My Dream about Tanner

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy James. He is forgetful and really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark. I think he must 20 years old. That's really old!  I have to look after him. Oh. Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's a wee little thing.

Know what? We're really sick. We got Austrian measles. We are burning up with fever. I fell asleep and I had a dream. I dreamt that my friend Tanner came to our house to play with Chance and me. We had fun. We dug holes in the backyard and we played Hide & Seek, too. We had Smarties and root beer for lunch. Tanner is a big 'ole yeller dog. He is my first bestest friend. When I woke up Tanner was gone. It was a dream 'cuz Tanner died before Christmas. He was sick. He had cancer. I miss my friend a lot. Chance and me are sick but  James says we won't die from Austrian measles. That's good to know.

James has Canada Dry for us. Know what? He holds us tight and hugs us. We get to drink Canada Dry right out of the can. We get to drink it with bendy straws. Chance drinks out of a bottle. He's too little for a bendy straw. It hurts to swallow. James puts a cool washcloth on our faces. It feels good. He's singing some songs. I'm sleepy. I'm going to fall asleep. This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, drink Canada Dry with a bendy straw when you're sick. Over and out!"