BORO BEAR’S BIG DAY OUT

 

Once upon a time, there lived Boro Bear. He had been lingering inside The Lamex for the past few years to be safe from Covid-19 but now it’s time to get some fresh air. He wants to get out for a trip, somewhere extraordinary, somewhere he can enjoy, at least for a few days. That afternoon, he started to consider where he should go. “Hmmm”, Boro Bear thought, as he walked past some babbling boys. One of them asked “Hi Boro Bear, why are you looking so anxious?” Boro Bear told him all about his idea of a trip for a few days. “Hmmm… ok. Hoping that you will have some ideas!” the boy explained.

 

After a few hours, Boro Bear sat on a bench and thought hard. “Where should I go?” he thought. Suddenly, he came up with a fabulous idea. Paris! He dreamt, startled by his thought. Imagine! For a few minutes, he started to plan what things he thought he could do in Paris. He quickly grabbed some paper and a pen and wrote:

“Where should I visit in Paris?”

1. Eiffel Tower
2. The Louvre

 

“Hmmm… what else?” he thought, tapping his pen thoughtfully on the paper. “Oh yeah” he thought as he jotted down some more notes. He added:

3. Disneyland (maybe)
4. Arc de Triomphe

“Yep, that’s it!” he mumbled to himself, as he wandered out the undersized room. He rested for a few minutes and suddenly woke up. “Where should I live?” he wondered. He grabbed the paper and wrote:

“Where should I live?”

 

A group of boys walked past him again, so he went to ask them if they knew any places he could live in Paris and if they actually visited. “I don’t know any places you could live in Paris, Boro Bear” he replied.

 

“Oh OK” he said solemnly.

 

“I know” said another boy.

 

“What?” Boro Bear questioned, confused.

 

“Where you should live!” he replied.

 

“Oh!” Boro Bear said excitedly. “Where?”

 

“Marais. I visited Paris and I used to live there!” he responded.

 

Boro Bear took the paper and wrote: Marais.

 

“Perfect!” he grinned, waving goodbye to them.

 

He packed his luggage and folded the list. “Alright,” he said, shoving the piece of paper into his coat pocket. “I must go and tell them” he murmured in a calm voice. He sauntered towards them slowly and informed them.

 

“Bye, Boro Bear”, they said.

 

“Bye, guys” Boro Bear said. He walked out of The Lamex and glanced back at it one last time. “I will be back soon”, he thought.

 

After a few minutes, he reached the airport. He sat on a bench and imagined how it would be in Paris till his flight arrived. After a few hours, when his flight finally landed on the cold cement of the airport, he proceeded into it. “Hmmm, relaxing”, he thought. He pulled out his earbuds from his smallish carry bag and listened to the soothing music. “Brrr, it is so cold” he thought, grasping his blanket and his pillow.

 

He revived at 9:00am and devoured his bagels and sipped his milk. “Yum yum”, he thought, chuckling to himself. He reached Paris at 10am. The sight blew his mind.

 

“Wow”, he muttered, astonished. Lush green trees grew everywhere. Streaks of white danced in the ultramarine sky as the taste of joy engulfed the atmosphere. There, in the middle of the sea of green and shiny grey, stood the Eiffel Tower, reaching over the inevitable depths of the sky. “The whole thing is just… amazing” he thought, staring at the remarkable monument. He fetched his list and thought “Hmmm… Eiffel Tower”.

 

It took him a long time to reach this place, and once he got here, he felt amazing. He took his list out and scribbled:

Where should I visit in Paris?

1. Eiffel Tower
2. The Louvre
3. Disneyland (maybe)
4. Arc de Triomphe

 

Then, Boro Bear strolled off to find Marais, since he is going to live there. But it seemed impossible in this vast area. “Taxi” he called loudly. One of the twenty or so identical-looking cars drove up to him.

“Where to, sir?” the driver questioned.

“Le Marais”, Boro Bear replied politely.

 

The car screeched to a halt fifteen or so minutes later. He was facing an extensive building, with numerous windows and countless doors. An exotic fountain sat in the middle, surrounded by freshly cut grass.

 

“Thank you” he smiled at the driver. He ambled in as the aroma of lily and lavender filled the air. A slight lady sat in the reception facing a large computer screen.

 

“Can I please check-in?” he asked kindly.

 

“Of course” the lady replied.

 

After a few minutes, he was led to his room by a short, plump man wearing a bow tie and pinstriped suit.

 

“There you go, sir” he said, smiling.

 

His room was small yet luxurious. A single bed sat in the middle, covered in linen sheets and many pillows. A coffee table posed next to it, and a thick carpet covered the floor.

 

“Wow” he muttered, stunned, as he drew back the curtains of his balcony.

 

He rested for some time on the bed and went to take a shower. Then he put on his shoes and got ready to go to the Louvre. He was almost outside the hotel when he realised something. He had forgotten the list! He dashed back swiftly and fetched it. Walking slowly, yet playfully, he listed to his favourite piece of music, Whistle by Black Pink. Suddenly, he discovered a man selling maps for free. He grabbed one and followed the path to the Louvre. “Amazing” he thought, flabbergasted. He went in to see the museum. Astonishing artefacts lined the shelves, and the walls were coloured so brightly it seemed to hurt his eyes even to glance at them. He checked his watch.

 

“Oh no, it’s nearly night time now” he thought, walking back to Marais. Then, he got his list and crossed the Louvre out. “Two more to go” he thought. He walked into his room and tidied his bed, getting ready to sleep.

 

“Haaa”… Boro Bear yawned sleepily the next day. He managed to brush his teeth, sit on the bed, read his book, drink his milk and eat his cereal. He strode to his desk and opened the drawer to get his list and his map. “Disneyland” he thought curiously, looking at his map. “Aha! There you go!” he whispered to himself. He followed the path curiously, checking the map with each step he took.

 

Suddenly, there was a shadow of him surrounded by some lighting. His luminous eyes stared up at the view. It was the Arc de Triomphe! “But I followed the path to Disneyland!” he thought puzzled. “Maybe I just got muddle up”.

 

He marched towards the Arc de Triomphe confidently. He took some pictures and went back to Marais. “Such a beautiful place” he thought peacefully. He crossed out Arc de Triomphe from his list. He rested for some hours and watched TV. Then, he got his shoes, the map and the list. Then, he set off to Disneyland. “Hoping that I will get the right one this time” he thought, checking his map.

 

It would take a long time to get to Disneyland from Marais, but he managed to get there quickly enough.

 

“Wonderful” he thought, amazed.

 

The signature Disney castle rose up into the sky. He saw Disney character shaped balloons, so he went to buy one of the Mickey Mouse ones. He walked in and saw brilliant things in there. Then he went back to Marais and wrote:

I am coming to the Lamex tomorrow!

 

He got out the stuffed list and the pictures from his pocket and put it in his bag.

 

The next morning he woke up at 8:00am and arrived at the airport at 9:00am. He sat on the bench and read his book. After one hour, his flight came and he fell asleep right when he got there.

 

In the meantime, it was snowing. It was snowing even the next morning. When he got to the Lamex, he hugged everyone and shared his pictures with them. They lived happily ever after.

 

THE END

 

Chaitra S