Two bears sat on a log right at the edge of the lake. The sky was
a beautiful swirl of different hues and sunlight sparkled like diamonds
on the water. The bears were quite oblivious to all this. They were
nose to nose, looking at each other and holding paws anxiously.
"Do you think it is a very long way to 'Over There'?" said Bella.
Fred shook his head thoughtfully. "I don't know - it seems like you could get there in a flash if only you knew how."
"But nobody knows what its like 'Over There'. How can you go somewhere if you don't know what it's going to be like?"
"The only thing for it," said Fred Bear, "is for one bear to go first and then come back and tell the other all about it."
Bella shivered on her piece of log and gripped Fred's paw that bit harder.
"I wouldn't want to be the one to wait here all on my own to find out." she said. "I wouldn't like that at all."
"The thing is," said Fred, at long last turning his gaze to the
horizon, "that no bear should ever be left on their own. Bears should
always stick together. That's what I say."
"Like Pooh?" asked Bella Bear, brightening.
"I beg your pardon," said Fred. "I don't think I did, did I?"
"NO, silly,"
laughed Bella patting his paw, "wherever I am, there's always Pooh -
that's what I meant. It's never much fun with one - but two - can stick
together said Pooh said he, that's what he said, said Pooh."
"Oh," said Fred. "Well if that's what he said... maybe he had a point."
"But
what about the rules?" said Bella wide-eyed. "We have to obey the
RULES. No more than one bear at a time may make the journey to 'Over
There'."
"Yes, but what about the rule that no bear should be left on their own? You can't have it both ways."
"Hmmm,"
said Fred. He squinted into the sunlight, trying very hard to see what
it was like on the other side of the lake to no avail - it remained a
mystery.
"Well, I don't know what we're going to do,
but I do know that I never played by the rule book before. In fact, do
you have a rule book on you now?"
Bella felt about in her rucksack and produced a well-thumbed copy.
"Of course," she said proudly, holding it up for inspection.
"Come
along," said Fred, hauling her to her feet. "You and I are going to
find a window." He strode purposefully back towards
the tearoom. A puzzled Bella, hurried along behind.
When
they got inside, Fred rushed to the staircase and together they
climbed to the first floor. As luck would have it, there was a window
right at the top. He pushed it open with his paw.
"Now,"
he said, hurling the little book high into the air through the window,
"you see how easy it is to throw the rule book out of the window?"
Bella didn't answer - she was in fits of giggles.
"But, but" she gasped, "EVERYbear knows we should do what the rule book says. Won't we get into trouble?"
"With who?" said Fred. "Do you know who wrote it?"
"Er, no." said Bella.
"Then they can't complain can they?"
"Oh,"
Bella pondered a while. Then she looked out at the lake. It was amazing
how different it seemed - the water churning with possibilities, the
light bouncing from ripple to ripple playfully. Quite a different view.
"Come on," she said, taking his paw. "Let's go back."
Together
they made their way back to the log. The rule book gradually flapped
away in the wind, and in any case, they paid it no attention.
"It's time, " said Fred.
"Yes," said Bella. "It's time, but this time it can be different."
And
the sun went down over the land, over the log, over the lake... and the
rule book flapped away into the water, and sank, without a trace.
