Benny Reaches the Top

Once upon a time, in a deep jungle, there lived a kind-hearted bear named Benny. He just turned five years old. In this jungle, every family had their own traditions. Those traditions are the secrets of the forest. People never knew what those secrets were. Benny’s bear family also had one of these secret traditions.

Once a bear turns five, he must go on an expedition. He can choose to take one friend outside of his family with him. It was a test for the bears to prove that they are strong. So, this bear named Benny was also excited to go on this challenging journey. He wanted to prove himself strong. He departed on the journey and he went halfway through. Then he got the troubling news that one of his friends was in trouble. So he had to give up the journey and help his friend. That story is here, titled Benny’s Sacrifice.

So, Benny had to walk back home without completing the challenge. He was sad and disappointed. But his family surprisingly welcomed and appreciated him. Because they knew why Benny abandoned the challenge. So, the bear family discussed and decided to give Benny another chance to complete the challenge.

The day after Benny had to abandon the challenge, Benny was at home all day. He did not feel like going out. Benny knew he did the best thing he could do. But he had been waiting so many days for this expedition. So, he was upset. Meanwhile, Benny’s family was paying attention to him. They knew Benny was upset. Therefore, they decided it was the best time for them to take the news to Benny.

“Benny, come here, here, son.” Benny’s mother called him. Benny went to his mom. Everyone was there, sitting. 

“Son, we decided to give you another chance,” Benny’s dad said.

“Chance for what, dad?” Benny asked.

“What do you think?” Benny’s mom smiled.

“No way… but how?” Benny was lit up. Everyone could see how excited he was.

“Yes. You are going to have a second chance to complete the challenge. And you have earned it. You proved yourself to be a smart decision-maker yesterday. We may be able to complete a challenge later or anytime we want. But saving someone’s life! That cannot be left for later. It is something we must do right away when we still have the chance. So, your choice to save your friend was the right call.” That was the eldest member of the bear family, the old bear, appreciating Benny.

“Thank you, everyone. I love you!” Benny said and he hugged everyone.

“So, when do I get to go on the challenge?” Benny asked.

“The next night, when the full moon appears,” Benny’s dad replied to Benny.

From that day on, Benny was happier. He shared the news with his friends. And he was impatiently waiting for the day to come. 27 days passed. Benny woke up in the morning and prepared everything for the journey. Then, just as last time, Benny chose Remy to be his companion on this challenging journey. The two friends departed Benny’s place when the moon was rising in the sky.

While passing through the jungle they are familiar with, Benny and Remy enjoyed every step they took. They were both more excited and happier than the last time they went on this journey. The owls were perched in the dark on tree branches, looking for a hunt. The bats were flying into the sky from the trees they were hanging from all day long. Cicadas, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers had started singing to get attention from their females. A cold breeze was passing through the jungle, making a whistling sound. 

They went past the forest they knew and into the unknown land. But this time it was a lot easier for them because they remembered the route they took last time. Therefore, they went through the stream, just like last time. They took a little rest at the stream, drank some water, and continued forward. Then they came across the thick bamboo forest. Last time, they could not get past the forest because of the message they got from the fireflies.

The giant bamboo trees looked as dark as they were green. Some of them looked faint yellow under the moonlight. “How are we going to go through this bamboo forest?” Benny asked Remy.

“I think I have an idea. The bamboo trees spread like a flower with spikes. But, near the roots, they are like separate bushes. Just like I move through taller grass, I think we can crawl in between the bamboo bushes,” Remy said.

Benny leaned over to the ground and looked forward. “Yes, I see space between the bamboo bushes.”

The two friends decided to crawl through the bamboo forest. The expert in crawling through bushes was Remy, the bunny. So he took the lead. Benny followed him. The moonlight coming through the bamboo trees made shadows on the ground. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen bamboo leaves. They spent a lot of time crawling. Then, finally, the two friends passed the bamboo forest.

The next obstacle in front of them was the large pool of mud. On both sides of the pool, there was a rift that could not be climbed. Hence, their only option was somehow going across the muddy pool. And they knew if they tried to walk across, they would sink into the mud.

