Autumn Elf Wants to Hibernate
“Oh dear,” said Autumn Elf to himself, one cool autumn morning. “There is a bear in the field right beside the house. What is he doing?”
Autumn Elf watched the bear for a long time. The bear seemed to be eating everything in sight. He approached the bear.
“What are you doing?” asked Autumn Elf. “It looks like you are eating everything in sight.”
“Yes,” said the bear. “I am. I am getting ready for winter.”
“I don’t like winter,” said Autumn Elf. “It is much too cold.”
“I wouldn’t know,” said the bear. “I sleep all winter long.”
“Really?” asked Autumn Elf. “I want to sleep all winter too. How can I do that?”
“You can hibernate,” said the bear.
“I want to hibernate,” said Autumn Elf. “What do I need to do that?”
“First you have to eat whatever you can,” said the bear. “Then you go into a den and sleep.”
“That’s it,” said Autumn Elf. “That is all I have to do.”
“Yes,” said the bear. “That is what I do.”
Autumn Elf went home and opened the fridge. He pulled out a big bowl of chocolate pudding, the can of whipped cream, a box of strawberries and a left-over sandwich. He ate everything. He went to the cupboard and pulled out a bag of chocolate chip cookies. He started eating them. He was getting very full. In fact, he was too full and was starting to feel sick. However, he continued eating.
“What are you doing?” asked Stella, his younger sister, seeing empty containers of food on the counter and the table.
“I am getting ready for winter,” said Autumn Elf. “I am going to hibernate.”
“I don’t think you can,” said Stella. “I think only bears can hibernate. We are elves.”
“I am going to try,” said Autumn Elf. “I don’t like winter.”
“I don’t either but there isn’t much we can do about it,” said Stella.
Autumn Elf didn’t listen to his sister. He was determined that he was going to sleep through winter this year. He was very full, so he went and laid down. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t sleep.
“I feel sick,” said Autumn Elf. “I think I ate way too much.”
Autumn Elf tossed and turned. He was so uncomfortable. His stomach was way too full.
“How does the bear do it?” asked Autumn Elf, to himself as he got out of bed and walked around a little bit. “I ate way too much and now I can’t sleep.”
Autumn Elf laid back down on the bed a few minutes later and tried his hardest to fall asleep. He tried counting sheep but that didn’t work either. He also tried resisting every effort to get out of bed but after awhile his body was too sore from laying in bed for too long. He had to get up.
“Maybe Stella was right,” said Autumn Elf to himself. “Maybe elves can’t hibernate. Maybe only bears can.”
The next morning Stella was at the breakfast table.
“I see your plan to hibernate didn’t work,” said Stella.
“No,” said Autumn Elf. “I guess you were right after all. I guess I can’t sleep this winter away. However, that doesn’t mean that I have changed my mind about disliking winter.”
“I understand,” said Stella, glad to see that her brother had come to his senses about hibernating.
Moral of this Story:
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