Post 1: Summer Vacation
In the middle of one hot, sticky summer, when Libby and Flapjax were starting to run out of new backyard adventures, their parents decided they would all go on a trip far away in the mountains.
They spent a whole day driving past forests and farms where they saw all kinds of animals: cows and horses in fields and ducks floating in little ponds.
Then they came to the mountains, where there were signs telling them to watch out for moose crossing the street. Libby and Flapjax searched the woods, hoping for a glimpse of a moose family.
After many long hours of sight-seeing, playing car games, and singing along to the radio, they arrived at last at a little house in the woods.
For days, Libby and Flapjax explored the forest. They visited the animals they met on the neighboring farms and went on bike rides through the countryside. Libby’s bike had a nice basket attached on the handlebars, so Flapjax had a front-row seat!
There was even a river to swim in, cold from the mountaintops with slippery smooth rocks on the bottom.
Flapjax had never learned how to swim; he disliked the feeling of wet fur. His monthly baths were bad enough. So he chose to watch from the bank of the river as Libby showed off her paddling skills.
Watching Libby happily splash in the river and noticing how wonderfully refreshing the water looked on such a hot summer day made Flapjax almost change his mind about swimming. He took a few cautious steps toward the river’s edge, slowly moving along the sand until he reached the rocks peeping out on the water. One step, two steps…ewwww! Slimy rocks! Gross. Flapjax ran back to his towel on the sand. Watching would do just fine.
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On the last day of their trip, Flapjax, Libby and the grownups went to a bakery for breakfast. It smelled like fresh-baked donuts inside, and Flapjax inhaled the sweet powdered sugar in the air. An old woman with silver hair piled high in a bun on her head and wearing an apron dusted in flour brought over samples of cookies dripping with melty chocolate, fresh out of the oven. They smelled divine.
But Flapjax wasn’t allowed to eat the chocolate (chocolate is bad for bears), so he sulked in his corner of the breakfast table while his humans ate and talked excitedly about their trip.
Finally, after filling their bellies with mounds of pancakes and many sips of coffee (for the grownups) and hot chocolate (for Libby), they paid their bill and got back in the car to head home.
But what Libby didn’t realize was that Flapjax had stayed behind…
Post 2: The Great Bakery Sleepover
Flapjax was generally a good bear, until it came to sweets…boy, did he have a sweet tooth!
So while Libby was enjoying her hot chocolate and pancakes, Flapjax was focused on getting his paws on all of the yummy treats surrounding him. When the rest of his human family left the bakery, Flapjax quietly hid in the corner of their booth until the old woman in the apron with the silver hair finally turned off the lights for the night and left the shop empty. Empty…except for Flapjax, that is.
With the bakery completely dark, Flapjax tippy-toed across the floor and used his nose to lead him to all the tasty treats. A few sniffs and he found his way to a chocolate cake filled with raspberry jam and covered in goey chocolate frosting. After a few pawfuls, Flapjax moved on to a moon-shaped shiny bread, which he discovered was crispy outside but fluffy and soft inside. Heavenly.
Flapjax licked his paws clean and moved on with his search. Soon, he stumbled upon a thick metal contraption with hoses and wheels poking out every which way. On top of this strange machine were containers filled with a dark brown bead. Flapjax was very curious. It smelled yummy and looked like crunchy chocolate. He grabbed a handful with one paw and stuffed it into his mouth. He crunched down, expecting something sugary sweet.
Yuck!
Flapjax spit it out. He looked at the bins holding the crunchy substance and noticed the letters on the metal machine: “C-O-F-F-E-E”. He wondered what that spelled. Whatever it was, it was definitely not candy!
Flapjax hopped off the counter and was on the hunt for more goodies. As luck would have it, he found the cookie bin next. Cookies of all different sizes and fillings with sprinkles of every color stared up at Flapjax as he pressed his nose against the glass windows of the cookie counter. One by one, he tested them all. Sweet and sugary, jam-filled, buttery and flakey, some with nuts and others with chocolate.
Milk. After all those cookies, Flapjax desperately needed a glass of cold milk.
He went searching all around the bakery and finally found the milk behind a pair of heavy silver doors. It was a large jug of milk, and Flapjax was a very small bear. He tried hard not to spill, but as his paws reached up to grab the jug, it toppled over, spilling out across the kitchen floor. Thankfully, there was still just enough milk left at the bottom of the jug for a nice big gulp.
Thirst quenched and stuffed to the seams with pastries, Flapjax felt very sleepy. He looked around for a cozy corner and discovered a pile of sweet-smelling aprons. After sliding into an apron pocket at the top of the pile and snuggling deep down, Flapjax drifted off to sleep. He dreamed of Libby. He wondered what she was doing. Did she miss him? Did she realize he was gone? He always slept curled up beside her, warm and loved.
Flapjax missed his best friend…
Post 3: The Rescue
While Flapjax lay inside his apron pocket dreaming of Libby, Libby was wide-awake all night worrying about him.
The day before, Libby, Mom, and Dad frantically searched all over hoping to find him. They realized they must have left Flapjax somewhere during their trip, so they returned to all of the places they had visited, thinking maybe Flapjax had slipped from Libby’s hands or had possibly been bear-napped!
They drove to a flea market they had visited, walked up and down the rows of used trinkets and old books, piles of worn clothes and antique furniture.
No Flapjax.
Thinking maybe he had been accidentally thrown out with the trash at the end of the day, they dug and dug through the scraps, but still no Flapjax.
They went back to the river where they had splashed around under the sun, but there was no Flapjax to be found. Libby prayed he hadn’t been caught in the current and swept downstream!
Then Libby remembered something: the bakery, delicious chocolate all over the place, Flapjax pouting in the corner.
They quickly drove down the mountain, passing the many farms and the cows grazing in pastures, but Libby was so worried about Flapjax that she didn’t even notice them. She was afraid that she would never see her best friend again.
When they parked in front of the bakery, Libby and the grownups eagerly looked out the window. Libby sighed and leaned back, tears streaming down her face. There was a “closed” sign in the dark window of the bakery door.
But Libby refused to give up. Instead, she got out of the car, ran to the window, and peered in.
Flapjax!
There he was, sitting in the corner booth by the window, staring out, hoping his best friend would come back to find him.
Libby banged against the window over and over again, hoping someone would hear her and open the door. All of a sudden, a face appeared in the window. It was the old woman with the bun of silver hair.
Libby pointed at Flapjax through the glass. The old woman smiled, and her eyes crinkled as she picked up Flapjax under his furry arms and unlocked the door.
“I thought there must be a little girl somewhere who was very sad to be missing her friend last night,” the woman said.
Flapjax jumped into Libby’s arms and they hugged and hugged.
Flapjax realized that he was safe and loved, and he promised to never cause trouble again.
(Until his next adventure…)
Adventures of Flapjax 