The Story of Bear and Balloons
Bear had always wondered what it might feel like to fly. Every morning he watched the birds drift across the golden sky, their wings glinting in the sun, and thought, how wonderful it must be to see the forest from up there.
He tried climbing the tallest oaks, peering through the leaves at the patchwork of meadows and ponds below. But even from the highest branch, the clouds still felt far away. So he would lie on the soft fern-covered forest floor, gazing up through the canopy, dreaming of what it might be like to float beyond it.
One breezy afternoon, as Bear wandered along the woodland path, he spotted something curious: a bright red balloon caught in a tree branch. He tugged gently until it came free, watching in awe as it bobbed and pulled at its string, eager to rise.
That’s when Bear had a marvelous idea.
He hurried to find Owl, who always knew about such things. Owl chuckled softly and fetched a whole basket of balloons. Together they blew them up until the forest shimmered with color.
One by one, they tied the strings around Bear’s middle. First, he felt light on his paws. Then lighter still. And suddenly, up he went! The trees grew smaller, the rivers turned to ribbons of silver, and the wind whistled joyfully around his ears.
Below, Fox, Rabbit, and Squirrel cheered and gathered their own balloons. Soon, the sky above the forest was filled with laughter, color, and friends floating together among the clouds.
And for the very first time, Bear knew exactly what it felt like to fly.