“How do I cross this muddy pool?” Both thought for a while. Then Benny saw that a dried-out bamboo tree had fallen onto the muddy pool. But it has not sunk into the mud.

“Look, Remy, I think we can use dried-out bamboo trees to get across this,” Benny said. Then he went a few steps back and carried two dried bamboo trees. Then he placed one end of a bamboo pole on the mud and slid it over to the other end of the muddy pool. And he repeated it a few times. That way, they built a small bridge across the muddy pool.

Then the next step was to test the bridge. Benny was bigger and heavier. So, the first one to cross the pool was Remy. Remy carefully walked on the bamboo poles kept in the mud. Meanwhile, Benny was holding them in place. Within a few moments, Remy was across the muddy pool.

Then it was Benny’s time. He kept his first step on the bamboo bridge. It makes a noise, “creezzz.” Benny took his step back immediately. It seems the bridge is not strong enough to hold the weight of the bear. And there are not any fallen bamboo trees left. “Now, what do we do?” Benny thought.

Then Benny came up with a solution. “What if I rolled over the bridge instead of trying to walk on it? Will that work?” Benny asked Remy. Remy said that he cannot say for sure, but it will be worth a try. Then the bear lay down on the ground at the starting point of the bridge. 

Then he slowly rolled onto the bridge. This time, there were no sounds. The bridge just got partly submerged in the mud. Both were scared, but they had to complete the challenge. So, they had to take the risk.

Remy was waiting impatiently from the other side, not taking his eyes off of Benny. Like a big black rock rolling, Benny rolled on the bamboo bridge. After a few full rolls from side to side, Benny was on the other side of the muddy pool. The two friends were so happy. “We did it,” Remy jumped. “Not over yet, pal,” Benny said, looking at the steep mountain they have to climb up next.

“Good thing we have the moon shining on us.” Remy, the rabbit, said while sitting on the ground. Because, unlike Benny, Remy could not see in the dark.

They both needed a rest. So they sat on the grassy bank of the muddy pool. Both lay down on the grass, looking up. The moon was shining with its soothing yellow and creamy light. Here and there in the sky, there were a few stars.

“What do you think of those stars, Remy?” Benny asked.

“Maybe all the dead ones become stars,” Remy said.

Then there was silence. The two were just staring at the night sky. The cold wind was blowing past their ears, so they could hear the noise.

Just when Benny said, “Well, now we have to go,” the moonlight dimmed little by little. It was a thick black cloud covering the sky. Then, in moments, it began to thunder. Their biggest challenge is up ahead. And it is to climb the steep, rocky mountain. But it began to rain.

“Not again!” Benny shouted. If it is raining, they won’t be able to climb up the hill. So, Benny was so upset that he wouldn’t be able to complete the challenge this time either. Remy, looking at Benny, was thinking about what to say to him. The lightning made everything light up for a moment. That was when Remy saw a cave in the rocky mountain.

“Come this way, Benny.” Remy called Benny and ran towards the cave. Benny lazily followed Remy, getting wet in the rain. By the looks of him, Remy could say that Benny was having a hard time. He was disappointed, sad, and frustrated.

No one spoke for a while. They were safe inside the cave. But on the outside, it was raining heavily.

“Why always me?” Benny whispered, breaking the silence.

“Why do you say that?” Remy asked.

“Don’t you get it, Remy? We can’t complete the challenge now. The rocks are slippery, even if it is not rainy. Now we can’t climb the mountain.” Benny said it a little louder. His voice echoed in the cave.

“Hey, calm down. No matter what happens, I am with you. You are my friend.” Remy tried to calm him down.

“I am sorry.” Benny apologized for yelling.

“It’s okay, pal,” Remy said.

“I just don’t get it. Why always me?” Benny said.

“What do you mean by that?” Remy asked.

“Why do bad things always happen to me? Last time, I could not complete the challenge. Now, I won’t be able to do it this time either.” Benny said it with a low voice.

Remy realized this is the moment he needs to be a really smart and loving friend. So he took a moment and thought. Then he broke the silence.

“Hey, listen, Benny! I can guess how you might feel right now. And I am sorry; I can’t say I feel how you feel. I have not been in a situation like this in my life. But I can say this for sure. You are not cursed or something. You are wrong if you think bad things always happen to you. Think about what I say. You feel like bad things always happen to you because two obstacles came your way twice in a row. Right?” Remy asked.

