House of India

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark, you know. He's so old he remembers the first rainbow! He must be at least 20! That's old, you know.

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. I look after Chance, too. He's a handful!

Know what? Reid and Margaret and JJ came to visit us from Farewell Nova Scotia, thy Sea-bound Coast. I know where Farewell Nova Scotia is. It's down East. Farewell Nova Scotia is in O Canada, our home and native land. We got lots of hugs when they came to our house.

We got to ride in the car. I l-o-v-e riding in the car, don't you? We sat in the back seat with Margaret. I was on my best behaviour. So was Chance. He didn't pull off his diaper or climb on anything. He was being really good! We all went downtown to the House of India for lunch.

I l-o-v-e Indian food, don't  you? Samir was the nice server who brought us all the food. Miss JJ helped cut up our food for us. We ate dahl and pikoras and bhajis and palak paneer and naan and all kinds of yummy foods that are in the Canada Food Guide. Oh! Wait! You know the best part? We got to eat julab jamun for dessert! Chance just drank condensed owls' milk out of his bottle. He doesn't have any teeth, but he licked the pikoras. I don't think that's good manners but Chance is a newborn cubby, so he doesn't know any better. I don't think newborn cubbies have germs, do they?

After lunch Margaret and Reid and JJ had to leave us. We got lots more hugs when they said, 'Good-bye'. They have a long trip to make. It must take at least two days to get to Farewell Nova Scotia from Windsor. I wonder why they have to live so far away? James says Windsor is the centre of the known universe and the nicest part of Detroit. He should know. He's old and wise.

I know a song about Farewell Nova Scotia. Miss Jackie taught it to me at the Scruffy Maple Day Care Centre. The song goes like this-

Farewell Nova Scotia,
The sea-bound coast,
Let your mountains dark and dreary be,
For when I am far away,
On your briny ocean tossed,
Will you ever heave a sigh,
Or a wish for me.
 
Oh. Wait! Did you hear that? Margaret is hollering, "Where are my handsome bear cubs? Where are my Sons of Windsor? Where are my Princes of Ontario? That's me! Charles! That's Chance! We're handsome bear cubs. We're Sons of Windsor and Princes of Ontario! We gotta go find Margaret and Reid and JJ so we can get our ears tickled and our noses kissed and say 'good-bye' to them.

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Mind your manners and you can come to House of India and eat yummy food with us. Okay! Over and out!"