New Name for Baby Bear
"Time to get up Baby Bear," Mother Bear called out from the bottom of the stairs.
"Not now, mother," Baby Bear whinned. "It's too early."
"It's your first day of school," she said. "You have to get ready."
Baby Bear threw off his covers and climbed down off the top bunk onto the bottom bed where his sister was sleeping.
"OW!" Sister Bear yelled out as he stepped on her paw. "That hurt Baby Bear."
"Why am I Baby Bear?" he growled. "I'm older then you."
"I couldn't be Baby Bear," she said rubbing her sore paw. "That's your name."
"It's no fair," he said as he pulled on his new blue jeans and his new yellow shirt."I wish I could change my name."
"At least you've got lots of new things," said Sister Bear . "I didn't get anything new."
"You don't even go to school yet," said Baby Bear he tossed around a pile of clothes on the floor looking for his new black bookbag. "You're lucky, you have two more years to go before you have to go."
"I want to go," she said, "I think school is fun."
"It's not bad unless your name is Baby Bear. All the other kids have neat names. Rabbit is called Thumper, goat's name is Gruff, and I have a name like Baby Bear. How embarrassing."
Baby Bear picked up his book bag and ran down the stairs to where his mother stood by the stove cooking oatmeal for breakfast.
"Mom, Why am I called Baby Bear?" he asked.
"Well," she said, "You were my first baby. That's how you got your name."
"So every first born child is called Baby?"
"Only until they earn a new name." replied Mother Bear. "Papa Bear was once called Baby Bear, but then they found out how fast he could run and they changed his name to Streak."
"Streak," he laughed," that's funny."
"Well, not many people call him that anymore since he's a papa bear. So now his name has become Papa Bear. Just like mine is Mama Bear."
"So how do I get you to change my name?"
"You have to find what it is you are good at and then the name will come." said Mother Bear.
Baby bear picked up his black bookbag and left for school.
On the way he met rabbit. "Hey Rabbit, how did you get the name of Thumper?" asked Baby Bear.
"I guess I got it because every time I get excited, my foot starts thumping." said Rabbit.
"Mom said it was because of something you could do that was good."
"Well, I first got called it when pigs house was on fire. I was really excited and my foot started thumping. That alerted the pig family in the house and they all got out safe."
"So it is because of something you can do that is special." said Baby Bear. "I'm no good at anything. I'll always be Baby Bear until I'm a papa. Then I'll be Papa Bear."
Next Baby Bear met duck. "Hi Duck," said Baby Bear. "How did you get the name Swimmer?"asked Baby Bear.
"It's because I can swim so good," said Duck.
"Did you do something special to be named Swimmer?"
"One day, a mother robin was carrying her baby to another nest for some reason. As she flew across the lake, she accidentally dropped her baby in the lake. I saw it happen and swam out as fast as I could paddle. Then I dove under the water to save the baby robin."
"So you did something special too," said Baby Bear. "I wonder if anything like that will ever happen to me."
On down the road, almost to the school, there was a big crowd gathering. Thumper, Swimmer and Baby Bear ran to see what was wrong. Up in the tree was a kitten. It had climbed so high that no one could reach it. The firemen had a ladder but even it wasn't long enough. The kitten was really scared and crying for it's mommy.
Baby Bear knew what he had to do. He threw down his book bag and climbed up the tree to where the kitten was sitting. He picked her up and gently carried her back down to the crowd. Just as he got down the kittens mother ran up to get her. "Thank you so much for saving my kitten," said the mother cat as she hugged Baby Bear and her kitten.
A fireman came up and thanked Baby Bear for being so brave. Then the mayor of the town called out to get everyones attention.
"Today we have seen a very special bear help a little kitten in trouble. Baby Bear, it is time for you to have a new name. You are no longer a baby, you have shown us all how grown up you are. As of today your new name will be Climber."
Baby Bear, now Climber was very excited as he and his friends went to school that day.
He now had his new name.
by Barb Ross
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Barb Ross
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