw. The Widow Woman comes into her house and asks her father where Tad is riding to on his horse. Her father holds up a mug of coffee and says that Tad went to the North Canyon...he couldn't stop him. The Widow Woman calls the sheriff and says she thinks she needs his help. The sheriff will be there as soon as he can. Meanwhile, a man resembling the Maytag Repairman holds up a shop broom as Bruno reaches a paw through his cage and knocks his repairman's cap off. The sheriff arrives at the Parker residence. The Widow Woman thanks him for coming and tells him that her son Tad and a man named Mark Trail may be in trouble. They went into the North Canyon looking for two men who may be very dangerous. The sheriff will send some men to the area to check it out. Meanwhile, the Maytag Repairman, minus hat and looking much thinner, tells Saddam Hussein that the grizzly nearly killed him. He will not be getting close to that cage again. The Repairman thinks it's time Saddam thought about getting rid of him. Saddam says nothing. The Repairman notes that the bear was quiet when they acquired him, but people have picked on him too much; if he hurts anyone, he and Saddam could be in trouble. Saddam says that he would have been a good addition to the zoo, but he guesses they have no choice. He tells the Repairman to call the vet and have him put down. Meanwhile, Foreground Female Cooper's Hawk (Bill Lovelace correctly points out that this could be a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. Cooper's and Sharp-Shinned are very similar in appearance. In size, the Cooper's is somewhat larger, however in both species the female is quite a lot larger than the male. The hawk loomed large in the panel, so I deemed it a female Cooper's!) watches as the Drunken Hunters advance toward the Widow Woman's house. Buck says, "The Widow Lady is going to be surprised to see us again...maybe this time she'll be more friendly!" Tad Parker has followed Mark into the North Canyon. He spots the horse Mark was riding. Looking into the Drunken Hunters' shack he says to himself, "That's Mark...and he's TIED UP!" He enters the shack and asks Mark what's going on. Mark replies, "Tad, thank heaven you showed up...we've got to get back to your house as soon as we can! I'll explain later!"
February 26-March3--Day 35: As the Drunken Hunters approach the Widow Woman's house on horseback, Buck notes that the car is gone; this might be easier than they thought. In the house, Buck pulls a knife and prepares to slash a painting from its frame. Amos says, "Uh-oh...I think we have a problem." Beth's father, wielding a rifle says, "You sure have...GET YOUR HANDS UP!" Buck tells the old man to put the gun down; he's not going to shoot. The old man replies, "Don't count on it!" He adds that his daughter will be back shortly with the sheriff and tells the two to sit. (When last seen, the Sheriff was right there at the Parker residence with a deputy. He told Beth he would send some men out to the North Canyon to look for Buck and Amos. Beth's car is missing. Exactly where Beth, the Sheriff and the Deputy have gone is a mystery to this scribe.)After holding a rifle on the thieves for an hour, Amos whispers to Buck that the old man is getting drowsy. Amos thinks they can take him. Buck begins to edge towards the old man. At that moment, Mark Trail bursts through the door, shouting, "MR. PARKER, LOOK OUT!" The old man revives and tells Buck to not even think about it. He then thanks Mark, adding that he was getting a little drowsy. An angry Mark arranges his right hand into a unique contortion (The fingers are bent not at the knuckle but at the first joint of the fingers.) as he grabs Buck by the lapel with his left. Mark says, "Okay, Buck, WHERE IS THE BEAR?" Buck holds up a hand but does not seem intimidated. Mark grabs Buck by the shoulders with both hands. Buck's hat flies off and he says, "OKAY, OKAY, I'll tell you where the bear is." Buck heard that the man they sold Bruno to sold him to a small zoo in Maysville. Beth and the Sheriff return from their adventure. Beth asks Tad if he is all right. Tad is ok and asks if they can go get Bruno. Beth says they will go right now. She asks Mark to accompany them. Mark would like to see how the old boy is doing. Meanwhile, the man who resembles Saddam says to a veterinarian, "It's hard to believe that the old bear was once a pet! He's sure out of control now." Foreground Bruno bares his fangs. The vet hates putting an animal down, but if Saddam is sure that's what he wants, he'll do it. Saddam is losing a lot of money by killing him, but he can't afford any lawsuits. Meanwhile, Mark drives Beth and Tad to the small roadside zoo. Tad bets Bruno will be glad to see them. Beth hopes he's been treated good (Mark must be driving a very large vehicle if he expects to give an 800 pound grizzly a ride home.).
March 5-10--Day 35: The veterinarian says he will use a dart filled with a chemical to kill the old bear without pain. The man resembling Saddam begins to resemble Stalin. He says, "Good, I don't want it to suffer!" Stalin hates to see any animal destroyed, but he cannot afford having a rogue bear terrify the visitors. As soon as the bear is dead, Stalin will have a crew move him out of the cage and bury him. The vet aims the dart gun at Bruno, saying, "I hate to do this, old fellow, but..." Tad runs up, hurdles a chain link fence and rushes to Bruno's cage, shouting, "BRUNO!" The veterinarian says, "NO, KID, GET BACK...THAT OLD BEAR WILL TEAR YOU APART!" The man who resembles Stalin and Saddam says, "WHAT'S GOING ON?" Tad shouts, "THAT'S MY BEAR...PLEASE TURN HIM LOOSE!" Mark and Beth lean on the chain link fence, observing. Tad adds that Bruno is his best friend and doesn't need to be caged. The zoo owner tells Beth to keep her son back; the bear is dangerous. Beth doesn't think so...Bruno is a pet. Tad tries to approach Bruno, but is restrained by the veterinarian. The zoo owner tells Beth that the bear is not as tame as he was; people have been taunting him and...Tad chooses this moment to rush the cage, shouting that he will show that Bruno isn't mean. Someone shouts loudly, "WAIT!" The vet shouts, "KID, WAIT!" Tad tells Bruno who he is and crawls quickly into the cage, hugging the delighted Bruno. Saddam scratches his head. He can't believe this. Mark drives Beth, Tad and Bruno back to their home in the extra-large SUV (Mark and Beth have at least two feet of headroom. Tad sits in the second row of seats and the 800 pound Bruno has all kinds of room in the third row. No one, including Bruno, is wearing a seat belt.) . Tad says that Bruno is sure glad to get out of that steel cage. Bruno is appreciating the cool breeze through the window. Beth, the Widow Woman is very grateful to Mark. Mark is glad everything worked out. He had better get back to Lost Forest. Bruno seems to give Mark a bucolic grin. "Goodbye and good luck!" says Mark as he waves and drives off, not wearing his seat belt. The Widow Woman says, "Thanks again, Mark!"
March 12--Day 35: Back at Lost Forest, as everyone has dinner except for an adoring Andy, Doc says it sounds like the pet bear is lucky to be alive. Mark agrees, adding that the vet was getting ready to destroy him when they arrived. Cherry, sans the pseudo-sideburns says, "Wow, that was close!" As Foreground Doe looks at the log home, Mark says that the bear went from being gentle to very belligerent, due to being caged. Someone else's voice emanates from the cabin saying, "I'm just glad he's back with his friends!" In a closeup, a gaunt Cherry says, "Yes, I like to hear about happy endings! (Although she appears to have eaten everything on her dinner plate, to judge from the bony contours of her face, Cherry has lost a considerable amount of weight. This scribe hopes she hasn't developed an eating disorder such as bulimia, a serious medical condition.)