Libby took really good care of Flapjax, and Flapjax was a good friend right back…well, usually. Sometimes he got them both into trouble, but that was never purposeful! And Flapjax loved his human parents. They watched over him and let him have really good snacks, and they were pretty fun most of the time (as long as they weren’t forcing him into a bath).

So, when Flapjax found out that Mom had to go on a work trip to a place far away – so far away that she would have to go on an airplane to get there – Flapjax knew his duty to the family. He was a cuddly bear, but he was also a protective bear, and he would be there to protect Mom on her trip and make sure she was cozy and comfortable the whole time.

Plus, Flapjax would get to fly…

Flapjax dreamed of flying, of seeing all of the fun places they usually only got to see on the map placemats that caught their spilled Cheerios, and he was pretty sure the states were not really pink and purple and blue and yellow. But if he could fly, he would know for sure. And this was his chance!

Unfortunately for Flapjax, Mom said he and Libby had to stay home with Dad. That meant all kinds of treats like staying up late, watching movies way past bedtime, and eating all the popcorn they could gobble down, so Libby wasn’t too disappointed. But Flapjax had his heart set on flying.

That night, after all his humans had gone to sleep, Flapjax tip-toed to Mom and Dad’s room, found Mom’s suitcase in the dark, and carefully, quietly unzipped it before hopping in and burying himself in a pile of clothes.

The next thing Flapjax knew, he was swinging back and forth, being tossed and moved about so much that he was worried he would get sick all over Mom’s fancy work clothes. Finally, just when Flapjax was losing hope, the ground stopped moving beneath him.

Flapjax counted to 100, but then he couldn’t wait any longer. He unzipped the bag (not an easy feat, but slightly more manageable for a bendable stuffed bear than it would be for us). He peeked his head out of the suitcase and took in the lay of the land. All he could see was feet, rows and rows of feet with all different kinds of shoes lined up around him.

The plane was dark and quiet, and Flapjax would have been frightened of this new, scary place if his purpose in life wasn’t to help humans be less frightened. He knew his role, and he was ready to take action.

Flapjax climbed out of the bag where he had been stowed away under what he now realized was a chair of some sort. He spotted Mom behind him, fast asleep. She was surrounded by other grown-up humans, also asleep. They looked pretty uncomfortable though – sleeping sitting up like that with no pillows or blankets or stuffed animals of any kind. He could help with that!

Just as Flapjax was set to climb up Mom’s leg and position himself as a useful pillow on her shoulder, the ground beneath him once again began to move. The plane vibrated. An engine roared loudly, filling the plane with a terrifying noise. Then, before Flapjax knew what was happening, the plane took off, and he was tumbling down the aisle farther and farther away from Mom.

Come back next week for more of Flapjax’s flying adventure!