Bruno Builds a Bridge

The forest was bright and green. Sunlight made the leaves shine like tiny flags. Bruno Bear woke up, stretched his strong, fuzzy arms, and sniffed the sweet pine air.

From far away, he heard the river go, "Rush, hush, shhhhh." Bruno lumbered to the bank. The little log bridge that crossed the water was gone. The river had grown big and busy after the rain.

Maple the squirrel skittered down a trunk. "Oh no! The bridge!" she chirped.

Daisy the rabbit peeked from a clump of ferns. "My carrot patch is on the other side," she said.

Pip the beaver slapped his tail. "I can chew sticks," he said proudly. Lark the bird swooped low. "I can look from above!" she sang.

Bruno rubbed his chin. His paws were wide and strong, but his voice was soft. "We can make a new bridge," he said. "The forest will help us."

Maple’s eyes went round. "How?"

"With what we find," said Bruno. "Logs and vines. Smooth stones. Good ideas."

Together they walked along the river. The ground went squish-squish under Bruno’s paws. He smelled wet leaves and sticky sap. Lark flew in loops. "There!" she called. "A narrow bend! The banks are close."

They found a fallen tree caught in brambles. It was big and heavy and just right.

Bruno wrapped his arms around the log. "Heave—" he said.

"Ho!" said Pip, pushing with his tail.

The log rolled a little. Thump. Thump. Thump. Maple darted to pull prickly vines away. Daisy hopped and picked straight sticks.

The log slipped toward the rushing water. "Uh-oh!" squeaked Daisy.

Bruno planted his paws in the mud. He felt the earth press back. "I’ve got you," he rumbled to the log, and to his friends. He leaned, slow and steady. Pip shoved a flat rock under the log to wedge it. The log held.

"Good thinking," Bruno told Pip.

They pushed again, together. Heave-ho! Lark guided them from the sky. "A little left! A little right!" she sang.

When they reached the narrow bend, Bruno looked at the river. It rushed and sparkled. "We’ll set the big log here," he said. "We’ll make little steps to help it rest."

Pip chewed small branches. Chip, chip, chip. Daisy lined up sticks like soldiers. Maple found twisty green vines and wove them like ribbons.

Bruno searched for a long, strong branch. He slid one end under a round stone. "A lever," he said. "We can lift the heavy with the long."

"Long makes strong!" Maple sang, and everybody giggled.

They pressed. The stone rose just enough. Bruno slid in a flat rock. "Step one," he said.

They made another step. And another. The big log rose higher. Bruno’s shoulders were tired, but his heart felt light.

At last, they rolled the log over the steps. The end bumped the far bank. Thump!

The log wobbled.

"Don’t wobble," whispered Daisy.

Bruno set one paw on the log. He breathed in pine. He breathed out slow. "Easy, old friend," he told the log. He pressed with his weight. The wobble smoothed out. Pip splashed into the shallows and tucked stones at the sides. Maple tied vines in crisscross knots. Lark found more vines and dropped them like green ribbons from the sky.

"Try it," said Lark.

"I will go first," said Bruno. He stepped onto the bridge. Step. Pause. Step. The river sang under him, but the bridge was strong.

On the other side, he turned and grinned. "Come on!"

Daisy hopped, hop-hop-hop. Maple dashed in tiny zips. Pip waddled with his tail held high. Lark flew above, just because she could.

They made it! On the far bank, the berry bushes were heavy with fruit. Purple, red, and blue. Bees hummed near a tree with a golden hole.

"Snack time," said Bruno.

They picked and munched. Berries popped. Soon Daisy had a purple mustache. Maple had sticky paws. Pip had a happy, splishy beard. Bruno’s fur had little berry dots that made everyone laugh.

"We did it together," said Maple.

Bruno licked a paw. "The forest helped us, and we helped the forest," he said. He patted the bridge. "Now everyone can cross."

The river went rush, hush, shhhhh, but softer now. Sunlight danced on the water. A dragonfly drew a shiny line in the air.

"What shall we build next?" asked Pip.

Bruno smiled and lay back on the warm, flat rocks. "Let’s listen to the forest," he said. "It will tell us."

They rested, full and happy, while the bright, busy day went on, and the new bridge held strong.