THE TRAPPER'S GREED

By Scott E. Power

Once upon a time, there were two boys who were very good friends. They had many common interests, especially camping. They loved to hike in the woods, set up camp, and spend the night under the stars. The sounds of the night were very alluring and mystifying to them; they really had a great appreciation for the wild in the wilderness. Growing up, they had participated in the Boy Scouts and learned much history and technique about camping, canoeing, survival and wilderness first aid. John's grandfather was even a trapper, third generation, and helped teach the boys about the woods and wildlife. He showed them how to live off the land and how to trap for pelts. He taught them everything he knew and they grew up always dreaming of a day when they could go to Grandfather's cabin in northern Canada and live for a winter and trap and learn what it was really like to live off the land and with the land.

Finally, it was high school graduation, and the first real chance the boys had to pursue their dream approached. Upon graduation, Grandfather promised that he would send them to the cabin for a winter to fulfill their dreams if they wanted. They immediately said, "Yes!"

The pre-trip planning went smoothly, time passed quickly, and before the boys knew it the departure date was imminent. These best of friends couldn't wait for the great adventure. It was their dream.

Most of their gear was food, clothing and books. Grandfather had the rest of the essentials already stored at the cabin. Traps, fur stretchers, knives, tools, fishing gear, tents, extra sleeping bags, some nonperishable food, all sorts of things. The friends were all set.

The night before the bush plane was going to fly them into the bush, one of the boys, Ricky, was talking with a local trapper and they discussed many aspects of the job, just like people with things in common do. When the subject of money came up the old trapper told Ricky that last season one marten pelt had sold for fifty to seventy dollars-and that the price was expected to stay high for the upcoming season. This news excited both John and Ricky. They didn't realize they could make so much money. It was exciting to think about and they determined to work together and do the best they could to make a lot of money to help offset the cost of their trip. If they could just get fifty pelts each, which was very likely, they would get seven thousand dollars. What a great thing! The friends were elated.

Once the boys got to the cabin in August, everything went well. It was very hard work to get the camp up and running, chopping firewood and planning trap lines and everything else that goes into preparing for a long, dark, northern winter.

Finally, the snows of November came and the boys could begin to set up their trap line. Before the trip they agreed to share the line and its maintenance since it was such a tough job, but as they started the line something weird began to happen. John began to act distant from Ricky, almost as if he wished he wasn't there. One night the truth emerged. John told his friend that he wasn't going to share the trap line anymore, that he didn't want to split the money either. He would move downstream and set up his own camp and trap line away from Ricky and his line.

Ricky couldn't believe his ears. This didn't sound like the best friend that he had come to know. John was acting greedy and Ricky was confused about why. He thought they were a team, a partnership, but suddenly John didn't want anything to do with his so-called friend. Ricky was hurt and did his best to convince John to reconsider, but John wouldn't hear it. He was to move downstream a few miles and live through the long, dark cold, winter nights without another person within a hundred miles, aside from Ricky.

At first Ricky hoped that John would get over it. "This is just a phase," he thought. But as the days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, John never recanted or even came to visit. Ricky tried again to reconcile things but John was adamant. He wanted to be left alone. So Ricky finally gave up and left John alone. Meanwhile, Ricky continued with his life and trap lines.

Finally, as spring approached, the trapping ended and each boy had accomplished his goals. Ricky had trapped in the wilderness, living off the land, just as he had always dreamed. His trapping was good, but not as good as John's. Ricky had gathered twenty-five pelts, but John caught sixty. John worked much harder than Ricky; he really wanted money and at seventy dollars each, sixty pelts would bring in more than four-thousand dollars. In his mind he was gonna be rich, because to him four thousand dollars seemed like a fortune. He was already counting the money and still didn't want to be friends with Ricky. Ricky was hurt, but had come to terms with John's rejection, and accepted it. They had both done the best they could, according to their own goals.

Grandfather arrived at the cabin excited to see how the boys were doing and how successful they had been at living off the land. Upon his arrival he noticed something was wrong. The boys seemed happy to see Grandfather but didn't' really seem very cordial to each other. Grandfather figured something had happened, maybe an argument. Finally, when it was appropriate, Grandfather asked his grandson John confidentially if there was anything wrong between them. John said, "No."

Not satisfied with the answer, Grandfather later asked Ricky if there was anything wrong. Ricky told Grandfather about what had happened. Ricky explained that John hadn't wanted to share the trap lines or the profits, and that they had lived apart for the last six months. He explained that he had tried to reconcile things but John wouldn't agree. Ricky told Grandfather how hurtful it was for him to lose his best friend over the greed for four-thousand dollars. Grandfather was very hurt that his own grandson had missed the point of teamwork, had become greedy, and had ruined a once-cherished friendship.

In John's mind, though, it was worth it. After all, he was going to get at least seventy bucks per pelt and wouldn't have to share it. Yes, he wouldn't have to share his profits. But what John didn't know was that the price had dropped harshly because there had been a big drop in demand. Grandfather explained the price had been readjusted while they were gone to about five bucks a pelt. John was crushed. He wasn't rich after all. He was a loser. He had let greed and three-hundred dollars destroy what had been a life-long friendship.


STORY OUTLINE

I. A life-long dream comes true for two boys when John's grandfather sends them to his cabin in the far north to trap and live off the land.

II. Fur prices are quite high, and John becomes greedy, telling his friend Ricky that he has decided to live and trap alone and not share his catch.

III. Ricky learns to enjoy the North as best he can, without the friendship of John.

IV. When John's grandfather comes in to bring the boys home, he notices that something is wrong and finally learns of John's greed.

V. He then tells John that the fur prices have dropped. John has lived alone all winter and lost his best friend over a mere three-hundred dollars.