41. Let's play

"Hmmm" said Merlena Bear and sat up too.  The bears and Shelley had been relaxing in the shade while listening carefully to all that Theodore and Hernando had to tell them. "I think it is time to stretch our legs and play some games," Merlena said.   Shelley jumped up.  "Ooo, that would be lovely," she said, "what would you like to play?"  Merlena suggested the game "Dropping the Handkerchief" like they had played at her party and they all sat in a circle.  Theodore got his red spotted handkerchief out of his backpack again and was the first one to run.  Everybody had so much fun and then they played "Oranges and Lemons" and "Catch me if you can".   Hernando Bear was an expert at dodging out of reach and Theodore just could not catch him.   Shelly laughed and laughed as she watched.  She clapped her hands with excitement and said, "Catch him, Theodore!   Oh no, he escaped again!"

40. Hernando Bear tells some more

Hernando Bear went on with his story.  "There on the doorstep stood his rascally nephew and he said, 'Hello, Uncle Edward, I have come to live with you now'."  And that was that.  This nephew's name was Beau-me Bear and he was always in all sorts of trouble.  He would sneak out at night to go and steal honey from the neighbors but he never got it right.  Their dogs saw him and barked so loudly that the farmers came to see what the matter was.  Then he got scared so ran away and tried to climb through the fences quickly.  Most times he got stuck on the wires and left pieces of his fur behind.  It did not take long until he looked very scruffy.  That earned him the nickname Scraps and, as far as I know, he is still stuck with that name today."   "Ha, ha, ha," the other bears and Shelley laughed, "serves him right," they said, but added, "Scraps was very naughty to go stealing things that belonged to others."

39. Hernando Bear's Story

Hernando Bear sat quietly for a moment and then he smiled.  "I was just thinking about my Great-uncle Edward," he said.  "He did not live in a desert though, he did not like company much and he lived way back in a thick forest all by himself.  There was a lake nearby where he caught plenty of fish to eat for breakfast and harvested the big, juicy berries and fruit that grew all around his place.  Not many of his relatives went to visit him and if they did it was usually just for an afternoon."  Hernando sighed and then he went on.  "Great-uncle Edward was very happy living there and then, would you believe it, one day somebody just turned up on his door step.  Poor Great-uncle Edward, he thought he was not seeing correctly."

38. Living in the Desert

Theodore Bear smiled again and took a deep breath.  Then he said, "No, you would not have to worry about being too hot in the desert.  All the houses have air-conditioning in every room to keep them cool.  The cars and buses are all fitted with air-conditioning too so driving is very pleasant.  And then it is much cooler in the winter and sometimes one could even see snow on the high mountains.  Oh, yes, there are mountains in the desert where I live.  Pretty gemstones can be picked up, if you look carefully, and people use them to make necklaces and bracelets.  The ladies like to wear those.   Not all deserts have mountains, some only have sand dunes.  There you will find camels with their big humps." Shelley hardly knew what to say but Hernando Bear had sat up again to listen carefully and he was the first one to speak.  "That is very different to where I live too", he said.  "Maybe one day I will go and have a look at a real desert."

37. More about the Desert

"Oh, yes, but a big tree like this will only grow if I dig a very large hole and fill it with good soil before I plant it and then water it every day," said Theodore Bear as he went on to tell Shelley more  about the desert.  "The birds that live there also know how to sit in the cactus plants without getting caught up on the long thorns.  They are able to find food and water and materials to build their nests.  Animals live in the desert too.  Wolves and pumas and bobcats, but they mostly stay in some shade when it is so hot by day and come out at night to hunt.  There are also lots of bunnies that come out at night in the desert and they can run very fast.  Reptiles like lizards and snakes prefer the hot days and you can see them at anytime."  Shelley and the other bears all listened carefully to what Theodore had to say about the desert.  "Thank you, Theodore," said Shelley, "but I think it would be too hot for me in the desert." and the other bears all nodded their heads in agreement.