Bear Hug

“Oh, it’s Monday again,” I thought and reluctantly crawled out of my bed when mom shouted for the third time for me to get up.

Sunday had been such fun ! I had roamed the nearby jungle with Bambi and a group of brown bunnies.

In the evening I tiptoed to my room. Luckily mom didn’t ask me as she had a lot of guests. But what now ? Even my homework wasn’t done.

I got ready for the school and was coining imaginary excuses to save myself from the punishment.

“Why not skip school ?” “ But how?”

Papa accompanied me to bus stop. I had to board the bus.

At the next stop,when the driver was busy with other children I sneaked down the bus .

“Wow!” I thought to myself ,” now I have the whole day to myself and no worry about the homework.” I decided to roam the jungle.

Hopping and jumping, humming my favourite tune, talking to my jungle friends ,I moved to my favourite place in the jungle. A brown bunny gave me a broad smile but he was in a hurry . He was going to old McDonald’s farm to have a feast of fresh carrots.

I couldn’t spot my friend Bambi anywhere.

In my excitement I forgot the way .Jungles generally look same at every place. Bambi wasn’t there to guide me. I decided to rest for some time.

As I was making myself comfortable on a stone, my eyes fell on a beautiful cottage. “ Come on Sarita, there must be some friends living here . Maybe three little pigs .” I decided to have a look.

The door knocker had a beautiful bear cub carved on it. Nobody answered when I knocked. The door was ajar. I decided to go in.

“What a cosy room it is,” I thought. There on the table lay three bowls of porridge.

”What an inviting aroma ! “ My mouth watered.

Hungry as I was, I decided to finish off the biggest bowl . But it was so hot that it scalded my tongue.” Uff ,I will try the second one,” I decided but it didn’t have sugar. Then I tasted the third. It was so delicious,with dollops of honey in it that I slurped away the whole of it.

Quite satisfied with myself I entered the second room and decided to relax with a story book. There were three chairs . I sat on the dainty looking smallest chair. It was so delicate that it broke in no time.

“What to do now ?” I sauntered into the third room. It had three beds . I tried to climb up the biggest bed . It was too hard. Middle one was too soft . And the little one just perfect . “ What a bliss! “ I was asleep in no time.

I dreamt of running after birds, butterflies and beetles . I was talking to a parrot when I heard someone growling. I woke up with a start.

It was the sound of bears. A bear cub crying loudly that someone had eaten his porridge, mama bear consoling him. She promised to prepare some more for him.Loudest was the growing of papa bear.Now I knew where I was.

Papa bear was furious. He sniffed and tried to find the intruder. Then he saw the broken chair and that the bedroom that was a mess. “ Look there is someone in my bed,” cried baby bear . I got up quickly to jump out of the window but papa bear caught me.

“Please don’t kill me ,” I pleaded ,” My mom will miss me.”

“ Is she Goldilocks? I have heard that she is the one who steals food and honey from the bear houses,” papa bear asked.

“Oh, papa,” baby bear scoffed at his father’s ignorance.” Look at her hair. Do they look like golden curls ? These are as rough and black as ours . How can she be Goldilocks? Doesn’t she look almost like my sister?”

That melted him a bit . He looked at me again. Even mama bear intervened. He spared my life.

We made a deal . I offered pizza and sandwiches that mom had packed in my lunch box. All the three came to drop me at the outskirts of the jungle.

They gave me a warm bear- hug. We promised to meet often.

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