When summer arrives in the mountains, so do the mosquitoes. They come in hordes, flying around the rivers and lakes and torment all the animals.

Mitch, a young moose, was grazing in the pasture, enjoying the summer sun and gentle breeze when he heard the oh too familiar buzzing. “Mosquitoes,” he mumbled. He looked around for a place to hide from them, but there was nothing but grass and wildflowers. The bugs attacked him, biting him on the ears, tail, legs and body. Mitch kicked and ran around, but the mosquitoes stayed with him.

Bruce, a bear cub, woke up from his nap and went to the cave entrance. He yawned and stretched and thought about going to find some berries. He heard the buzzing. “Oh no!” Before he could run back into the cave, the mosquitoes found him and bit him all over, even on the bottoms of his feet. Bruce ran around the woods scratching himself and trying to flee from the nasty bugs.

Donna pranced through the woods, enjoying the freedom of being a young deer. She frolicked and romped from one flower to another, enjoying the pleasant aromas. When she heard the buzzing noise, she gulped. “Yikes! It's the mosquitoes.” She ran and hid behind an aspen tree. Its leaves shimmered in the breeze. “Ouch, ouch, ouch.” the mosquitoes attacked, nibbling at her body. She danced around the woods, trying her hardest to shake them off, but they clung to her furry coat and nothing she did got rid of them.

Erica, an eaglet, flew around the top of the mountains. She looked down on the lake. When she saw a fish she dove down with talons out, ready to grab the fish out of the water. That's when the mosquitoes attacked. They bit her tail, her wings and her head. She flew away without the fish, but the mosquitoes held on to the glossy brown feathers and didn't let go.

It lasted all summer long. All the animals were fed up being bitten and they itched too.

One morning a cool wind roared through the mountains and valleys. Mitch smiled. “Summer is over.” He ran into the pasture and grazed on the tender grasses. No mosquitoes bit him and he didn't hear one buzz.

Bruce ran out of his cave. He sniffed the air and listened. “No mosquitoes!” He ran off to find some berries and honey.

Donna ran through the aspens. It was quiet and chilly. “No mosquitoes! They're gone!” She rushed off to find some tall grasses and wild rye.

Erica flew above the lake. She dove down to catch a fish and flew off with one in her talons. “I love autumn. No mosquitoes!”

That afternoon they all met in the woods and sat together under an oak tree's branch. Within minutes they were fast asleep and not one of them had an itch to scratch.