“Yes,” Benny said.

“Okay. Now think about it, Benny. When good things happen to us more than twice in a row, do we even notice it? No right? We feel the bad things that happen to us. But the rest of the time, how many good things happen to us? Remember! When you had to abandon the challenge last time, you saved your best friend from death.

Your family loved you for saving your friend. They admired you for choosing between saving a friend and completing the challenge. Then they gave you another chance to complete the challenge. If you see Benny, all those things are four good things that happened to you, in a row. But you didn’t say, ‘Why always me?’, ‘Why do good things always happen to me?’ Did you?”

Benny was listening to his friend carefully. but he did not say anything.

“That is because, Benny, in life we tend to forget the things we have. We worry about the things we don’t have. And it is okay to feel that way. But, if you think about it, what really happened was that, coincidentally, you came across unexpected obstacles both times you were completing the challenge. Nothing else. Nothing bad happens to you. It is just that good and bad things happen to all of us all the time.

And hey, you abandoning the challenge last time was reasonable. And that is not something you should take as a bad thing now. Because if it were a bad thing, your family wouldn’t have given you another chance like this. And this time too, it is the rain. Who can stop the rain? It rains when it rains. That is not your fault. That is just an obstacle. You shall pass it.” Remy said.

Benny took a few moments and said, “Yeah, that is a good way to look at it.” He smiled and said, “I am glad I took you with me.”.

“Don’t thank me, Benny. This is what friends do,” Remy said, looking outside the cave. Meanwhile, Benny was looking at Remy. Suddenly, a huge lightning strike struck. The distant end of the cave was lit just for a moment.

“I think I just saw a way up in this cave,” Benny shouted happily and he walked further inside the cave. Remy followed him. The cave became narrower and narrower. But they could easily walk through it. It was more likely a tunnel. Since it was raining outside and there was no other thing to do, the two friends decided to follow the cave to the other end. They took several bends, climbed up several times, went in spirals, and walked a long way. They could say they were going up inside the rocky hill.

“There should be an exit up the mountain, Remy,” Benny said. Then again, another lightening struck. The two were lit up in a flash. The exit of the cave was just in front of them. The two friends were excited to exit the caves. They ran towards it. They exited the cave. The rainfall was so much lighter now. It was more like a drizzle. And there was a narrow path on the steep hillside. They walked forward. The next challenge was right in front of Benny’s eyes. It was to collect bee honey in a jar.

“It looks like we have passed the misty forest too. This is great,” Benny said. Since Benny had found a way uphill inside the cave, he did not have to climb up a hill, pass the misty forest on the mountain side, and climb up to the honey bee colonies. Instead, he was just above them. He just had to put his hand down the clif and collect some honey. After collecting honey, it was time for the final challenge. Benny was supposed to reach the top of the mountain and leave a scratch mark with his nails on the majestic oak tree that was on top of the mountain.

Benny carefully climbed up the mountain. As he got higher and higher, he could feel the long-awaited moment coming. He could hear his heart pounding. A cold breeze blew past Benny’s ears, making a whistling sound. The majestic oak tree was there, standing alone, with its curved and bent branches. Benny reached the tree and looked at it.

“Wow!” he whispered. Benny saw the scratch marks of all the bears who had finished the challenge before him. “This one must be very old. It must be my grandfather. This must be from my father,” Benny thought, looking at the scratch marks.

Then he chose somewhere in the tree bark where no other scratch marks were. Then he kept his right hand with his nails out and scratched the tree. He scratched two short and straight lines, and above the two lines, he scratched a star to remember the second chance he got and the success he made with it. Then he looked back and made a loud bear noise. His noise echoed through the forest. Remy, who was a good friend to Benny, was looking at how much Benny loved the moment.

“Thank you, Remy,” Benny said. Remy lifted his ears and gave him a smile. The rain was over. Both stared at the sky, leaning on the majestic oak tree and watched the beauty of the full moon and the jungle lit by the moon, enjoying the cold breeze.

“Why do good things always happen to me?” Benny said. And they both laughed.