Ted goes Bananas

Where in the world is Ted ?

Ted likes to travel ... he travels a lot and he likes to share his stories and pictures with you.

This morning Ted woke up on a tropical island and his tummy growled. He looked around his little hut but couldn't find anything to eat.

Nothing!

"I'll have to go hunt for my breakfast," he said bravely. "I'm a bear. I can do this." He opened the door and looked around at all the bushes and trees. It was like a jungle out there. It was a jungle out there! He didn't feel so brave any more.

"I can do this," he told himself out loud, "I ... think ... I ... can." So, very slowly at first, Ted stepped out into the jungle to find something to eat for breakfast.

He followed a narrow path and when the path divided into two he had to decide if he should go left or right. Ted thought if he picked the same direction each time it would mean he was going in a circle and he would end up back at his hut. He picked left each time.

It was hard to see very far with so many big plants close around him and he hadn't seen any food. He climbed up on one of the big leaves to help him see farther.

"Wow," he laughed, "these leaves are as big as an elephant ears!"

"That's what they are called," said a voice, "elephant ears".

Ted looked around. He couldn't see anyone ... only big leaves and other green plants. "Who's there?" he asked. He was so scared the sound of his voice almost didn't make it out of his mouth.

"I am," said the voice, "I'm up here."

Ted's eyes searched all around trying hard to find the voice and, at the same time, afraid of what it would be if he found it.

"Up here in the tree."

A bird. It was just a bird. Ted let out a deep breath.

"How are you?" asked the bird. " You are a bear aren't you? We don't get very many bears in this part of the world. My name is Red because of the red patch on my throat. What's your name."

"My name is Ted. I'm fine, thank you ... and I'm hungry too, but I can't find anything to eat."

"What do bears eat? Birds? Do you eat birds?" Red was ready to fly away.

"Oh no. I eat berries, nuts, fruit, fish ..."

"If you like fruit, then you must like bananas." he said flying down a little closer to Ted.

"Where I come from we only get bananas in a grocery store and I can't find a grocery store around here."

"You don't need a grocery store, you just pick them from a banana plant."

"A plant?"

"Yes, like that one over there."

Ted looked around. He didn't see any bananas, he only saw more green plants and different kinds of big leaves.

"See right here," and the bird flew over and sat on some short, fat, green sticks above a strange purple thing. "These are bananas. They grow in bunches and below is the purple banana flower."

Ted took a closer look. They did look like bananas. "Wow! Can I eat them?"

"The green ones might give you a tummy ache. When they get ripe enough to eat, they will turn yellow."

"Just like in the grocery store," Ted added.

"Let's find some yellow ones. Follow me," and Red flew ahead down the path.

When they found a bunch of bananas that had some yellow ones, Ted climbed up. They smelled really good. "Why are some open and black?" he asked.

"That's because my friends and I have been eating them. We are not strong enough to pick and peel, so we just poke and peck."

"YUM," Ted called out when he tasted a banana, "This is SO GOOD! It's really, REALLY good." He ate some more and then sang "♫ Yummy, yummy, yummy I've banana in my tummy. ♫" Ted ate and ate until his tummy was full.

"I'll carry the rest back with me to my hut," he told Red .... and then suddenly Ted began to cry.

"Why are you crying," Red asked.

"I don't know how to get back." Ted gasped for breath and cried, "I'M LOST !" Ted wiped his tears with a soft white flower.

"I can help you," said Red in a soft voice. "I can find the way to most places in the jungle. Where are you staying?"

"I don't know!" he sobbed. Ted was working so hard at crying, he wasn't thinking and when he wasn't thinking, he wasn't helping. Silly Ted.

"I know," croaked a tiny tree frog.

"You do?" Ted wiped his blurry eyes so he could see the frog better. "You are so tiny!"

"I am not!" said the frog jumping up onto Ted's tear wiping flower and stretching to make himself bigger. "I am a full 3 cm long ... not counting my legs!" he added proudly.

"What's your name?"

"Frederique de Frog."

"Such a big name for such a small frog," Red chimed in from a nearby tree.

"My friends call me Fred D. You may be my friends if you stop making fun of my size."

"We weren't making fun of you, we think you and your size are amazing." Ted explained. "Do you really know where my hut is?" Red listened very closely.

"Yes." Then Fred D. turned to Red and said, "He's staying in the hut with the green, white and blue trim."

"Oh, I know where that is. It's not far. Grab the rest of your banana, Ted, and follow me."

"Thank you, Fred D. You were a big help." said Ted.

"Big help for such a little guy," Fred D. made fun of himself.

"A big help no matter what size you are. Thanks again."

"Any time," and with that Fred D. hopped down from the flower, made two frog leaps, splashed into the water and swam away.

Soon Red and Ted were back at the hut. "Thanks, Red. That was a great adventure."

"I'm glad it turned out the way it did," Red said. "Jungles can be dangerous places ... even for bears ... you should never go alone."

"You're right. I'm glad we met and became friends. Thanks for showing me bananas ... now I'm bananas for bananas," he laughed. "Will you stay and share it with me."

"Good idea," Red smiled and chatted on. "The jungle has lemons too. Christopher Columbus had them planted here. We could have lemonade! Do you like lemonade? We have other fruit too, like coconuts, they are hard to get into but once ...."

Ted and Red kept nibbling on the banana and kept talking about all sorts of things ... just like friends do.