NOODLES

As Billy the bear grew up, his parents realized that he wasn’t normal. Billy was obsessed with cooking. This bear wouldn’t scavenge for food, but rather take the deer back home, sprinkle them with basil and rosemary, cook them on a spit over an open fire, and then serve them on fine china. He would turn deer carcasses into gourmet venison.

Billy’s father, however, did not like this. One day, when Billy was preparing a yogurt parfait, Billy’s father just couldn’t take it anymore. “Billy! You put down that weird, fruity, delicious treat right now!” “But dad, I’m almost done with the finishing touches”, responded Billy.

Billy’s father continued, “You know what? Get out! I’m tired of you and your shenanigans! You are banished from the forest!”

So Billy was forced to leave his home. On his walk to nowhere, he noticed a crying animal on the side of the trail. It was a raccoon. Having nothing better to do, he walked up to the raccoon. “How goes it, stranger?” said Billy. “Terrible”, replied the raccoon. “My father just banished me from my home because of my awesome talent.” “And would that be?” said Billy. “I’m an awesome cook, but my father is just disappointed in me “said the raccoon. “Same here”, responded Billy. “What do you say we travel together and see what we can make of ourselves?” suggested the raccoon. “Sounds good to me!” said Billy. “Oh, and the name’s Riley. “said the raccoon.

So Billy and Riley went on their way. A little ways down, they noticed a crying snail on the side of the trail. They stopped by, and the snail’s story turned out to be the same as Billy’s and Riley’s. So Sullivan the snail, Billy the bear, and Riley the raccoon set out into the world together. One day, they happened onto a small village. Hoping to get a decent bite to eat, they checked it out. But low, there were starving animals all around. They asked a poor, old owl in the streets where they could get something to eat.

She said, “Something to eat? There’s nothing to eat in this village, you’ll have to look elsewhere.” Billy, Riley, and Sullivan were all very perturbed about this. So they went to see the mayor. The mayor, a fat pig named Percival, looked surprised when they asked if there was anything to eat. “Sorry boys, but food is quite scarce in this village because everyone living here is so picky, but there are no good cooks.” This gave the boys an idea.

They set up a gourmet noodle station in town square. This station attracted all the townspeople and gave those picky eaters something good to fill their starving stomachs. Word of this spread all across the land, and soon Billy’s father, Riley’s father, and Sullivan’s father came to their sons. “Golly, son. I’m so sorry that I took you for a useless, no-good troublemaker. I guess that no matter they do or what they’re good at, everyone is important.” Billy’s father finally realized that he shouldn’t be ashamed of his son for being good at something different. Everybody went back home.

And they lived happily ever after.