~Stories for Frances

Introducing Boris and Mousie’s Great Adventures: A soon to be written series of children’s adventure stories…

Boris the Bear: How Frances and I met Boris

There’s something magical about taking your child to the zoo, isn’t there? It’s a place where you can feel the excitement of animals from all around the world, and for Frances (or as we like to call her, Mousie), our zoo trips are always filled with curiosity and wonder.

Last Saturday on a crisp fall November day, Frances and I headed to the Milwaukee County Zoo for what I thought would be just another fun day filled with animals, snacks, and new sights. Frances, proudly wearing her brand-new teal blue Carhartt knit hat, was ready for an adventure. The hat had just arrived in the mail, and she adored it—she was talking about it and playing with it all morning.

We wandered through the zoo, watching seals play, giraffes stretch their necks toward the sky, and the monkeys swing around on Monkey Island.

Then, we came to one of our favorite spots: the bear exhibit. There was Boris, a huge North American Brown Bear who had been a long-standing star attraction of the Milwaukee County Zoo.

While I was momentarily distracted by the seals (they always seem to steal the show), I turned back just in time to see her face fall. Her little hands were empty, and her new teal hat had vanished. Before I could ask, she pointed toward the deep moat that separated us from Boris’s exhibit. She had thrown her hat over the railing, and it landed at the bottom of the moat.

“Bear took my hat!” she said, clearly upset, but there wasn’t much I could do. With the depth of the moat, we couldn’t just go down there and grab it. I looked around to see if I could find an attendant to help us, but no one was around.

I figured that would be the last time we’d see that hat. Or so I thought.

I stopped at the zoo office on our way out, just in case, and told them about the hat incident. They kindly said they’d keep an eye out for it, but weeks and weeks went by, and the hat was still missing. Frances never let it go, either. “Bear took my hat,” she’d remind me every few days.

Finally, after over three weeks had past, I got the call. The zoo had cleaned the exhibit area, and they found Frankie’s hat, still intact! I couldn’t wait to tell her the news, but I knew I had to make it more than just a lost-and-found story. So, I sat her down and told her what really happened:

‘You see Mousie, I paid Boris a little visit that day… Let me tell you, he’s not the easiest bear to negotiate with. He really liked that hat too. In fact, I had to wrestle him in order to get it back! Boris put up a good fight, but after some back-and-forth, he finally agreed to give it back.’

I handed the hat to Frances, her eyes grew wide, and she started screaming and jumping up and down with excitement. “MY HAT!!!” She gave me a bunch of hugs and danced around with her hat while I told her how tough Boris was, and that it really took a lot to get him to give up that hat. (Everything written up to this point has been 100% true)

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Frankie was ecstatic as she hugged her hat tight. Then, with that determined look in her eyes, she said something I didn’t expect: “We need to go back and thank him! He’s a good bear, after all.”

The very next day, we hurried back to the zoo. When we reached Boris’s exhibit, Frankie proudly waved her hat and called out, “Thank you, Boris, for giving me my hat back!”

To our amazement, Boris lumbered over to the edge of the enclosure, settling down with a heavy thud. He gave a deep, thoughtful huff and then, in a voice as rich as the forest, he spoke. “You’re welcome, Mousie,” he said with a slow nod. “But now that you’ve got your hat back, it’s time we talk about something else… Adventures.”

Frankie’s eyes lit up. “Adventures?”

Frankie could hardly contain her excitement. “What kind of adventures?”

“Oh,” Boris rumbled, leaning in just a little closer, “the best kind. There are magical forests, secret caves, and creatures who need our help. But you’ll have to be brave, and you’ll need to visit often, because some adventures can only be found if you know where to look.”

Frankie nodded eagerly, “I’m ready! What’s our first adventure, Boris?”

Boris chuckled warmly. “We’ll start soon, Mousie. But for now, keep your eyes open and your heart full of wonder. Adventures have a way of finding those who seek them.”

And from that day forward, Frankie knew she and Boris were destined for something more than just zoo visits. Together, they would explore the wildest places, solve the greatest mysteries, and embark on adventures that only a little girl and a big bear could possibly have.

Be on the lookout for Boris and Mousie’s Great Adventures!

Cheers! ~CK