Yogi's Big Adventure (standard:action, 2014 words)
Author: Andrew Dayton	Added: Mar 23 2005	Views/Reads: 4095/2617	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Yogi's nose for adventure almost gets him into more than he bargained for.

Yogi's Big Adventure 

One sunny afternoon in a meadow high above a stretch of rugged
California coastline, a bear lay sleeping in the shadow of a boulder.  
To any casual observer, this bear was like any other of his kind; 
shaggy, smelly, and snoring loudly as he slept.  However, any air of 
regal magestry was dissolved when this bear belched loudly, rolled 
over, and awoke with a start. 

"Ouch!"  He reached beneath his butt and pulled out a splintered picnic
basket and flung it far over his shoulder.  This was no ordinary bear.  
This bear had the ability to walk upright and speak.  He stood upright 
now, surveyed his area and spoke to himself.  "I do believe it s time 
to clean up this mess, or someone's gonna get themselves hurt."  It was 
true.  The area was quite littered with the remnants of many picnic 
lunches and a variety of containers including woven baskets, paper 
bags, plastic coolers and, incongruously, a baby carriage that was 
missing half its spokes. 

Instead of getting to work, he looked east toward the hills.  He turned
in a slow circle scrutinizing his surroundings, one paw shading his 
eyes as he looked toward the lowering sun.  His name was Yogi.  Not a 
name given at birth but one that was hung on him by his favorite human 
friend Ranger Smith.  He had many human traits to go along with his 
bear like traits and a good many that defied categorization but were 
decidedly unbearlike in any case.  He stood scratching at the spot that 
the splinter had pierced emitting a low growl that might have been 
satisfaction.  Each time he encountered a piece of a offending wood he 
let out a cry that may have been "Dang" but sounded like "dog".   Yogi 
was quite adept at making up his own words. 

He continued scanning his domain, horizon to horizon.  Yogi was not
alert in the least for danger.  Rather he was trying to determine the 
best direction to follow his nose in finding a new adventure.  He 
believed that adventure of any kind was the best way to start the day.  
He also believed a new day to be marked from the time he awoke from any 
one of his numerous naps so he enjoyed a great many adventures. 

"First things first, I guess" he said.  He donned the few items of
clothing he had cadged from the dump - vest, tie and his favorite item 
of all, a snap brim hat which he pulled firmly down over his eyes.  
Having prepared for a new day he began pulling pieces of refuse over to 
the edge of the cliff and tumbling them down to the ocean below where 
the tied did its tireless magic trick of making them disappear 

"Whew" he gasped, "that was one big, big pile of picinic baskets".  A
growl from his stomach reminded him that it was time to think about 
getting his next meal but for once Yogi did not heed the pangs of 
hunger.  In fact he did a very un-Yogi like thing.  As he watched the 
last of the baskets get sucked out to sea he froze and cocked his head. 
 In an attitude of one listening to a distant sound he stayed still for 
a good many minutes.  He heard nothing but it seemed as if he was being 
called by something on a level more sensed than anything.  This had 
never happened before, but Yogi was the last bear to question anything 
out of the ordinary.  He felt as if this something was leading him 
inland to the ring of hills that overlooked his lofty home so that's 
where he was going to go. 

He tucked his tie into a vest pocket, dropped to all fours, and began
trotting across the meadow in a leisurely but space-eating gait.  He 
often talked to himself as he traveled and he did so now.  "Picnic 
baskets rhymes with ricnic raskets and if I got time I'll take those 
too.  Heh, heh, heh."  He stopped the self dialogue as he reached the 
hills and began panting as his paws dug into the earth propelling him 
onward and upward.  "A warm feeling bloomed in his chest as he tried to 
guess what kind of adventure it was that drew him.  His favorite was 
mischief, any kind.  And the better if it involved a human fleeing in 
terror from his grinning visage appearing around a tree and leaving 
behind a full picnic basket.  But he would be satisfied if he could 
just get close to some humans and spy without being seen.  His pace 
slowed and he felt the first tingle of unease.  It was like the Ranger 
sneaking up on him only worse.  He lifted his nose higher and tested 
the air.  Yup, something was not right up here.  Yogi was beginning to 
think this was not at all a good idea when suddenly he came to the edge 
of a small canyon and skidded to a stop.  He dropped flat and stared in 


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