The ‘Not So Good” Bear?

Part I

The children left the house early.
The children were looking for the golden maple tree.

They walked down the path towards the river.
Collecting sticks and stones along the way.
They sang rhymes they learned in their cradles,
Filled with words they still could not understand.
Leaves shimmered in the shadows of a tall spruce.
They danced, like hungry butterflies searching for sweet nectar.

The children jumped around the large trunks,
The children were happy, as happy as they could be.

Excited toads before night swim in a lake.
Curious eyes watching beams of phosphorescent light
Cascading down from the canopy, over evergreen viridian bushes,
Before touching the autumn leaves that had fallen,
Painted in shades of yellow, orange and red,
A magical luminous carpet over the verdant forest floor.

The children heard mysterious sounds.
The children suspected it was something hiding.

Beyond coniferous trees,
They discovered a lilac river,
Its banks ornate with wild berries, covered forgotten trails.
They heard the gentle movement of the crystalline waters,
Brushing leaves and insects aside; making its way towards the sea.

The ‘Not So Good” Bear?

The children sang new rhymes.
The children sang songs they never heard before.

The night closed in, like a hunter after its prey
Bringing sounds, of nearly wakened creatures.
Suddenly, they found a clearing, bathed in silver light,
Stars falling above their heads, from the Prussian blue sky,
Stars fell on their tongues, covered in powdery sugar.
Tasted like grandma’s cookies of cinnamon and vanilla.

The children thought life tasted so good.
The children thought life was perfect, as perfect as it ever could.

Part II

A big cloud temporarily covered the moon, bringing darkness
But soon, it radiated light over the forest again,

Ahead of them, stood the magnificent golden maple tree,
Open extended arms, flickered the gold tinted leaves on the tip of its fingers.
It looked even more beautiful than they imagined.
So tall, that even when they turned their heads backwards,
They still could not see the top of this giant tree.
They lay down, looking towards the dark blue sky,
Embroidered with the stars’ lace which held the moon.

At the top of the tree,
The highest leaves shone against the mauve blue skylight.
Overwhelmed by this natural beauty, the splendour of what they saw;
The children slept dreaming of climbing the maple tree.

The ‘Not So Good” Bear?

They were woke by a warm breath, as sweet as the falling stars,
A grizzly brown bear wearing a friendly smile, stood above them
His large head haloed by the full moon,
Furry arms, large paws and long sharp claws at the end,
He embraced the children to protect them.

They moved their small bodies a little closer,
Not scared, but enchanted by their new friend.
They felt safe and warm; so they went back to sleep.

What happened next?
How does this story end?

Will the children be safe, or in a twist of fate,
Will the bear be the one that is in danger?

(To be continued.)