Chapter 1_ How Budding BearGot His Leaf

CHAPTER 1: HOW BUDDING
BEAR GOT HIS LEAF

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One cold, cold winter night the little polar
bear Budding Bear and his sister Blossom
were born. It was just after Christmas in
the long winter of Manitoba in Canada.

Their Mother Nanuk nursed her cubs very
carefully. Sometimes she would have to
leave them snuggled up in their ice cave
while she went out to look for food.

They couldn’t leave their snow cave as it
wasn’t safe alone and Nanuk would not
take them out until April when the sea ice
was back.

CHAPTER 1: HOW BUDDING BEARGOT HIS LEAF

Budding Bear and Blossom loved to
chase each other and to play tag
while they waited for Nanuk to
return. Their home was warm and
safe and they could hear the icy
wind howl at the entrance.

Budding Bear was a very curious
bear. He wanted to know what was
outside. Where did the strange
howling noise come from, what was
wind, where did Nanuk go to find
food and why was she damp and
cold when she returned?

CHAPTER 1: HOW BUDDING BEARGOT HIS LEAF

Each day the cubs grew bigger on their Mother’s milk and Budding Bear
grew stronger and more curious. Their Mother warned them of the
dangers that lay outside the snow cave and told them to stay safe and
hidden while she went out.

Blossom just wanted to play and sleep but Budding Bear kept inching
closer and closer to the entrance of the snow cave. He just wanted to take
a little peep outside. Surely one little peep couldn’t hurt?

CHAPTER 1: HOW BUDDING BEARGOT HIS LEAF

He would run inside if anything frightened him and
he wouldn’t actually leave the cave by just looking.

He waited until his sister Blossom was fast asleep,
curled up like a fluffy ball. Nanuk had left them
hours ago to go hunting for food. It would be a
long time before she returned.

Slowly but surely he made his way to the entrance.
His nose twitched with the unaccustomed
temperature. It was so cold! The wind called to
him, howling and singing at the cave entrance. He
could smell the trail of his Mother on the way up
and felt safe in the knowledge that she would
return to fill his belly with her warm milk.

CHAPTER 1: HOW BUDDING BEARGOT HIS LEAF

His claws scrabbled on the ice as slowly he drew near to the
entrance and there! All he could see was a blue gap where the
noise was coming from. After all the white that was all he could
see in the ice cave, the colour of the sky was a real shock. He
didn’t understand it at all.

It seemed so exciting though so he inched forward until his head
was completely out. The wind ruffled his fur and made it all
stand on end. It plucked at his ears and chilled the tips. His big
paws made funny indentations in the snow and he couldn’t
understand why he kept sinking every time he took a step.

This was fun though! Much more
interesting than the stuffy old
cave where Blossom lay sleeping
soundly. He jumped on the snow
and sank in with all four paws.

Woooheeeee! This was so much
fun. He almost wished he’d
brought Blossom too. Tag would
be so much more fun with her to
chase. On and on he jumped and
played, rolling around in the snow
and then jumping again.

CHAPTER 1: HOW BUDDING BEARGOT HIS LEAF

After a while he decided he’d better go back as his Mother would return
soon. His belly was rumbling and it was almost time to eat. He turned to
go back to the snow cave but all he could see was a white wilderness as
far as the eye could see. Where was the cave? Where was Blossom?
Where was Nanuk, his Mother? Budding Bear began to feel very afraid...

CHAPTER 1: HOW BUDDING BEARGOT HIS LEAF