Little Bear and Other Stories / Маленький медвежонок и другие рассказы. 3-4 классы

Do you know what he saw?

He saw his SHOES! His little shoes!

“Oh my goodness,” said the goblin.

He climbed out of the tree hole. “I jumped out of my shoes. But they ran after me! And here they are!”

He picked his shoes, hugged them, and put them on.

“Good little shoes. You did not want to stay behind!” the goblin laughed and went away.

“Just like that!” said Grandfather Bear.

“I cannot jump out of my shoes, because I do not have any shoes,” said Little Bear.

He laughed. “That is how I like it.”

Not Tired

Little Bear lay on the sofa.

He was waiting for Mother Bear and Father Bear to come and take him home.

He said to himself, “I am not tired. I can shut my eyes, but I will not go to sleep. I am not at all tired.”

He shut his eyes.

He heard a door open.

He heard Mother and Father Bear say hello to Grandmother and Grandfather.

He heard them come to the sofa. But he did not open his eyes.

“Ah,” said Mother Bear. “He is sleeping. How sweet he is!”

Father picked up Little Bear and said, “Yes, he is a fine little bear. Tomorrow I will take him fishing.”

“Look at him,” said Grandmother. “He is such a good little one.”

“And clever, too,” said Grandfather. “Just like me.”

They all laughed.

Little Bear opened his eyes. He said to Father Bear, “Will you really take me fishing?”

“You! You were not really asleep! You heard about going fishing! You heard all we said about you! I can see it in your eyes!”

Little Bear laughed.

He said to his grandfather, “We had fun. And you are not tired, are you, Grandfather?”

“Oh, no, a little bear like you and a grandfather like me, we never get tired. We can sing and dance, and run and play all day, and never get tired.”

Little Bear smiled. He was feeling sleepier and sleepier.

Grandfather Bear said, “Yes, yes, yes! We can have many good times, you and I. But we never, never get tired! You are not tired, are you, Little Bear? Little Bear – are you tired?”

Little Bear was not tired! No!

Little Bear was asleep.

Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel

The Guest

Owl was at home.

“How good it feels to sit here by this fire,” said Owl. “It is so cold and snowy outside.”

Owl was eating a toast and hot pea soup for supper.

Owl heard a loud sound at the front door.

“Who is there, knocking at my door on a night like this?” he asked.

Owl opened the door. No one was there. Only the snow and the wind.

Owl sat by the fire again. There was another loud sound at the door.

“Who can it be,” said Owl, “knocking at my door on a night like this?”

Owl opened the door. No one was there. Only the snow and the cold.

“The poor old winter is knocking at my door,” said Owl. “Maybe it wants to sit by the fire. Well, I will be kind and let the winter come in.”

Owl opened the door very wide.

“Come in, Winter,” said Owl. “Come in and warm yourself.”

Winter came into the house. It came in very fast. A cold wind pushed Owl to the wall.

Winter ran around the room. It blew out the fire in the fireplace.

The snow covered the stairs and the hallway.

“Winter!” cried Owl. “You are my guest. This is not the way to behave!”

But Winter did not listen. It frosted the windows. It turned the pea soup into green ice.

Winter went to all the rooms of Owl’s house. Soon everything was covered with snow.

“You must go, Winter!” shouted Owl. “Go away, now!”

The wind blew around and around. Then Winter went out and slammed the front door. “Good-bye,” cried Owl, “and do not come back!”

Owl made a new fire in the fireplace. The room became warm again.

The snow melted. The green ice turned into the pea soup again.

Owl sat down in his chair and finished his supper.

Strange Bumps

Owl was in bed. “It is time to go to sleep,” he said. Then Owl saw two bumps under his blanket at the end of his bed.

“What are those strange bumps?” asked Owl.

Owl lifted the blanket. He looked into the bed. He saw only darkness.

Owl went to sleep, but he could not.

“What if those two strange bumps become bigger and bigger when I am asleep?” said Owl. “That will not be pleasant.”

Owl moved his right foot up and down. The bump on the right moved up and down.

“One of those bumps is moving!” cried Owl.

Owl moved his left foot up and down. The bump on the left moved up and down.

“The other bump is moving!” cried Owl.

Owl pulled the blanket off his bed. The bumps were not there.

All Owl saw at the end of the bed were his two feet.

“But now I am cold,” said Owl. “I will cover myself with the blankets again.”

When he did, he saw the two bumps again.

“The bumps are back!” shouted Owl. “Bumps, bumps, bumps! I will never sleep tonight!”

Owl jumped up and down on his bed.

“Where are you? What are you?” he cried.

With a crash the bed broke.

Owl ran down the stairs. He sat in his chair by the fire.

“Let those two strange bumps sit on my bed,” said Owl. “Let them grow as big as they wish. I will sleep here where I am safe.”