Grandfather Bear Is Hungry
Grandfather Bear slept all winter. He woke up on a warm spring morning. His belly began to growl. “I am hungry,” he said. “I am SO hungry!”
Grandfather Bear left his cave and walked to the hillside where his favorite berries grew. He looked for blueberries, blackberries. But it was too early in the spring. The berries were not ripe yet.
“I am hungry,” said Grandfather Bear. “I am SO hungry!”
Grandfather Bear walked to the stream where the salmon swam. He loved to eat salmon. But it was too early in the spring. The salmon were not running yet.
“I am hungry,” said Grandfather Bear. “I am SO hungry!”
Grandfather Bear walked to a rotten stump. He tore at the inside of the rotten stump with his claws. He hoped he would find bugs and grubs. The stump shook, and the wood flew.
“What are you doing?” called a voice from inside the stump. Grandfather Bear stopped digging and listened. Little Chipmunk climbed out of the stump. He stood on hid hind legs and put his two front paws on his hips. “What are you doing? This is my home. Please don’t tear my house apart!”
“I am hungry,” said Grandfather Bear. “I am SO hungry!”
“You do not need to tear my home apart. I have nuts and dried berries and acorns I will share with you.”
Chipmunk ran down into his hole and filled his cheeks with nuts and berries and acorns. He ran back to the top of the stump. “Here, Grandfather Bear!”
“Thank you, Little Chipmunk. But I am still hungry!”
“Wait, Grandfather Bear, I have more.” Chipmunk ran back down into his hole. He filled his cheeks and ran up again. “Here, Grandfather Bear.”
“Thank you, Little Chipmunk. But I am still hungry!”
All day long Chipmunk ran down and up – down and up – down and up. Each time he filled his cheeks with nuts and berries and acorns and gave them to Grandfather Bear.
At last Grandfather Bear was full. “Thank you, Little Chipmunk. I will give you a reward. Stand very still.” Grandfather Bear stroked Chipmunk very gently on the back. He left five black stripes on Chipmunk’s back. “Now when anyone sees the stripes on your back they will remember that you were kind and shared with Grandfather Bear.”
Retold with permission of Dr. Margaret Read MacDonald. A version of this story is told by Dr. MacDonald, in Teaching with Story, Classroom Connections to Storytelling. Margaret Read MacDonald, Jennifer MacDonald Whitman and Nathaniel Forrest Whitman, August House, 2013.