Tale #2 Getting Ready to Hibernate

One evening, Dancing Bear was at the Legion for a dinner. The ladies served ham and perogies and chicken and fried rice and potatoes and carrots and mashed Finnish-style turnips and all kinds of salads and desserts. Dancing Bear went back for seconds. Then she went back for thirds, and took two desserts as well.

"Wow!" said one of the boys, named Ben. "You sure are eating a lot!"

"I have to," Dancing Bear said. "I'm getting ready to hibernate."

"Hibernate?" Ben asked. "What's that?"

"I sleep all winter," Dancing Bear explained. "I don't eat when I sleep. When spring comes, I'll be thin."

One of the ladies said, "That sounds great! I'd love to lose weight in my sleep!"

"Do you have a bed in your cave?" Ben's big sister Carol asked.

"No, I don't," Dancing Bear said. "I gather a lot of spruce branches and sleep on them."

"That's a good idea," Ben said. "Maybe I'll try that some time."

"Do you have a sleeping bag?" Carol asked.

"I don't need one," Dancing Bear said. "I have a fur coat."

Carol ran to her mother and talked to her. Then she went to the coat hangers and got her scarf. "Here, Dancing Bear," Carol said. "You can have my scarf to keep your ears warm while you are sleeping."

Dancing Bear looked at the scarf. It was bright red with white stripes. "It's very pretty," she said. "I can't take it. You will need it for yourself when the weather is cold."

"Mom says it's okay," Carol said. "She is going to teach me how to knit. Then I can make myself a new scarf."

"Thank you very much," Dancing Bear said. She put the scarf around her neck right away, even though it was very warm in the Legion hall.

"Wear it all the time," Ben advised. "Then everyone will know that we are your friends."