The Honey Bear
by Rolli
I like most bears. But NOT the one that gives me licks!
When I go outside, he jumps up and gives me licks. My hair sticks straight up. I HATE that.
He’s a tall, brown bear. He has gold spots. He’s sort of fat.
Now, I have to look out the window to see if he’s there. If he is, I just work on my drawings or my submarine. If he isn’t, I open the door. I take one step. I take one more step. If it looks safe, I start walking. I’ll either have a normal day or that bear will jump out from behind a bush or a tree and lick me all over.
“Ugh!” I’ll say, when he does this. “You, sicko! Gross!” And I’ll run back inside.
Once he was laying down flat like the living room carpet, and when I stepped on him, he bounced up and gave me licks.
“Ugh!” I said. “That’s disgusting, you know?” And I ran back inside and had a bath.
Last week I forgot to check, and I just ran outside. I was working hard on my drawings, and I wasn’t thinking! The bear was standing on the front porch. I ran straight into his arms! He gave me a bear hug and licked my face till it was soaking wet.
That was it. I decided I was FED UP.
“Ugh!” I said. “How would you like it if I did that to you? Hey? Would you like it if I gave YOU licks, bear? Huh?”
The bear just stared at me. I don’t think he understood. Bears don’t always understand. I needed to show him. So….
I gave him a lick.
The bear looked surprised.
I gave him another lick.
The bear looked shocked.
“Mmm,” I said. “Delicious!”
It was true. He really was delicious, this bear. He tasted exactly like honey, like you put on bread. Maybe he was a Honey Bear. I decided he was.
I licked the Honey Bear again. And again. I gave that bear so many licks, his furs all stuck out like on a cat! It looked hilarious. I think he felt embarrassed. Cuz he ran off.
I still see that Honey Bear sometimes. Only he doesn’t give me licks now. Sometimes we even play, if there’s no other bears around. We play tag, because I’m faster. Maybe we’ll even be friends one day.
Maybe.
I’ve gotta go work on my submarine.
Question Time
1. What happened to the boy’s hair when the bear licked him?
2. What did the bear look like?
3. What did the bear taste like?
4. What game do the boy and the bear sometimes play?