Stan Berenstain - The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers

Copyright 1985 by Berenstains, Inc. All rights reserved under International and Pan American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Berenstain, Stan. The Berenstain Bears learn about strangers. 1. 1.

Childrens stories, American. [1. StrangersFiction. 2. BearsFiction. 3.

SafetyFiction.] I. Berenstain, Jan. II. Title. PZ7.B4483Bers 1985 [E] 84 43157 eISBN: 978-0-375-98940-7 v3.0 Brother and Sister Bear, who lived with their mama and papa in the big tree house down a sunny dirt road deep in Bear Country, looked quite a lot alike. Except for the fact that Brother was a boy cub and Sister was a girl cub, they were alike in many ways.

And even though they each had hobbies (Brother loved to build and fly model airplanes; Sister had all sorts of special interests), they enjoyed many of the same things: bike riding, baseball, soccer, Frisbee, and just getting out and enjoying nature. Yes, Brother and Sister were alike in many ways. But in some important ways they were different. Brother Bear was cautious and careful and a little wary of strangers. Sister, on the other hand, wasnt the least bit wary. She was friendly to a fault.

Just about everybody that came her way got a big hello. Hello, butterfly! Hello, frog!
Hello, Mr. Truck Driver! Hello, Mrs. Shopper! Brother worried about Sisters free and easy way with strangers. Strangers werent a problem for him. But friendly to-a-fault Sister was different. But friendly to-a-fault Sister was different.

She talked to everybody. Sister, said Brother. Youre going to have to stop that! Stop what? she asked. Talking to strangers! Its just not a good idea! Why? she wanted to know. Why shouldnt I talk to strangers? What harm is there in it? Is there something wrong with strangers? Hmm, said Brother, thinking about it for a moment. Those arent questions for a brother.

Those are for a mama or papa Sister Bear, Im glad you asked those questions! said Papa Bear, in his deepest and most serious voice. The reason you should never talk to a stranger and never ever take presents from a stranger and never ever ever go anywhere with a stranger is that its dangerous. Whats dangerous about it? she asked, wide-eyed. What can happen? Oh, dear, thought Mama Bear. I do hope Papa can tell Sister about strangers without making everything scary. All sorts of things! Papa said.

Here! Look at the newspaper! As she looked at it her eyes got wider and wider. This is what she saw I hope youre paying attention to all this, called Papa to Brother Bear. Yes, Papa, said Brother, looking up from his airplanes. When Sister asked for a bedtime story that evening, Papa said, Of course! I have just the one! It was in an old book that Papa had kept since he was a cub. The story was called Silly Goose and Wily Fox. It told how Silly Goose got into a conversation with Wily Fox, and before Silly knew quite what was happening she found herself in Wilys lair.

This is how the story ended: then there was a snip and a snap and all that was left of Silly Goose was a few floating feathers and a smile on the face of Wily Fox.