Mrs Nettlebed and the Woodlanders

Description

Following the success of the first Mrs Nettlebed book, this collection of new stories opens up the world of nature to younger children.

Read an extract from Mrs Nettlebed and the Woodlanders

Brother Bear and the Empty Cave

In which Bear finds a new home and has a hot reception… 

When Brother Bear first discovered the cave, he was very excited. Very, very excited! His heart gave a little jump. Then it gave a big jump. His breathing stopped, just for a moment. His two big, round, hairy knees rubbed against one another.

Bear took a great big gulp of air and stepped forward.

He peered inside. Then he stepped inside. Well, he put one toe over the threshold!

He waited a second or so, before putting his whole foot inside. His leg followed his foot, and half of his body followed his leg. His head followed his body. Or rather, his eye followed. It peered inside.

It was empty.

Or so he thought!

Just then, the sun broke through the clouds. It threw a great beam of light that filled the cave. Brother Bear suddenly felt brave. He stepped into the cave and examined it. It was big and had a few dark corners. The floor was sandy but under that, the floor was rock. The walls were made of rock. The ceiling was made of rock.

“This would make a very good home,” he thought. “Very secure…”

He scratched his big black nose with a big hairy paw,

There, in the middle of the floor he spotted a large, flat stone.

“It has even got a seat,” he thought. “I can sit on that; and, I can bring in some dry grass and make myself a cosy bed in that corner.”

Just then, he spied something else.

“Look there, it has a shelf! I can store my honey on that!” he said out aloud. (Bear is, as you may know, is very fond of honey.)

Brother Bear was very happy with the picture he was painting in his mind’s eye ‑ stacks of honey on the shelf and himself sitting on the stone seat, eating to his heart’s content while his feet rested on his soft grassy bed.

“This is what I have always wanted,” he said.