Estimated read aloud timing: 4 minutes

(Have you read Chapter 5, Post 1: Flapjax for Sale yet? If not, we recommend starting there!)

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Flapjax was in a bit of a pickle…

He had meant to play a fun joke on Libby. Now he was stuck high up on a shelf with a bunch of other stuffed bears who wouldn’t even talk to him. And to make matters worse, he was in his least favorite place in the entire world (the mall!).

Worst of all, Libby was gone. He glanced around at the bears around him and pouted.

Why were they so mean? Couldn’t they see he was upset and needed help? But they just sat there and watched the humans walking around the store.

How was he going to get home? Or was Libby coming back for him?

He couldn’t just sit around and wait like all the other bears. He needed to find Libby.

Flapjax couldn’t drive–humans wouldn’t give a bear a license. In all fairness, he couldn’t reach the pedals, nor could he see over the steering wheel, so that was probably the right decision. But it made getting home quite difficult!

He had to get to a phone. He would dial his phone number and his humans would know it was him…they would have to!

But where could he find a phone? Flapjax pondered his options as he watched all the humans come and go. Most of them were on their cellphones, typing away with speedy thumbs. Flapjax didn’t have thumbs, but maybe, just maybe, his paws were small enough to hit the right places on the screens.

He had to at least try.

With stealthy, nimble bear moves, Flapjax climbed back down the toy shelf and scampered across the floor until he was safely hidden among a rack of colorful dresses. They were quite soft, he thought, as he stuffed his head and arms into a flowery, red dress.

(Maybe he could bring back dresses for bears, like in the Robin Hood days! Ugh but then he’d have to wear tights. Never mind…)

Properly disguised as his favorite human (Libby, obviously), Flapjax felt brave enough to find a phone to borrow.

He saw pocketbooks all over, but they were guarded by their towering owners, and while Flapjax was brave, he was not dumb, and he knew jumping into a pocketbook held by a human would surely be a bad idea. He shuffled casually over to where a human boy was sitting on a bench outside the dressing rooms. The boy had earbuds in and looked to be watching something on a phone.

This was it!

Flapjax jumped up onto the bench and scooted over until he was right next to the boy. The boy glanced questioningly at Flapjax, and Flapjax waved a paw at him. The boy smiled and went back to watching his phone. Flapjax poked the boy a few times until he looked up again, but now the boy was annoyed.

“What? I’m watching Spider-Man. Leave me alone.”

Flapjax frowned and pointed to the phone and then to himself.

“You want to use my phone? But what are you going to do with it?”

Flapjax mimicked talking on the phone.

“How are you going to talk on the phone if you can’t even talk?”

Flapjax sniffed thoughtfully. They boy had a good point. Then he pointed at the phone and mimicked texting with his paw.

“How are you going to type? You don’t have any fingers.”

Flapjax frowned and shrugged. Minor details. He always figured out ways around things humans seemed to rely on, like fingers.

“And how old are you? I bet you can’t even read yet.”

Flapjax sighed. This boy had no faith in him. So what if he was right? Flapjax would find a way home. He had to!

The boy went back to typing, but Flapjax was not willing to give up. He leapt up, grabbed the phone, and ran away as fast as his little stuffed legs could carry him.

Flapjax was out the door before the human boy knew what was happening, but it wasn’t long before the chase began…

Come back next Tuesday to find out how Flapjax makes his way back home!

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