The Sleepy Little Bear

In the cave at the top of the forest lived a mother bear and her little bear. The little bear's name was Fluffy. Autumn was ending; the leaves had fallen, and the first snow had come. It was time for winter sleep.

But Fluffy did not want to sleep. "I'm not sleepy!" he said. "I want to play!"

Mother bear smiled. "All right. Let's not sleep. But let's do seven things, and then we'll decide."

"First," said mother bear, "let's eat the last of the honey." Fluffy licked the honey. Sweet, warm, sticky. He yawned. "I'm not sleepy!"

"Second, let's look out of the mouth of the cave." They looked. Snow was falling. Silently. Fluffy yawned. "I'm not sleepy."

"Third, let's count the leaves." His bed was made of dry leaves. One, two, three... Fluffy counted up to twenty, then got muddled. He yawned. "I'm not slee..."

"Fourth, tell me the nicest thing you saw today." Fluffy thought. "I saw a squirrel, it dropped its hazelnut, and I gave it back." His eyes half closed.

"Fifth, give me a hug." Fluffy buried himself in his mother's fur. It was warm. His mother's heart was beating: thump, thump. Thump, thump.

"Sixth," said mother bear in a whisper, "close your eyes for one second. Just one second."

Fluffy closed his eyes.

"Seventh..."

But Fluffy did not hear the seventh. He was already asleep. Snuggled up, snoring softly.

Mother bear whispered the seventh step to herself: "Seventh, see you in the spring."

Then she closed her eyes too. Outside, the snow went on falling. The cave was warm. The forest was silent.

You are at the sixth step too. Close your eyes for one second. Just one second.