Hide and Seek

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.

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? Chance and me are hangin' around thinking of something to do that's fun on a hot summer day. I know! We'll play Hide and Seek. Chance isn't a very good hider, though. He's so little he thinks that when he closes his eyes, he's invisible. That's silly. I can see him, plain as day. He can't be invisible just because he closes his eyes. He'll learn one day when he's older, like me.

It's really hot outside this morning. It's 27C and getting warmer by the minute. James says it's hotter than h-e-double-hockey sticks. I know what that means. It means we have to drink lots of water and root beer and wallermelon juice to stay cool.

This is how we play Hide and Seek. I hide my eyes and count to 100 like this--one elephant, two elephant, three elephant--all the way too 100 elephant. While I'm counting, Chance has to hide somewhere really good and hope I can't find him.

When I get to 100 elephant, I go look for Chance. If I find him he's "it". He can run and touch base and win, too. If I see him, I run to base and holler, "One, two, three on Chance!" That means I win. Sometimes I have to holler, "Ollie! Ollie! In Free!" and then he wins but Chance never wins 'cuz I always find him. I'm a very good Finder. That's 'cuz I'm five and I have lots of experience playing this game.

Today I can't find Chance anywhere! I looked here and I looked there. I looked around. I looked everywhere. He must have found a really good spot to hide. I bet James helped Chance hide.

I found Chance! He was hiding over my head!  I didn't think to look up! Chance fell down! Lucky he didn't get hurt! He climbs everything you know. He even climbed to the top of our Christmas tree. I had to say, "My son! Come down from there this instant!" He really is a handful.

Oh. Wait! Did you hear that? James 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 James so we can get our ears tickled and our noses kissed. 

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Have fun playing Hide and Seek with your friends and buddies.  Then you can eat Smarties and drink root beer. Oh! Wait! Come over to our house and play Hide and Seek with us! Okay! Over and out!"

Spring is Everywhere!

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark, you know. He tells us he saw the first sunrise. He must be really old. I think he must be at least 20! 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? I know where spring is. It's everywhere! The sugar maple has red leaves on it. That's my favouritest tree. It's outside my bedroom window. I like to climb way up in the sugar maple and eat Smarties.  It's fun to watch everybody down below. We got two lips and daffy dills and dandy lions! Yesterday John mowed the lawn. That rhymes, you know. The sugar maple is a good place to hide.

Oh! Look at Chance. He thinks he's hiding from me in the grocery bag. He's not a very good hider. Chance thinks that when he closes his eyes he's invisible! Even if he was invisible I'd know where to find him 'cuz he makes little squeaky noises when he's happy. I can hear him right now, can't you?


Oh. Wait! Did you hear that? James 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 James so we can get our ears tickled and our noses kissed.

This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Be good citizens. Say 'hello' to spring. Oh! Wait! Come over to our house and play outside with us! We can climb the sugar maple and I'll share my Smarties with you! I know! We can sing the Smarties song real loud!

Nestlé Smarties Song

When you eat your Smarties,
Do you eat the red ones last?
Do you suck them very slowly,
Or crunch them very fast?
Eat that candy-coated chocolate,
But tell me when I ask,
When you eat your Smarties,
Do you eat the red ones last? Okay! Over and out!"

100 Elephants

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy,  James. He forgets things. He's really old. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark.   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.

Look at us! We're playing Hide & Seek. Chance is "it." He has to hide his eyes and count to 100 but he's too little. I count for him. One elephant, two elephants, three elephants. I can count to 100 elephants you know. I'm five, now.

I'm gonna hide someplace Chance won't ever think of. I'm not sure where but I will. I know! I'll hide behind him! Know what? Chance thinks if he closes his eyes he's invisible but he's not.

James and me are Internet Poem Stars. We know a poem about elephants.

Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant -
No! No! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone -
(Dear me! I am not certain quite
That even now I've got it right.)

Howe'er it was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk;
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephee -
(I fear I'd better drop the song
Of elephop and telephong!)

-- Laura E. Richards

I wish I had an elephant friend. We'd have lots of fun! I wonder what elephants get for Christmas. I'll ask  James. I can hear him hollering, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Where's my handsome bear cubs? Where are the sons of Windsor? Where are the Princes of Ontario?" That's me! I'm a handsome bear cub! I'm a Son of Windsor. I'm a Prince of Ontario. Chance is, too! We're gonna put another sticker on the calendar. It's only 12 days before Santa and Merry Christmas come to our house! This is Charles the Bear Cub saying, "Good-bye for now! Be good citizens! Count 100 elephants! Over and out!"

Mackenzie Hall

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, Grandpa  James. He's really old. I have to look after him. He was the second Canadian to get off Noah's Ark.

Wait! Chance lives with us, too. He's a newborn cubby someone left in a basket on our doorstep. He's so newborn he doesn't even have any teeth. He drinks chocolate owls' milk out of a bottle. He's a wee little thing. I look after him, too.

Know what? I'm sitting on the steps at Mackenzie Hall. It's the city's cultural centre. That's on the next block from my house. Chance thinks he's hiding but I know where he is. He's right behind me. He thinks he's invisible when he closes his eyes. If I turn my head I can see him and then I'll holler, "Where's my handsome bear cub?" Then he will make happy little squeaky noises when I tickle his ears and kiss his nose and he will squeak some more.

Then we will find Grandpa James. He's inside. Maybe we can go to visit Miss Wendy and Mr. Ricky and Mr. Sam and get some Smarties at Mac's Milk. Yeah. Good idea! I l-o-v-e Smarties and I always eat the red ones last. It's a rule, you know. Okay. We gotta go, now. This is me, Charles the Bear Cub saying, 'Be good citizens. Eat your red Smarties last! Over and out!"

Invisible Charles

Hi. I'm Charles the Bear Cub. You know me. I live on Sparkle Road with my buddy, James. He's old and forgetful. This morning he forgot to put milk on his Weetabix! 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. I look after him, too.

Know what? I'm hiding under these chairs. I've got my paws over my eyes, so I can't see you. I'm invisible! Yeah. That's my new super power. I'm gonna show Chance and James how to be invisible, too! Oh. Wait! I can teach you to be invisible if you come over to play. We're having wallermelon for lunch. I gotta find Chance and  James 'cuz I want him to tickle my ears and kiss my nose. This is me, Charles the Bear Cub, saying, 'over and out!'