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Thank you! Hello, friends, and welcome to Sleep Tight Stories.
This week, we're sharing a classic story from a few years ago, featuring one of our favorite characters, Bernice the Bear.
She was a little younger back then, and you might notice a few small differences from how you know her today.
But, with Easter in the air, we thought it was the perfect time to bring back this sweet and chocolatey adventure.
This is an Easter story about Bernice.
Bernice comes running home and can't wait to tell her parents about her day at school.
She said she has good news and bad news.
Mama and Papa sit with Bernice to hear all her news.
Bernice and the Chocolate Easter Eggs Bernice bounded in the front door of her little house, slamming the door behind her.
Which she knew she wasn't supposed to do, but when she was as excited as she was right now, she often forgot some rules.
Mom and Papa, I am home from school and I have some good news and some bad news to share," yelled Bernice.
Wow! You certainly look happy, Bernice, her mama bear said.
Did you have a good day?
I had the bestest day.
Do you want to hear about it?
There is nothing we would rather hear.
Now, why don't you first take off your coat, wash your hands, and sit at the table.
And I'll get some fresh cookies and milk for you to eat while we hear all about your day," said her Papa.
So Bernice flew out to the front of the house to hang up her coat, wash her hands, and then she sat at the table and said, I'm faster than you today, Papa.
Ah, I know. Soon you'll be so much faster than me.
All I'll see is a blur when you go past. Just wait and see.
I'm growing up. Putting the milk and cookies on the table, Mama and Papa Bear sat down with their hot tea and waited for Bernice to share her day.
Judging by the way that Bernice was bouncing in her chair, they knew she had a story to tell.
Okay, are you ready?
Bernice asked. Sure are, Mama and Papa replied.
I'll start with the good news.
So today at school, we had an Easter egg hunt.
The teachers and some of the older kids hid all kinds of eggs around the yard for us to find, and guess what?
What? Some of them were chocolate.
We spent the whole morning painting Easter eggs.
Well, first we had to learn how to do it because some kids haven't had the chance to do it before, like me.
This year, the teachers prepared the eggs ahead of time because last year we had some accidents.
I remember those accidents, you had egg all over your head and on your clothes, said Mama bear.
Yeah, last year was a lot of fun.
But this year was fun too.
This year, we took some different color dye.
We put the dye in water and dipped the eggs in it.
I got to pick my favorite color, purple.
I thought your favorite color was red asked papa bear.
That was yesterday's favorite color.
You can dip your eggs as many times as you like.
Sometimes just the tip or you mix the different colors.
First we had to put on this special smock or smock or something so the dye wouldn't get on her clothes but I think I still got some on my shirt and maybe on my fur but that's okay my eggs had purple and pink and some yucky yellow because Bobby said it was a seasonal color or something it was a lot of fun while the eggs dried we shared had some snacks.
Everyone shared the snacks that they took to school.
Guess what kind of snack I had.
I'm not a good guesser, said Mama Bear.
What kind of snack did you have?
I had fish crackers.
I've never had fish crackers before and they tasted pretty good.
Except they didn't taste like fish at all.
What did they taste like?
asked Mama Bear. Cheese, I think.
After snack, we got our eggs and we tried to make them look even prettier.
The teacher called it the finishing touches.
I thought mine were perfect, just the way they were, but Bobby wanted to put a happy face on one, and I let him.
Then the teacher gathered all the eggs, and during lunch, they went and hid them all outside in the yard. By the way, Bobby and I traded lunch today.
I had his peanut butter sandwich, and he had my veggie meatballs and rice that you made for me.
So after lunch, we all lined up and went outside to do an easter egg hunt.
It was so much fun!
I had much more fun than last year when I could only find two eggs and none of them were chocolate Can you guess how many eggs I found this year I Don't know little bear.
Did you find eight eggs that her Papa?
Hey You cheated that's not how we play this game.
You were supposed to have many guesses and then give up Sorry little bear.
I was lucky this time But I bet you don't know what kind of eggs I found.
What kind did you find?
asked mama bear. I didn't find the pretty eggs.
I found eight chocolate eggs, the kind that have a gooey center.
And I found more than anyone else.
But I gave a couple to Bobby because he only found four.
And I try to be fair.
Wow, that's great, Bernice.
