Bruno the Bear Cub and the Stubborn Boulder

Chapter 1: There is no shame in asking for help

In a mossy mountain forest called Pinecrest, there lived a young bear cub named Bruno. Bruno was strong for his age, and he was proud of it. He could lift logs, flip rocks, and climb trees faster than any cub his size.

But Bruno had one problem. He believed that asking for help meant he was weak.

"I can do it myself," he would say, even when he couldn't.

When his shoelaces knotted, he tugged at them for an hour rather than ask Mama. When his math homework confused him, he stared at it until bedtime, rather than ask his teacher. When he was lost on the trail, he walked in circles rather than ask a passing deer for directions.

"Asking for help is for little cubs," he told himself. "Big bears do things alone."

One autumn morning, Bruno decided to build a cozy den for his friend Hazel the hedgehog, whose old home had washed away in a storm. It was a kind idea, and Bruno was determined to finish it by himself.

"A surprise!" he whispered. "She'll be so happy."

He gathered sticks and leaves, and he dug a hollow in the hillside. But a huge gray boulder sat right where the doorway should be. It was round, heavy, and stubborn.

Bruno pushed. The boulder didn't move.

He pushed harder, huffing and puffing. Nothing.