BONGO (7)

BONGO  (7)

" H-hello, " said Bongo shyly.
Perhaps this was another playmate, he thought.

Lumpjaw did not bother to speak.

He just swung one great paw at the little bear, and bong !
Bongo crashed against a tree trunk, headfirst !

As he pulled himself to his feet and shook his dizzy head, Lumpjaw lunged forward to him again.

But Bongo's new friends stepped between them.

While Lumpjaw fumed, she stepped up to Bongoーand slapped him soundly on the sheek.

Bongo couldn't believe it.

But it was true enough.
So that there could be no mistake, the bear he thought his friend slapped him on the other cheek.

Bongo's heart was broken.
He turned and slowly rode away.
He did not deam that when he did this, it hurt the feeling of his friend.

For no one had ever told him the ways of bears. 
How could he know that when a bear likes another bear, he says it with a slap ?

Off into the woods went Bongo, heartsick.
And the farther he rode, the sadder he felt.

" I should never have left the circus, " said Bongo to himself.
" Nobody likes me here. "
And he sighed.

Soon, as Bongo rode along, he heard near by the pounding rhythm of heavy feet.

It sounded as though they were dancing.
And he heard deep voice rumbling in what sounded like a song.

Quietly Bongo crept to the edge of an open clearing.

(7/10)