Grizzly George and the Art of the Dramatic Yawn
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Show Notes
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Grizzly George was a bear of impressive bulk and even more impressive forgetfulness. Every autumn, like all sensible bears, George was supposed to curl up in his cozy cave for a long winter nap. But this year, something was terribly wrong.
"Now, what was it again?" George mumbled, pacing his cave. "Do I count sheep? Do I sing a lullaby? Do I… do I tie myself to a tree until spring?"
His best friend, Penelope the porcupine, peered out from a knot in the tree just outside George’s cave. "George, dear, you just lie down and close your eyes. It’s a very natural process."
"But what if I miss something important?" George worried, his voice a rumbling whisper. "What if the squirrels have a secret nut party I'm not invited to? What if a particularly interesting rock rolls by and I'm asleep?"
Penelope sighed. She knew George was a worrier. To help, she’d written him a very detailed list: "1. Eat all the berries. 2. Find a comfy spot. 3. Close eyes. 4. Snore until spring." George had, predictably, lost the list.
One frosty evening, as the first snowflakes began to fall, George decided he needed inspiration. He curled up by the cave entrance, determined to watch another animal hibernate. Just then, Willy the sleepy woodchuck ambled by, yawned a wide, chattering yawn, and burrowed into his own den with a contented sigh.
"Ah!" George exclaimed. "The trick is to yawn dramatically!" He tried it, a huge, cavernous yawn that made his jaw creak. It felt good. He tried another. And another. Soon, George was yawning so much his eyes watered.
Penelope, watching from her den , giggled. "Keep going, George! You’re almost there!"
George let out one final, enormous yawn, stretched out his big paws, and before he knew it, he was fast asleep, dreaming of endless berries and very quiet rock formations. He snored so loudly the icicles in his cave vibrated gently. Penelope simply smiled, knowing her friend had finally remembered the most important thing of all: how to simply be a bear.