The day’s light was dimming quickly when Little Pine said goodbye to the elves. He was thinking about how fun it would be to tell his mother about his day’s adventures as he turned homeward. Then he remembered that he was supposed to stop by the Elf house to pick up treats for her.
Mother Elf had a fancy package wrapped and ready when he knocked on the door. Little Pine thanked her and said he had to hurry home or he would be late for supper. “Wait until you hear about the elves adventure today! Be prepared for extra laughter!” he said as he told Mother Elf and the Gingermans goodbye.
He had taken only a step or two away from the door when he heard a little, “Hello!” coming from the decorated tree at the bottom of the porch.
“Oh! Hello!” he said. “I’m Little Pine. Welcome to our woods!” He recognized the creature as a bear, even though he didn’t know they could be all white.
“Thank you, Little Pine. I’m Sugar Bear, and I’ve come for your Festival. Would you happen to know where I can find Grandmother Bear?”
“I’m so glad you could come, Sugar. This is a wonderful time of year for us, and your company will make it even more fun.
“Our oldest pine, Grandfather Pine, has invited all the bear guests to stay with him. So far, Grandmother Bear is the only bear I’ve met, until you. But Grandmother said a lot of bears are coming from all over.
“Walk with me and I’ll show you the path to Grandfather’s end of the pond. It’s right on my way home.”
Little Pine and Sugar Bear ambled down the trail chatting with each other. Sugar said she loved the snow. It matched her fur and when she walked through it, she felt as if she were a giant snowflake. She liked to catch the big, lacy flakes like the ones that were falling around them on her tongue. “Me, too!” said Little Pine, and the two of them laughed as they walked along with their tongues out, catching the flakes.
“I got three that time,” said Little Pine.
“I got four!” sang Sugar Bear with glee.
Sugar Bear hadn’t met the elves yet, she said. The only creature she saw was a squirrel who directed her to their home. She was just about to knock on their door when Little Pine came out.
“Where did you get the big candy cane?” Little Pine asked.
“Oh, I brought it with me from home to give as a gift at the Festival,” Sugar said.
“It’s beautiful,” Little Pine said. “And I’m sure you’ll receive something wonderful in exchange. The gift-giving is a special part of the Festival ceremony. You’ll see.”
It was almost dark when they got to the branch in the trail where the path led around the pond to Grandfather Pine’s home.
“It’s an easy path to follow,” Little Pine said. “Even in the snow, you shouldn’t have any trouble. But if you like, I’ll be happy to go with you.”
“Oh, I can see in the dim light very well, Little Pine, and you need to get home for supper. I’m sure I will be fine. But thank you for your offer. I’ll look forward to seeing you again.”
“I’ll look forward to seeing you, again, too,” Little Pine said. “And before you go, I have a present for you.”
He reached in his pocket and pulled out a fun bubble. It glowed with light and wiggled in his hand. “What’s this?” she said as he handed it to her. But before he could even answer, the bubble burst, and dozens of tiny white birds appeared, twinkling with an inner light, and singing “Follow me! Follow me!” as they headed down the path toward Grandfather Pine’s home.
And that’s just what she did.