Everyone knows that bears really love honey. One day, Mr. Bear looks inside his cupboard and can’t find any honey. “Oh no! No honey!” he says. So, he decides to go into the forest to find some. He spots a beehive hanging from a tree and smells the sweet honey. “Mmmmm! Honey!” he thinks. He reaches into the beehive and… ZZZZZZZZZ! A little bee flies out.
“Hey, bear! Go away!” says the bee. “This honey isn’t yours!” Mr. Bear feels annoyed. “I am bigger than you,” he says. “And I am stronger too. I can do what I want! Now… buzz off!” Mr. Bear reaches into the beehive again and… ZZZZZZZZZ! ZING! Ouch! The bee stings him right on his nose!
“My nose! My nose! Oooh… I’m so angry!” growls Mr. Bear. He picks up a big stick and tries to hit the bee. He swings and swings, but the bee is too quick! Mr. Bear gets angrier and angrier. “GARRRRRGHH! I WILL SQUASH YOU! COME HERE!” The bee flies back into the beehive.
“AH HAH! Now you’re trapped!” shouts Mr. Bear. He swings his stick at the beehive. Smash! Smash! Smash! He breaks it into pieces! Then he hears a strange sound. It gets louder and louder… ZZZZ! ZZZZ! ZZZ! ZZZZZZZZZ! Thousands of bees fly out of the broken beehive. They buzz around Mr. Bear’s head… ZZZZZZZZ… ZING! They sting him on his ear. ZING ZING! They sting him on his elbow. They chase Mr. Bear through the forest, stinging him on his arms, his legs, his hands… and especially on his nose. ZING! ZING! ZING!
Mr. Bear runs all the way home and slams the door shut. BAM! Then he hears a voice behind him. It’s Mrs. Bear. “You did it again, didn’t you?” she says. “You lost your temper.” “Yes,” he replies as he cries and counts his bee stings. “Here’s the bee-sting medicine,” says Mrs. Bear. “Also, we have honey in the cupboard. It’s behind the flour.”
A hot temper always gets you into trouble.
Bee Observation Walk: Take a walk in your garden or a nearby park with an adult. Look for bees and observe what they are doing. Are they visiting flowers? What colors are the flowers? How do the bees move? Draw a picture of what you see and share it with your class. Discuss why bees are important for flowers and plants.
Honey Taste Test: With the help of an adult, try tasting different types of honey. You might find clover honey, wildflower honey, or even orange blossom honey. Describe the taste of each one. Which one is your favorite? Talk about how bees make honey and why it is important for them.
Feelings and Reactions Role-Play: With a friend or family member, act out different scenarios where someone might feel angry, like Mr. Bear. Practice calming down by taking deep breaths or counting to ten. Discuss how you feel when you are angry and what you can do to feel better without getting into trouble.
**The Bear and the Bee**
*(A version of the tale by TheFableCottage.com)*
Everybody knows that bears love honey. One day, Mr. Bear looks in his cupboard and can’t find any honey. “Oh no! No honey!” he exclaims. So, he goes into the forest to find some. He sees a beehive in a tree and smells the honey. “Mmmmm! Honey!” He reaches into the beehive and… ZZZZZZZZZ! A bee flies out.
“Hey, bear! Go away!” says the bee. “This is not your honey!” Mr. Bear is annoyed. “I am bigger than you,” he replies. “And I am stronger than you too. I can do what I want! Now… buzz off!” Mr. Bear reaches into the beehive again and… ZZZZZZZZZ! ZING! Ouch! The bee stings him right on his nose!
“My nose! My nose! Oooh… I’m so angry!” growls Mr. Bear. He finds a big stick and tries to hit the bee. He swings and swings, but the bee is too fast! Mr. Bear gets angrier and angrier. “GARRRRRGHH! I WILL SQUASH YOU! COME HERE!” The bee flies back into the beehive.
“AH HAH! Now you’re trapped!” yells Mr. Bear. He swings his stick at the beehive. Smash! Smash! Smash! He smashes it to pieces! Then he hears a strange sound. It gets louder and louder… ZZZZ! ZZZZ! ZZZ! ZZZZZZZZZ! Thousands of bees fly out of the smashed beehive. They buzz around Mr. Bear’s head… ZZZZZZZZ… ZING! They sting him on his ear. ZING ZING! They sting him on his elbow. They chase Mr. Bear through the forest, stinging him on his arms, his legs, his hands… and especially on his nose. ZING! ZING! ZING!
Mr. Bear runs all the way home and slams the door shut. BAM! Then he hears a voice behind him. It’s Mrs. Bear. “You did it again, didn’t you?” she says. “You lost your temper.” “Yes,” he replies as he cries and counts his bee stings. “Here’s the bee-sting medicine,” says Mrs. Bear. “Also, we have honey in the cupboard. It’s behind the flour.”
**Moral:** A hot temper always gets you into trouble.
