The sun was shining kindly in the sky, its rays caressing the green field. The little bear cub rolled happily in the tall grass. He curled up a few times, then lay back among the fragrant flowers and looked at the clouds.
He would have just watched, because a brightly coloured butterfly would always land on his nose, tickling him, inviting him to play.
- Well, hold on there! I'll get you! - the teddy bear snarled, and brushed his paws gently. He didn't want to hurt her, to break her flimsy wings. But the butterfly was not to be feared either, it darted away immediately, not letting itself be caught. It fluttered from blade to blade, from leaf to petal, and the bear cub hopped merrily after it.
They chased and fooled around all day until it got dark and the bear was called to sleep by his mum.
- Did you have fun playing with your friends today, little one? - she asked him as they snuggled up.
- What friends, Mama? There's not a teddy bear in the woods besides me! - said the bear sadly, looking at the dark sky.
- Even the stars are not as alone as I am. Look how many of them are alike! - she added plaintively.
- They are not all the same," her mother consoled her and showed her the little bear constellation.
The bear really liked the fact that there's another cub upstairs.
- How fun it would be to play with it! - she thought, before drifting off to sleep.
The next day she slept late, her furry tummy already warm from the sun, before Mama Bear woke her up.
- Look what I brought you! I found them in the branches of a tree, I climbed up to get them!
- Two coloured balloons! - the little bear was delighted and ran off with the coloured balls to the meadow.
- Look what I've got!" he showed the balloons to the coloured butterfly.
- They are beautiful! Like a big red flower and a big orange flower!" the butterfly was amazed.
- Even better than that! After all, flowers can't fly like balloons!
- Fly? Oh, how fun! Then you can fly with me from blade to blade, from leaf to petal!
- 'I could, but I'd like to go on a longer trip with them,' the little wretch said firmly.
- I'll fly them up to the sky, find the constellation Little Bear and play with it!
- With the stars? - the butterfly was sad.
- After all, the stars only shine at night. And they are so far away!
- So much trouble! If I leave now, I'll be there in time for the evening," said the bear cub, and he got a good grip on the string of balloons and started to jump and kick off the ground, finally flying. But the balloons couldn't hold him.
- Come on, help me out, be nice! - she begged the wondering butterfly, but the butterfly was light as a breeze and weak as a flower petal. She tried in vain to lift her furry bottom to the bear. But the little bear wouldn't give up. He kept jumping and jumping. Until the strings of the two balloons slipped out of his hands at the same time.
- "Oh, oh, oh!" she cried bitterly, as she saw the orbs begin to rise, straight up above the clouds.
But the butterfly flew after them, flying as fast as its feeble wings would allow, bringing back first the red balloon and then the orange one.
The bear cub thanked him nicely for his help, but wiped his tears as he was desperate.
- I'll never get up in the sky among the stars, I'll never play with Little Bear up there!
- I'm sorry, I'm really sorry you're so sad! But I'm glad, because if you were up there with Little Bear, I wouldn't be able to play down here with my little bear friend," said the butterfly, and the sorry one got a tearful nose.
- Just watch out, or I'll get you! - The little bear immediately got in a better mood and started chasing the butterfly. He didn't even notice that the balloons had been released again by his paw and had quietly disappeared into the clouds.
They played until the evening, until the bear cub was called to bed by his mummy.
- Did you have a good game today? - she asked him as they cuddled.
- Yes, Mama," said the bear, looking at the sky.
- Tell me, can that Little Bear be very lonely in the sky? - he asked.
- How could it be lonely? There's the Big Bear, and other animals. Lion, bull, fish..
- And a butterfly! Can there be a butterfly among them? - interjected the little chap.
- Do you think it can? - Mama Bear asked back.
- I think it's over there by the Little Bear, see? A moth can be a friend of a bear," the bear pointed out, yawning, then closed his eyes and fell asleep.
In her dream she was again tumbling in the flowery meadow, chasing her friend the little butterfly.
Their laughter soared up to the sky, up into the clouds, light and joyful, like two colourful balloons.
If you want a teddy bear cutlery, check out the Story Plate page!
