Poco and the Bear

[xlr20ice 8]

*Raldo gets up on the platform with a few other folks watching, and says, "T'is is a story about Poco and the Bear, me grandparents told me t'is one. T'ey said 'twas 'bout me grand gran-pappy." Raldo goes on to tell the story in a sing-song voice, making hand gestures.* ((Pretend to read the story as if it was in a halfling accent. I really couldn't be bothered typing a whole story with an accent.))

Poco and the Bear

Once upon a time, in the depths of the forest, lived a very lonely Halfling. He had a long scraggly mess of dark hair, and dark blue eyes. His face had evidence of a beard that once rested upon his face until he shaved it. He lived in a very small hut in the middle of the forest, with no one around to bother him with the stresses of everyday life. He grew his own apples, got his own water out of a well, and made his own home. He was quite happy, undisturbed by war, politics, and all strife. This Halfling’s name was Poco Summerfoot, a very lonely Halfling.

The sun was shining through the treetops on a bright sunny day. The birds chirped in perfect harmony, and the sound of running water echoed from the babbling brook. Small animals crept around in the bushes, causing soft, muffled noises to ripple through the air like wind and water. Poco built himself a raft and started to fish. He soaked in the smell of flowers in the bushes, and he felt the soft breeze of the wind on his arms. He cast his line, hoping for a bite of a fish. He waited as butterflies landed on his head, creating a small breeze on his head. Poco felt nothing and cast his line back in. He heard a ruffling noise in the bushes that was louder than usual. As Poco was walking over, he heard the cries of a small animal dying. He rushed over to the bush to find the corpse of a rabbit. He said to himself, “Oh goodness me! I best be burying this thing somewhere.” He picked up the rabbit and dug a small hole in the ground and buried it. As he went to sleep, he thought very little of it. “Foxes kill rabbits all the time, there is nothing to worry about.” And with those words, he dozed off to sleep.

The next day was a slightly overcast and windy day. Regardless of the weather, he tried to get a fish. But all he could find were fish bones. He said to himself, “That damned fox is eating everything here!” So he went into the bushes to a fox burrow and yelled, “Mister Fox, you’ve been eating all of my fish, don’t make me come in your burrow and get my food from there!” The fox crept out of its burrow, it’s head bowed. The fox’s face is scarred and broken. The fox said, “Nay, I have not been stealing your food, there is a bear here, he must be taking it all.” Poco looked at him with a strange look, “A bear? What is that? And why does it need so much food?” The fox looked at him, his eyes down cast, “A bear is a horrible creature, it eats everything it sees, including Halflings, I am lucky to be alive.” The fox scurried back into its burrow. “Well surely bears cannot be that bad!” He told himself, as he went to sleep, thinking about the dead rabbit.

The next morning, Poco set out to find the bear and talk to it about how it is not nice to steal someone’s food. He stumbled upon a large clearing, with tall grass and flowers poking up from the ground. At the end of the clearing was a hole. The hole was dark, overgrown, and it seemed to extend endlessly down to the depths of the earth. Poco walked over to the hole and yelled, “Hello? Is anyone there?” The hole snarled and roared, “Go away puny thing!” Poco did not like this response and shouted, “Not until you give me my food back!” The roaring and snarling stopped. A large brown figure emerged from the hole, towering over Poco. “Prepare to die puny Halfling, for I am the Great Bear, and the only true king of this forest!” The bear swiped his paw at Poco, who dived to the side to dodge it. The bear lunged towards him, baring its terrible teeth at Poco. He ran to the side and picked up a stick this time, jabbing the stick towards the eye of the bear. He stabbed the bear’s eye with a stick, causing the bear to stagger back. The bear roared and screamed at the Halfling, now charging towards Poco. The bear scratched Poco with its big claws. Poco stepped back, his face scratched and bruised. He kicked the bear in the nose, knocking it back further. He grabbed the thick neck of the bear and pulled it back. Using his all of his little Halfling might, he took the bear and strangled it, until it choked out, “Stop! Stop I can help you!” And so Poco let the bear go, and he kept his word. The bear helped Poco hunt and fish, and all was peaceful in the lonely forest once again.

[Strawberry114 43]

((omigoshh This is the cutest story ever. I might steal it.. :P

[Dalek348 1962]

I'll need a copy o' the book for one of my bedtime stories!

((I agree with Lyra, a splendid little tale, I especially liked this bit, 'The next morning, Poco set out to find the bear and talk to it about how it is not nice to steal someone’s food'. A splendid job :]))