Herbert the Bear Goes to School

It was a rainy and cloudy day. It was Herbert’s first day of school today He woke up and had a great big stretch.

But Herbert was scared. He didn’t want to go to school. He didn’t know anybody else there. And he didn’t want to leave his mum. He sat up in his bed and frowned a great big frown.

Herbert’s mum came into his room. ‘What’s wrong, Herbert?’ she asked him. ‘I don’t want to go to school, mum’ he said, ‘I’m scared. What if I don’t make any friends?’ His mum just smiled at him. ‘Everything will be fine, Herbert’. And she gave him a great big hug.

Herbert got dressed, ate his breakfast, and brushed his teeth. Even though his mum said it would be okay, he was still a little bit scared. He made his bed and went downstairs where his mum was waiting. She saw that he still looked worried and said, ‘The other animals will be very nice, I’m sure’, and gave him a great big kiss on the forehead.

Then they got in the car and started driving to school. When they got to school, Herbert started to cry. He didn’t want to get out of the car. But his mum said ‘You need to go to school so you can learn! Just be yourself and you’re sure to make friends. You’ll have a great day!’ and she gave him another great big hug.

As he was walking through the gate, a panda bumped into him. ‘Sorry’, the panda said, ‘I’m very nervous. It’s my first day today’. ‘It’s my first day, and I’m a bit nervous, too’, Herbert said. ‘My name’s Herbert. What’s yours?’ ‘I’m Phillip. Do you want to walk into school together?’ asked Phillip. ‘That would be great’, replied Herbert, and smiled a great big smile.

Just then, the rain stopped and the sun came out. ‘Do you want to be my friend?’ asked Phillip. Herbert was very happy. ‘I would like that very much’, he said. They both skipped up the path and into their classroom.

When his mum came into his classroom to take him home, he didn’t want to leave! All the other animals except Phillip had been skinned, some of whom were still alive and slowly bleeding to death. It was eerily silent, the only sounds to be heard were quiet screams from the dying and a ‘munch, munch, munch’ made by an eye in-between Herbert’s teeth.

His mum just stood there and laughed, ‘Oh Herbert, what will we do with you’, and Herbert smiled a great big smile.