Little Pine had only gone a few steps down the trail when he spotted two more little bears playing in the branches of one of his cousin pines. He introduced himself and welcomed them to the Festival.
“Hi, Little Pine! We’re the Wuzzy Bears. I’m Fuzzy and this is my little brother Buzz,” said the older bear. “We’re so happy to be here for your Festival. The trees in your woods are so, so, um, fluffy! Their needles are so long and soft! We love playing in them. Where we live, the pines all have short, bright needles, like yours. They’re easier to grip, I must admit. But these long ones tickle and make us laugh!”
Little Pine giggled. This was the most talkative bear he’d met yet. “Well, just be careful. Only a few minutes ago I met a little bear who took a tumble from one of these trees and bumped his head.”
“Oh, we’re adept climbers,” Fuzzy said. “Don’t you worry about us.”
“Say, I like your name, Fuzzy. It suits you,” Little Pine said.
Fuzzy giggled. “Thanks,” he said. “My fur came from a wish. When I was born, for some reason I didn’t have much fur, just a little bit of fuzz. So Mom and Dad called me Fuzzy, and they made a birthday wish that my fuzz would turn to fur. And as you can see, their wish came true, even though it took a full year, and by then, of course, it was too late to change my name.”
“That’s a great story,” said Little Pine. “I believe all wishes that are made from the heart come true in one way or another. Sometimes they take a while, and sometimes they don’t turn out quite the way you expected. But sooner or later, they’re granted. At least that’s what I believe.
“And how did Buzz get his name?”
“Well,” said Fuzzy. “His story is kind of funny. Just after he was born, he went for a little stroll and somehow he tumbled into a pool of honey. He thought that he’d been born into the sweetest world! He ate as much as his baby tummy would hold, and when he came back from his adventure, he was covered in sticky honey and a bunch of bees were buzzing around him. Then when he tried to say how fun it all was, his mouth was so sticky that all he could do was buzz.
“And you know what? To this day, when he’s really, really happy, he buzzes with joy.”
Buzz buzzed, and Little Pine laughed.
“Are you two in the choir?” Little Pine asked. “I heard some of the rehearsal last night.”
“Oh, yes!” said Fuzzy. “All the bears are taking part. It’s our special gift for Festival Day.”
“Well from what I heard last night, it’s going to be very special indeed,” said Little Pine.
“Sugar Bear is teaching different groups of us every night because bears keep arriving. And on Festival Day, we’ll put all our parts together. So until then, even we don’t know how it will sound, but we sure are excited,” Fuzzy said.
“Everyone is excited,” said Little Pine. “Festival Day is the best day of the year. The Light begins its return and it plants the kernels of new dreams in everyone. Then we rest and let the kernels grow, each of them taking its own special shape for each of us, all of them helping us reach for our own best possibilities for the coming year. It’s a gift from the Yes, and that’s why we celebrate with so much joy.”
“It happens that way where we live, too,” said Fuzzy. “The Light brings the Life of the Yes to us to show us what we can be.”
“Well whatever dreams it brings you,” said Little Pine, “I bet they’ll be wrapped in fun.”
“I hope they’ll be drenched in honey!” said Buzz, buzzing a little and smacking his lips.
Little Bear laughed and reached in his pocket. “I’m going to see if I can meet more bears,” he said. “You are one of the friendliest species I’ve ever met! Here’s a little present for you, just to thank you for coming.” And he gave them each fun bubbles that burst into the sounds of a laughing kazoo and spun strands of honey candy all around them.