New Year of Bear

There was a bear who moved to a village near a forest from a faraway place.

As winter approached, the bear found a tree hollow, laid dry grass inside, hid its head under its paws, and curled up into a big furry ball to sleep.

Bears don't need alarm clocks. When spring arrives, they naturally wake up. At that time, they hear the continuous spring thunder and smell the enticing scent of fresh food, which makes them hungry. So, they crawl out of their tree hollows to welcome the new year.

Every bear is like this.

The bear slept and slept, continuously dreaming. Various kinds of dreams—climbing tall trees, chasing squirrels; pouncing and grabbing in the river, when a big fish leaps up and vigorously swings its tail, smacking the bear's face—smack!—smack, smack, smack, smack, smack, smack... The sound grew louder, and the bear was startled awake!

Crackling! Boom! Rubbing its eyes, the bear felt a bit confused. Was it thunder? Has spring arrived? But the bear was still very sleepy!

It rested its head on the dry grass, thinking for a while. Just then, the bear caught a whiff of a fragrant and sweet smell, enough to make a bear forget its drowsiness. The bear opened its eyes wide, extended its nose, and greedily sniffed the air.

The bear pressed its nose against the crack in the tree hollow, and its stomach immediately rumbled!

Yes, indeed, spring had arrived!

The bear eagerly crawled out of the hollow. As the wind blew, it shivered a little, but the scent was too alluring. Step by step, the bear followed the fragrance and entered the village. The village was blooming with flowers, vibrant and of various shapes, with birds perched on them. The bear had never seen so many beautiful flowers before.

White steam billowed out from the gaps in the windows. The bear pressed its face against the glass. Ah, there was a big tree hollow here too! Much brighter than the bear's own tree hollow! Apples, pears, radishes, sweet potatoes... The bear saw many things it loved to eat.

A nose pressed against the other side of the glass—it was a child. He looked at the bear, and the bear looked at him. The child smiled at the bear, and the bear smiled back. The child opened the door for the bear, saying, "Let's celebrate the new year together!"

The bear scratched its head and happily chuckled. Entering this big tree hollow made it extremely joyful!

The bear looked around in all directions.

The bear kept eating non-stop.

The bear couldn't resist touching everything around.

At night, the bear and the child set off fireworks together. When the fireworks bloomed in the night sky, the bear was amazed!

The child said to the bear, "Happy New Year!"

New year? The bear had never celebrated it this way before. It thought for a moment and remembered the little river, the forest, the birds that chirped, and the dandelions with their fluffy fur.

The bear bid farewell to the child and returned to its tree hollow, hiding its head under its paws and curling up into a big furry ball.

The bear fell asleep.

This time, it was determined to sleep until spring arrives before waking up.