The Big Bad Bear

"You can play wherever you like in the woods," said Mrs. Bear to her twins, "but whatever you do, don't disturb the Big Bad Bear!"

So Lily and Buttons went off to the woods and at first, they were just a little bit frightened. They tiptoed very quietly through the trees. Was that a grumbling, growly sound in the distance? Was that a snorting, snoring sound nearby?

"What is a Big Bad Bear like?" whispered Buttons to his sister.

"Well, he's big and ... he's bad ... and he's ... a kind of bear," said Lily slowly. "And I think I see him over there! Run!"

But, when they had finished running, she thought that perhaps she had only seen a bear-shaped bush after all.

The two little bears stood still and listened. Was that chewing, chomping noise they heard?

"What do Big Bad Bears eat?" asked Lily quietly.

"Oh ... berries ...and nuts ... and insects ... and ... little bears," said Buttons. "And I think I can hear him coming! Run!"

But when they had finished running, he thought that perhaps it had only been the wind in the branches he had heard after all.

The two little bears tried to play a game but it was hard to concentrate. Was that a bear's foot poking out from behind a tree? Was that a bear's furry face watching between the leaves?

"What does a Big Bad Bear look like?" asked Buttons, looking around rather nervously.

"He is very, very, very tall ... and he has very very very big teeth ... and he has very, very, very long claws," said Lily. "And I think I see him behind that tree! Run!"

But when they had finished running, she thought that perhaps it was only a bird's nest in the branches after all.

Lily and Buttons thought about playing hide and seek. But that would mean being alone. They thought about singing songs. But you-know-who might hear. They wondered if they should start a leaf collection. But if you bend over to pick up a leaf, you just might not see something that's big and bad and bearlike creeping up behind. So in the end they wandered around and didn't do very much at all.

All of a sudden, Buttons had a very scary thought. He remembered something that he'd heard someone says in a movie once. It seemed horribly true.

"Lily," said Buttons. "I don't like it. It's too quiet out there."

Lily listened. The birds weren't singing. The leaves weren't rustling. There were no scampering, scuttling noises at all.

"I don't like it either," She said. "And I think I can see someone coming this way! Run!"

The two little bears ran until they were gasping for breath and could hardly see where they were going. Then ... crash! ... they fell over something lying on the ground and landed in a heap under a tree.

Lily peeped out from between her paws and screamed, "Aaaagh!"

Buttons peered around a tree trunk and yelled, "Aaaaagh!"

And the Big Bad Bear looked at them both and shouted, "Aaaaagh!"

Then they all looked at each other in surprise.

"You're not very big and you don't look very bad," said Lily to the Big Bad Bear.

I'm not!" said the little bear indignantly. "That's just my name."

"Then it's a very silly name," said Lily. "Names should be just like the bears they belong to."

The Big Bad Bear gave a big smile. "You're right," he said, "Let's play. But first, tell me what your names are..."