The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain is a 1952 children’s chapter book by British American author Alice Dalgleish. Based on a Pennsylvania folk tale, The Bears on Hemlock Mountain won the Newbery Honor award in 1953. In the story, eight-year-old Jonathan must venture over Hemlock Mountain, a hill behind his farmhouse, to fetch an iron pot from his aunt’s house. Jonathan is filled with trepidation about the trip since he believes that there could be bears on Hemlock Mountain, even though everyone insists that there are not. As Jonathan walks, he tries to find courage by talking to himself and feeding the birds and squirrels. However, on his way home through the dark forest, Jonathan finds out that he was right—there really are bears on Hemlock Mountain. 

This guide refers to the Kindle edition of this book and uses chapter citations in lieu of individual page numbers.

Plot Summary

Jonathan is described as an eight-year-old boy who lives with his parents in a stone farmhouse at the foot of a wild hill, which the locals refer to as “Hemlock Mountain.” Jonathan has a large extended family who often come over for dinner. Young Uncle James is 14 years old and loves wildlife just like Jonathan does. James explains that Jonathan loves all his aunts and uncles but is particularly close with him. He reveals that he has seen a bear before, a long time ago, and Jonathan wants to see one too. Jonathan’s mother is preparing to feed many relatives and asks Jonathan to go fetch an iron pot from Aunt Emma’s house on the other side of the mountain. Jonathan agrees, but he is scared at the thought of encountering bears on the mountain. Promising to be back before dark, Jonathan heads up the mountain with snacks for himself and the wildlife.

Jonathan’s mother worries for him as she bakes cookies at home. Jonathan keeps up his courage by chanting to himself that there are no bears on the mountain, and he rests at the top and feeds the birds, squirrels, and rabbits. Jonathan descends down the other side of the mountain and notices that the snow is melting in the spring warmth. He hopes that if there are bears on the mountain, they do not wake up yet.

Jonathan arrives at his aunt’s house and accepts her offer of milk and cookies. Exhausted, Jonathan falls asleep in her rocking chair. After some time, he wakes up and realizes that he must get home before dark. He rushes off before remembering to go back and get the iron pot, which his aunt gladly lends him. Jonathan retraces his footsteps up the mountain as the sun sets. Soon, it is dark, and Jonathan is frightened. When he sees two large figures moving toward him, he digs into the snow and lays the huge pot over himself.

Jonathan hides under the pot while two bears sniff around him. He regrets taking so long on his journey and hopes that his parents are looking for him. He hears footsteps coming closer, and the bears leave. In the final chapter, Jonathan comes out from the pot and is relieved to see his father and uncles, who take him home. Jonathan tells his mother about the bears and proudly delivers the large iron pot.