In a magical forest called the Enchanted Forest lived a bear named Osito Miel. He wasn't a very big bear, and his brain was rather small, but his heart was the biggest in all the wood. Osito Miel lived in a cozy tree house with a sign that read 'Mr. Sanders' above the door. Every morning, he would wake up and think about his favorite thing in the whole world: honey!
One sunny morning, Osito Miel checked his honey pots and discovered something terrible—they were all empty! 'Oh bother,' said Osito Miel, rubbing his rumbly tumbly. 'I'm sure there was honey in here yesterday.' He looked inside each pot, even turning them upside down, but not a single drop of golden honey remained. His tummy rumbled loudly. It was time to find more honey!
Osito Miel remembered that his friend Conejo Jardinero always had delicious food. He waddled through the wood until he found Conejo Jardinero's cozy burrow. 'Hello, Conejo Jardinero!' called Osito Miel. 'Would you happen to have any honey?' Conejo Jardinero sighed but invited his friend in. Osito Miel ate and ate and ate until his tummy was round as a balloon. But when he tried to leave—oh dear! He was stuck in Conejo Jardinero's front door!
While waiting to become un-stuck, Osito Miel heard a tiny voice. 'P-P-Osito Miel? Is that you?' It was Cerdito Rosa, the smallest and most timid creature in the Enchanted Forest. Cerdito Rosa was Osito Miel's very best friend. He wore a striped jumper and had the biggest ears for such a little piglet. 'Oh, Cerdito Rosa!' said Osito Miel happily. 'I seem to be in a bit of a sticky situation.'
After Osito Miel finally popped free from Conejo Jardinero's door (it took three whole days of not eating honey!), he and Cerdito Rosa decided to go on an adventure. 'Where shall we go, Osito Miel?' asked Cerdito Rosa nervously. 'I think,' said Osito Miel thoughtfully, 'we should go exploring. Who knows what we might find!' Together, the two friends set off through the golden-green paths of the Enchanted Forest.
They found their friend Burrito Gris standing by the stream, looking even gloomier than usual. 'What's wrong, Burrito Gris?' asked Cerdito Rosa. 'My tail,' said Burrito Gris sadly. 'It's gone. Again. Not that anyone would notice. Or care.' Osito Miel and Cerdito Rosa looked—sure enough, where Burrito Gris's tail should have been, there was nothing but a small nail! 'Don't worry, Burrito Gris,' said Osito Miel. 'We'll find it!'
Osito Miel and Cerdito Rosa searched high and low for Burrito Gris's tail. They looked under bushes, behind trees, and inside hollow logs. 'Perhaps Tigre Saltarín has seen it?' suggested Cerdito Rosa. They asked Conejo Jardinero, who was too busy with his garden. They asked Mamá Canguro, who was bathing little Cangurito. Nobody had seen the tail with the pink bow. Where could it possibly be?
Finally, they visited Búho Sabio's treehouse. 'Come in, come in!' hooted Búho Sabio importantly. As Osito Miel looked around the room, he spotted something familiar hanging by Búho Sabio's door—it was being used as a bell-pull! 'Búho Sabio,' said Osito Miel slowly, 'that's Burrito Gris's tail!' 'Is it?' said Búho Sabio, surprised. 'I found it in the forest and thought it made a rather fine bell-pull.' They rushed to return it to Burrito Gris, who was so happy he almost smiled.
BOUNCE! BOUNCE! BOUNCE! Something orange and stripy came bouncing through the forest. 'Hoo-hoo-hoo!' shouted Tigre Saltarín, the most wonderful thing about Tigre Saltaríns is that he was the only one! He bounced right into Osito Miel, knocking him over. 'Hello there!' said Tigre Saltarín. 'I'm Tigre Saltarín! T-I-double Guh-ER! And bouncing is what Tigre Saltaríns do best!'
Tigre Saltarín wanted to show everyone how high he could bounce. He bounced up, up, UP—right into the tallest tree in the forest! But then he looked down. 'Oh my,' said Tigre Saltarín, his bouncy confidence suddenly gone. 'Tigre Saltaríns don't like heights!' He clung to the branch, too scared to come down. All his friends gathered below to help rescue the stuck Tigre Saltarín.
