UNIT 1: Why Bear Sleeps So Much

In the early days of the world, Bear was a great terror, driven by a continuous hunger for honey. He would blunder through the forest, tearing down the bees’ fragile combs without a second thought. A direct scuffle with Bear was impossible, as he was too large and strong. The smaller animals would often have to cancel their plans and hide whenever he rampaged nearby.

Desperate, the Queen Bee flew to the wisest plant in the woods, an ancient Poppy who was a veteran of a hundred winters. The Poppy offered a secret plan. At first, many bees wanted to reject the idea as too dangerous, but the Queen convinced them it was their only hope. The plan was recorded on a large leaf, a document hidden among the roots of an old oak. Following its instructions, the bees would distribute a special sleeping pollen into one giant honeycomb reserved just for Bear.

When Bear found and ate the honey, he yawned, thinking the sleepy feeling was only temporary. He lumbered into a cave for a long, solitary rest, which, to his surprise, lasted the entire winter. The story of how the clever bees and the wise Poppy tricked the great Bear became a famous myth, and the forest finally embraced a long and peaceful winter sleep, year after year.