My four-year old son often times has trouble settling down and going to sleep. He is such a people person that he wants to talk and talk and never let me leave. Even when I do leave he lays in his bed talking or singing to himself. Too many times I have had to go back in his room and tell him to settle down. But tonight I tried a different approach. Tonight, I laid in his bed with him and said that I wanted to tell him a story (and not one from the bookshelf). So I told him a story that I literally made up in about thirty seconds.
Once upon a time there were three brown bears. There was Older Bear, Middle Bear, and Younger Bear. It was autumn. The leaves were beginning to fall and it was starting to turn cooler outside.
Older Bear said, “Winter is coming soon and then it will be time to hibernate. Bears need lots of good sleep in the winter so they are well rested for the spring.”
Younger Bear said, “I don’t need that much sleep. Besides, I want to play during the winter.”
Middle Bear said, “I don’t know Younger Bear. Maybe Older Bear is right.”
The nights turned colder and all the leaves had fallen off the trees and the first snow of winter began to fall.
“It’s time to hibernate,” said Older Bear. “Bears need lots of good sleep in the winter so they are well rested for the spring.”
“I don’t need that much sleep,” said Younger Bear. “Besides, I want to play.”
“I don’t know,” said Middle Bear. “Maybe Older Bear is right.”
“C’mon,” replied Younger Bear. “Let’s go play.”
So Middle Bear and Younger Bear went off to play in the snow while Older Bear found a nice
cozy cave where he could hibernate. After a while Middle Bear began to feel tired and changed his mind.
“I’m going to find Older Bear and go hibernate,” said Middle Bear to Younger Bear.
But Younger Bear continued to play. He made paw prints in the snow. He played with other animals. He had a great time playing all winter long.
Before he knew it, spring had arrived. The snow began to melt and leaves began to appear on the trees. Older Bear and Middle Bear emerged from hibernating. “Where’s Younger Bear?” they asked each other.
They wandered down to the stream and found Younger Bear. “Did you hibernate at all during winter?” they asked.
“Nope,” answered Younger Bear, “I played all winter long.”
Older Bear and Middle Bear went into the stream to catch some fish to eat. They were hungry after hibernating all winter. Younger Bear was hungry too from playing all winter. He also went down to the stream to catch some fish but he was too tired to catch any. He let out a big yawn and said, “I am so sleepy. I don’t have any energy to catch fish and I am really hungry.”
“I told you that bears need lots of good sleep in the winter so they are well rested for the spring,” said Older Bear.
“You’re right,” replied Younger Bear. “I should have hibernated so I would have energy to catch fish but I played all winter instead and now I don’t have any energy to catch any fish. Next winter I am definitely going to hibernate.”
“I think you’ve learned your lesson,” said Older Bear. So Older Bear went back into the stream and caught some fish and gave them to Younger Bear to eat.
When I finished telling the story, my son let out a big yawn. It couldn’t have been timed any better. He looked at me and said, “Just like Younger Bear.” He rolled over and grabbed his blanket. I kissed him goodnight and left his room and never heard anything from him the rest of the night.
Once upon a time there were three brown bears. There was Older Bear, Middle Bear, and Younger Bear. It was autumn. The leaves were beginning to fall and it was starting to turn cooler outside.
Older Bear said, “Winter is coming soon and then it will be time to hibernate. Bears need lots of good sleep in the winter so they are well rested for the spring.”
Younger Bear said, “I don’t need that much sleep. Besides, I want to play during the winter.”
Middle Bear said, “I don’t know Younger Bear. Maybe Older Bear is right.”
The nights turned colder and all the leaves had fallen off the trees and the first snow of winter began to fall.
“It’s time to hibernate,” said Older Bear. “Bears need lots of good sleep in the winter so they are well rested for the spring.”
“I don’t need that much sleep,” said Younger Bear. “Besides, I want to play.”
“I don’t know,” said Middle Bear. “Maybe Older Bear is right.”
“C’mon,” replied Younger Bear. “Let’s go play.”
So Middle Bear and Younger Bear went off to play in the snow while Older Bear found a nice
cozy cave where he could hibernate. After a while Middle Bear began to feel tired and changed his mind.
“I’m going to find Older Bear and go hibernate,” said Middle Bear to Younger Bear.
But Younger Bear continued to play. He made paw prints in the snow. He played with other animals. He had a great time playing all winter long.
Before he knew it, spring had arrived. The snow began to melt and leaves began to appear on the trees. Older Bear and Middle Bear emerged from hibernating. “Where’s Younger Bear?” they asked each other.
They wandered down to the stream and found Younger Bear. “Did you hibernate at all during winter?” they asked.
“Nope,” answered Younger Bear, “I played all winter long.”
Older Bear and Middle Bear went into the stream to catch some fish to eat. They were hungry after hibernating all winter. Younger Bear was hungry too from playing all winter. He also went down to the stream to catch some fish but he was too tired to catch any. He let out a big yawn and said, “I am so sleepy. I don’t have any energy to catch fish and I am really hungry.”
“I told you that bears need lots of good sleep in the winter so they are well rested for the spring,” said Older Bear.
“You’re right,” replied Younger Bear. “I should have hibernated so I would have energy to catch fish but I played all winter instead and now I don’t have any energy to catch any fish. Next winter I am definitely going to hibernate.”
“I think you’ve learned your lesson,” said Older Bear. So Older Bear went back into the stream and caught some fish and gave them to Younger Bear to eat.
When I finished telling the story, my son let out a big yawn. It couldn’t have been timed any better. He looked at me and said, “Just like Younger Bear.” He rolled over and grabbed his blanket. I kissed him goodnight and left his room and never heard anything from him the rest of the night.
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2 comments:
Ryan,
A G-rated story with no violence. Cool. But who or what was the antagonist in this story?
Martin
Great question Martin. The protagonist is obviously Little Bear. The question being asked in the story is whether Little Bear will listen to the wisdom of Older Bear. So the antagonist of Little Bear will be internal. His antagonist is that part of him that refuses to listen to good advice (i.e. foolishness).
Older Bear and Middle Bear are foils to Little Bear. Older Bear represents the wisdom that want Little Bear to listen to whereas Middle Bear represents the initial rejection of foolishness but eventual acceptance of wisdom of Older Bear before its too late. As we read the story, we want Little Bear to follow first the example of Older Bear and then the Middle Bear's example.
So, for this story, the message (in the format according to The Moral Premise) is that listening to wisdom leads to desirable consequences while rejecting wisdom (foolishness) leads to undesirable consequences. Proverbs 1:7 says that fools despise wisdom and instructions.
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