Page 1
On one bright, clear winter day in the Arctic tundra,
Little Bear was not happy at all.
“What's wrong, my little one?”
Mother Bear asked Little Bear.
“Why aren't you smiling?”
Page 2
"I would smile if my wishes came true.
But they never do," sighed Little Bear.
"What is it that you wish for?"
asked Mother Bear as she tickled
him under the chin.
Page 3
"I close my eyes and I wish and I wish
and I wish I was an astronaut. Then
I would fly all the way up to the moon
and see the stars up close," said Little Bear.
"But when I open my eyes, I see my
wish hasn't come true."
"And what else do you wish for?"
Page 4
"I close my eyes and I wish and I wish and I wish
I was a pirate. Then I would sail across the seas
and find deserted islands and hidden treasures,"
Little Bear explained. "But when I open my eyes,
I see my wish hasn't come true."
"Do you have any more wishes?"
Page 5
"Oh yes," exclaimed Little Bear. "Sometimes I close my eyes
and I wish and I wish and I wish I was a king.
"Then I would live in a magic castle full of toys and candy
and butterflies and chocolate. But when I open my eyes,
I see my wish hasn't come true."
Page 6
"Some wishes might not come true, but many others do,"
comforted Mother Bear as she put her big arms around him.
"You often wish for us to go out at night to gaze at the stars
and watch for the northern lights. And we do."
"Yes, I like that very much," Little Bear agreed, smiling a little.
Page 7
"And sometimes you wish to jump on
ice floes, and dive into the sea, and play
chase with the belugas," said Mother Bear.
"So we do."
"Yes, I really like that," Little Bear nodded, smiling a little more.
Page 8
"And on many mornings, you wish to have your super-favorite
breakfast - codfish with lots of kelp and berries.
So I gather that all up for you."
"Mmmmmmm, I love my super-favorite breakfast,"
said Little Bear, licking his lips.
Page 9
"And sometimes, you wish for the snow to fall so you can catch snowflakes on your tongue and go sledding down the ice packs," said Mother Bear.
"So when it snows, that's just what we do."
"Yes, we have so much fun," said Little Bear.
Page 10
"You are right. Many of my wishes do come true!"
"Yes, they do. Sometimes only little wishes come true, but
sometimes big wishes too," whispered Mother Bear.
"I know this because the biggest wish I've ever wished came true."
Page 11
"Really? What was your biggest wish?"
"I closed my eyes and I wished and I wished
and I wished..."
