Once Upon A Time….

There was a house, in a forest, in a quiet law-abiding neighborhood where nothing bad had ever, ever happened. Inside, a family of bears lived happily-ever-after lives. They ate bowls of porridge in the morning. And slept on comfortable beds that suited each of them—Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear—j-u-s-t right.

Until the break-in . . . .

“I—I—feel so violated.” Mama Bear choked the words out in between sobs.

Papa Bear said nothing, but his quivering jowls peeled back over rows of white pointy teeth said plenty. He rose from the table and walked over to the dining room buffet. He reached high, higher than the shelves of china, higher than anyone but a Papa Bear could reach. They heard a metal scrape as a shower of fine dust fell glimmering in the sunlight that beamed through the cottage window.

Kerchoo!

Papa Bear sneezed and covered Mama’s prized china with dust and a fine Papa Bear mist. Mama Bear was horrified. Not about all the china she’d now have to wash. No, her big brown eyes riveted on what Papa Bear held in his huge right paw….