One beautiful day, two new friends arrived in the Enchanted Forest—Mamá Canguro and her baby Cangurito! Mamá Canguro was a kind, motherly kangaroo with the softest voice. Little Cangurito peeked out from her pouch, eager to play. 'Can I bounce with Tigre Saltarín?' asked Cangurito excitedly. Mamá Canguro smiled and soon Cangurito and Tigre Saltarín became the bounciest best friends in all the wood.
Osito Miel's honey was all gone again (he couldn't imagine where it went!), so he decided to get some from the bees. He found a balloon and floated up, up, up to a tall tree where the bees kept their honey. 'I'm just a little black rain cloud,' Osito Miel hummed to himself, hoping the bees wouldn't notice. But bees are rather clever, and they knew a bear when they saw one!
BUZZ! BUZZ! BUZZ! The bees were NOT happy about Osito Miel trying to take their honey! They chased him through the forest, over hills, past Conejo Jardinero's garden, and around Búho Sabio's tree. Poor Osito Miel ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. 'Oh bother, oh bother, OH BOTHER!' he puffed. He dove into the stream with a great SPLASH, and the bees finally flew away.
Just when Osito Miel climbed out of the water, cold and dripping, he heard a familiar voice. 'Silly old bear!' It was Nicolás, the kindest boy in all the world. He wrapped Osito Miel in a warm towel and gave him a whole pot of golden honey. 'Thank you, Nicolás,' said Osito Miel happily. 'You always know just what to do.' And Nicolás smiled, because helping his friends was his favorite thing.
To celebrate their friendship, Nicolás organized a grand picnic in the sunny meadow. Everyone came—Osito Miel with his honey pot, Cerdito Rosa with haycorn sandwiches, Conejo Jardinero with vegetables from his garden, Búho Sabio with stories to tell, Burrito Gris with a reluctant smile, Tigre Saltarín with his bounces, and Mamá Canguro and Cangurito with delicious cake. They laughed and played until the sun began to set.
One misty morning, Osito Miel went for a walk and got terribly lost. The fog was so thick he couldn't see his own paws! 'Oh my,' said Osito Miel, turning this way and that. Every tree looked the same. Every path led nowhere. He sat down on a log and felt a little scared. 'I wish my friends were here,' he whispered to the mist.
But Osito Miel's friends WERE looking for him! Cerdito Rosa was brave even though he was frightened. Tigre Saltarín bounced through the mist calling his name. Conejo Jardinero organized a search party. Even Burrito Gris helped, though he expected the worst. Finally, they heard Osito Miel's little hum through the fog. 'There he is!' squeaked Cerdito Rosa. They all rushed to hug their dear friend. Together, they found their way home.
Poor Burrito Gris's house of sticks had fallen down again. 'It doesn't matter,' said Burrito Gris gloomily. 'I didn't like that corner anyway.' But his friends thought it mattered very much! Everyone worked together—Osito Miel and Cerdito Rosa gathered sticks, Conejo Jardinero designed the plans, Tigre Saltarín bounced down tall branches, Búho Sabio supervised, and Nicolás helped stack. By sunset, Burrito Gris had the coziest house in all the wood.
The animals decided to throw a 'Hero Party' for Osito Miel! 'But what did I do?' asked Osito Miel, confused. 'You're always kind,' said Cerdito Rosa. 'You help find lost things,' said Burrito Gris, patting his tail. 'You're a wonderful friend,' said everyone together. Osito Miel felt warm and happy inside—warmer even than honey made him feel. Being loved by his friends was the sweetest thing of all.
As the stars came out over the Enchanted Forest, Nicolás tucked Osito Miel into bed. 'Osito Miel,' he said softly, 'promise you'll never forget me, even when I'm a hundred.' Osito Miel thought carefully. 'How old shall I be then?' 'Ninety-nine,' said Nicolás. Osito Miel nodded. 'I promise.' And with a warm hug and dreams full of honey, the Enchanted Forest said goodnight.
