I Was A Bear for A Day

 

Words in RED are the personalized words

 

 

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“I Was A Bear For A Day”

was created especially for

Andrew Ryan Bower

at the age of 6

With Love From,

Grandmom

December 25, 2002

Page 4

Andrew Ryan Bower just loves to go camping! Tonight, he will be with his favorite camping partner, Dad.

Andrew was so excited when Dad helped him set up the tent in his backyard in Austin, Texas. They made lots of sandwiches and picked out fruit and cookies to eat later.

“Camping in the backyard isn’t a pretend campout when you have a tent and you sleep overnight, is it?” Andrew asked. “No,” agreed Ryan and Tom who helped Andrew and Dad.

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The next thing Andrew and Dad did was to get out all their camping gear. They placed the sleeping bags in the tent and checked their flashlights. Their canteens were filled with fresh water.

Andrew and Dad took turns with Ryan and Tom looking through the new Bass Pro Shops catalog that had just arrived in the mail. It was fun selecting all the things they could take on their next big campout in the deep woods. New backpacks, a camp stove, hiking boots, and even a red canoe were chosen.

Page 8

Afterwards, Andrew and Dad stretched out in front of the tent with Ryan and Tom to eat their sandwiches and fruit. They watched the sky turn yellow, red and orange as the sun set. Soon it was time for Ryan and Tom to go home. “Come back for breakfast,” Andrew said.

It got very dark. Andrew turned on his flashlight. Even though Dad was with him, Andrew thought it was scary being outside at night. He really wasn’t sleepy, so they went into the tent and sat on their sleeping bags to play a game.

Page 11

When the game was finished, they were hungry again. Andrew and Dad ate cookies and talked. “What do you think it would be like to live outside in the dark woods, like a bear?” Andrew asked.

“The woods are home to the bears, just like we have our homes here in Austin, Texas,” Dad explained. Dad told Andrew about the homes and eating habits of other animals.

Andrew laughed when they talked about the different foods humans eat and whether a bear would like all of them. Andrew decided he was not afraid to be outside in the dark anymore.

Page 12

Andrew didn’t remember falling asleep, but when he opened his eyes, something was very different! It was now morning and everything had changed. The tent was missing and all the camping gear was gone!

Andrew and Dad were in the middle of a forest, next to a river. They were bears! “This is even better than a campout,” Andrew said. “Now the forest can be our home.”

Page 15

“If this is our home, where should we wash up?” Andrew asked. “I suppose we could use the river,” Dad replied.

They were smiling as they walked to the river. “Remember, feet first, first time,” they yelled. They counted to three together and jumped in safely.

After swimming and splashing around, they looked at themselves and thought they were clean. However, the water felt so good, they decided to swim a little bit longer.

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While in the water, they noticed that the banks on either side of the river looked rather empty. “We could certainly use some more furniture in our home,” Andrew laughed.

“You’re right,” Dad said. “We should get people to come and plant trees because bears can’t.”

Andrew knew that the trees make fresh air, protect the river banks and provide homes to birds and other animals. A tree-planting party would be fun and also help everyone.

Page 19

After their swim, Andrew asked, “Where are we going to find our breakfast?” He was one hungry camper!

Dad answered, “Right here in the river. Bears scoop fish out of the water and eat them. Have you seen pictures in books of bears fishing!”

The two used their paws to swipe at fish that swam by them. They only took one trout each, so lots of fish would be left in the river.

Page 20

“How are we going to build a fire?” Andrew asked. “Bears don’t cook fish. We eat it raw,” Dad chuckled.

At first they took little bites. It tasted good to their bear tongues and felt good in their hungry bear bellies.

Andrew and Dad ate breakfast, and talked about campfires. “Humans need to be careful with fires, so they don’t burn down the woods,” Dad told Andrew.

Page 23

After breakfast, Andrew saw a log floating down the river. “Come on,” he said to Dad. “This can be a canoe for us.” They grabbed the log and started to float downstream.

“This is a lot of fun!” Andrew exclaimed. “I like being a bear. I enjoy the swimming, fishing and floating.”

Dad replied, “If we were people in a real canoe, we would need to wear life jackets. Always remember this safety rule.”

Page 24

When they had floated long enough, Andrew and Dad let go of the log and swam to shore. Then they began to explore everything in the woods. Andrew saw birds eating berries and squirrels playing in the trees.

He saw busy bees buzzing around flowers and a big, sleepy snake sunning on a rock. All of these birds, animals and reptiles were his neighbors. Andrew and Dad were careful not to bother them.

Page 27

“We don’t have to worry about getting lost in the woods because we’re bears,” Andrew said. “That’s right,” Dad agreed, “but it is still a good idea to have a compass and a map when we go hiking.”

Andrew and Dad talked about the other things they would need on future hiking trips. “We should take a first aid kit with ointment and bandages. It might also be easier if we had fishing rods and reels,” Andrew laughed.

Page 28

Andrew and Dad were enjoying all the sights and sounds of nature. “This is a great place to live,” they agreed.

Then they walked to a spot where some people had camped. Cans, bottles and papers were on the ground. Litter makes all the animals that live in the woods sad.

“This is just like throwing trash in somebody’s living room,” Andrew said. “I’m glad we brought a garbage bag! We can take this to the recycling center when we get home.”

Page 31

As Andrew started to pick up the litter, he heard someone calling his name. “Andrew! Andrew! Wake up, Andrew,” the voice said.

Andrew opened his eyes. He saw Ryan and Tom through the tent opening.

Outside the tent, he could hear Dad. “Andrew, get up! Your pancakes are almost ready.”

Page 32

Andrew realized he had been dreaming about being a bear! He was so glad that breakfast would be pancakes instead of raw fish.

Andrew rushed outside to talk to Ryan and Tom. “Do you think you can camp with us next weekend?” he asked.

“I sure hope so,” Ryan and Tom answered. “I know you’re ready to be out in the deep woods and enjoy all the plants and animals!” Andrew said.

Page 35

During breakfast, they excitedly planned their next camping trip. “We’ll have to be very careful when we build a fire,” Andrew said. “Also, maybe we can plant some trees while we are out there.”

Andrew continued, “We should remember to bring some trash bags to pick up any litter that we find.” It surprised Ryan and Tom to see that Andrew knew so much about camping.

Page 36

Dad smiled at Andrew and said, “I’m glad you know it is important to take care of nature. If everybody helps, we can make a big difference.”

Andrew was pleased that Dad thought he would be a good camper. He wanted to be the kind of camper that bears would invite to their homes.

Andrew Ryan Bower knew how much fun it was to be a bear for a day. Everyone should try it at least one time!