Little Bear and Other Stories / Маленький медвежонок и другие рассказы. 3-4 классы, стр. 4

This was something Little Bear liked to do.

He liked to look at all the nice things, the pictures, Grandmother’s flowers, Grandfather’s toy goblin in a jar.

He liked to put on Grandfather’s big hat and say, “Look at me!”

And he liked Grandmother’s cooking very, very much.

He had some bread and jam, cake and cookies, milk and honey, and an apple.

“Have some more,” said Grandmother.

“Yes, thank you. I am not eating too much, am I?”

“Oh no, no!” said Grandmother.

Then Grandfather said to Little Bear, “We will have fun today, you and I.”

“Yes. But father told me not to make you tired.”

“Me? Tired? How can you make me tired? I am never tired!”

He got up and did a little dance. “Never tired!” Grandfather said and sat down.

Little Bear laughed. “You know what?” he said to his Grandmother and Grandfather.

“What?”

“I like it here,” said Little Bear. He hugged them.

Little Bear and Grandfather had all the fun. Then Grandfather Bear sat down.

“Now we can have a story,” said Little Bear.

“Good. Tell me a story,” said Grandfather Bear.

“No!” Little bear laughed. “You tell me one.”

“Then I must have my pipe.”

Little Bear ran to the house, took the pipe, and ran back.

But Grandfather was already asleep!

“Oh,” said Little Bear.

Little Bear was sad, but not for long. He found his Grandmother in the garden.

Could Grandmother tell him a story? Oh yes, she could.

She took Little Bear to the summer house. It was cool there.

They sat down in the summer house.

“Tell me a story about Mother Bear, when she was little. About Mother Bear and the robin. I like that story,” asked Little Bear.

“Very well,” said Grandmother Bear.

And so, she began.

Mother Bear’s Robin

One spring day, when Mother Bear was little, she found a baby robin in the garden. A baby robin, too little to fly.

“Oh, how sweet you are,” she said. “Where did you come from?”

“From my nest,” said the robin.

“And where is your nest, little robin?”

“I think it is there,” said the robin.

Mother Bear looked at one tree. No, that was a blackbird’s nest.

“Maybe it is there,” said the robin.

Mother Bear looked at another tree. No, that was a sparrow’s nest.

Mother Bear looked everywhere, but she could not find a robin’s nest.

“You can live with me. You can be my robin,” said Mother Bear.

She took the robin in the house and made a little home for it.

“Please put me by the window. I like to look at the trees and the sky,” said the robin.

Mother Bear put it by the window.

“Oh. It must be fun to fly out there,” said the robin.

“It will be fun to fly in here, too,” said Mother Bear.

The robin ate. It grew. It sang. Soon it could fly.

It flew about the house. And that was fun, just as Mother Bear had said.

But then one day, the robin was unhappy.

Mother Bear asked, “Why are you so sad, little robin?”

“I do not know. My heart is sad,” said the robin.

“Sing a song,” said Mother Bear.

“I cannot,” said the robin.

“Fly in the house,” said Mother Bear.

“I cannot,” said the robin.

Mother Bear was in tears. She took the robin into the garden.

“I love you, little robin. But I want you to be happy. Fly away, if you wish. You are free.”

The robin flew into the blue sky. It sang a sweet song.

Then it came back again, to Mother Bear.

“Do not be sad. I love you, too. I must fly into the world, but I will come back. Every year I will come back,” said the robin.

So Mother Bear kissed the robin, and it flew away.

“And it came back, Grandmother. Did it?” asked Little Bear.

“Oh yes, Little Bear. It came back. And its children came back. And its children’s children, too. Here is one now.”

Grandfather Bear came to the summer house.

“Hooray! Here is Grandfather,” cried Little Bear.

“Then it is coffee time,” said Grandmother Bear.

She went into the house.

Grandfather looked at Little Bear. Little Bear looked at Grandfather. They both laughed.

“How about a goblin story?” asked Grandfather Bear.

“Oh yes, but I may be scared,” said Little Bear.

“I will not be scared,” said Grandfather Bear.

“Oh, Grandfather!” cried Little Bear. “Please begin the story then.”

So Grandfather began.

Goblin Story

One day a little goblin went to an old cave. It was old, it was cold, it was dark.

And something inside the cave went ‘BANG!’.

What was that?

“Ooh-hoo!” cried the goblin.

He was so scared that he jumped out of his shoes.

Then he began to run.

PIT-PAT-PIT-PAT-PIT-PAT…

What was that?

SOMETHING was running after him.

Oh my goodness, what could it be?

The goblin was too scared to look back. He ran faster and faster.

But the SOMETHING ran faster and faster, too!

PIT-PAT-PIT-PAT-PIT-PAT…

The goblin saw a hole in a tree. He jumped in the hole to hide.

The PIT-PAT-PIT-PAT came closer, closer – CLOSER – until it stopped by the hole in the tree!

Then all was quiet.

Nothing happened.

Nothing.

It was SO quiet. The little goblin looked out.

Do you know what he saw?

He saw his SHOES! His little shoes!

“Oh my goodness,” said the goblin.

He climbed out of the tree hole. “I jumped out of my shoes. But they ran after me! And here they are!”

He picked his shoes, hugged them, and put them on.

“Good little shoes. You did not want to stay behind!” the goblin laughed and went away.

“Just like that!” said Grandfather Bear.

“I cannot jump out of my shoes, because I do not have any shoes,” said Little Bear.

He laughed. “That is how I like it.”

Not Tired

Little Bear lay on the sofa.

He was waiting for Mother Bear and Father Bear to come and take him home.

He said to himself, “I am not tired. I can shut my eyes, but I will not go to sleep. I am not at all tired.”

He shut his eyes.

He heard a door open.

He heard Mother and Father Bear say hello to Grandmother and Grandfather.

He heard them come to the sofa. But he did not open his eyes.

“Ah,” said Mother Bear. “He is sleeping. How sweet he is!”

Father picked up Little Bear and said, “Yes, he is a fine little bear. Tomorrow I will take him fishing.”

“Look at him,” said Grandmother. “He is such a good little one.”

“And clever, too,” said Grandfather. “Just like me.”

They all laughed.

Little Bear opened his eyes. He said to Father Bear, “Will you really take me fishing?”

“You! You were not really asleep! You heard about going fishing! You heard all we said about you! I can see it in your eyes!”

Little Bear laughed.

He said to his grandfather, “We had fun. And you are not tired, are you, Grandfather?”

“Oh, no, a little bear like you and a grandfather like me, we never get tired. We can sing and dance, and run and play all day, and never get tired.”