Now you will have eggs to enjoy for a whole week." "-Where did you put them so they don't melt?" asked her Mama.
"-I ate them already." Mama and Papa Bear shared a look and sighed.
"-Well, it sounds like you had a great day, but what was the bad news?" asked Papa.
"-Oh, yeah, I almost forgot.
The teacher gave us homework.
What? Homework? How can that be possible?
Papa bear said with a smile.
Yeah, I have a really strict teacher, but we still like her though.
So what is your homework?
Is it math or science?
Nope, it's something much harder.
I have to color all these pictures of Easter bunnies and eggs, and I still have a hard time coloring between the lines.
Our art teacher said my coloring is very impressionistic.
When is your homework due?
I'm not sure. I think maybe tomorrow or the next day, but I want to do my best job so that the art teacher will be impressed.
I'm sure you will try your best, as you always do.
Your art is my favorite art," said Papa.
Why don't you get started while Mama and I finish dinner?
What's for dinner, Papa?
Tonight is spaghetti night.
Yes! Bernice said under her breath.
So what did you think of my coloring, Papa?
Was it good? I thought it was the best. You always say that.
That may be true, but it takes time and thoughtful practice to get good at art or any other thing you want to do, and you work hard and improve.
And to me, that's all that matters.
And having fun. Did you brush your teeth?
Yes, Papa. And I did my best job.
Did you do some stretches and some belly breaths?
Yes, Papa. Good. But my belly doesn't feel so comfortable, Papa.
And I still feel a little excited.
Hmmm… that may have something to do with eating all that chocolate.
Chocolate is a treat, remember?
I remember, but it was so good I just couldn't resist!
I'll do better next time, I promise.
Can you tell me a story?
It might be too late for a story, Little Bear, you were very excited this evening.
Just a short one please.
Okay, little bear, is Twigga comfy?
Yes, Papa. Okay, give me a big kiss and hug and I'll tell you a short, short story.
Thank you, Papa. Once upon a time, in a world full of magic and fun, there lived a brave little bear named Boo Boo.
She lived in a large castle at the edge of a mystical forest. And in this forest, there were unicorns, fairies, gnomes and all manner of insects, birds and animals.
It was a wonderful place.
Her best friend was a young dragon called KaiKai, and they liked to play as much as they could.
The kingdom they lived in was full of people who lived in the meadows, who lived in the hills, and those that lived in the forest. and they all lived in harmony.
At one time, the kingdom was ruled over by a king, and this king was not always good.
In this king's court, there worked a powerful magician who wanted the king to be happy, because a happy king meant an easier life for all.
One day, the magician gave the king a basket full of beautiful purple colored eggs that a hen laid for a present.
The king liked the eggs, but he was greedy, and he told his magician that he would like it if the hen would lay eggs of solid chocolate.
So, the magician worked another magic spell, and shortly afterwards, the hen started laying eggs of solid chocolate.
The king, a lover of chocolate, was delighted.
As these chocolate eggs were of the finest quality, he became even more wealthy and the of all the other kings.
He kept the special hen in a small cage next to him wherever he went.
Being very suspicious he felt that someday someone would try to steal his hen, so whenever visitors came to his castle he would hide the special hen and put an ordinary hen in the cage.
One day his suspicions came true.
Someone did run off with the hen that laid chocolate eggs.
The king was glad he had had his staff switch the hens, so he sent word for them to bring back his hen.
But the next day, when the king looked in his cage, all he found was a white bunny rabbit.
What's this? said the king.
Little white bunny rabbit, how did you get in here?
The king opened the cage and had his staff take the rabbit back out to the mystical forest where it belonged.
Then he called for his magician.
Where is my magic hen?' asked the king.
I told the staff to bring her back.
They did bring her back, said the magician.
I put her in the cage so that they could carry her to you.
I just didn't have time to change her back into a hen.
They never did find the little white rabbit, but from that day on, children found colorful eggs hidden all over the kingdom.
And some say that every once in a while someone finds a solid chocolate one.
And with that, Papa Bear gave Bernice a kiss on the forehead, adjusted her blanket, making sure that her giraffe friend Twigga was comfy, turned off her lamp, and quietly whispered, good night.
And that's the end of this story.
Good night. Sleep tight.
You
