“Come on, Chomper! Jump in!” Chomper looked at his friends playing in the cool swimming pool. He heard their laughing. He felt sweat turning his fur curly. The sun was hot enough to burn a hole through his baseball cap. Oh how he wanted to join them.
“No thanks,” he called back and took a sip of his blackberry juice. The thought of being surrounded by water made his little bear toes curl.
Chomper felt the warm breeze of his friend Drake Duck, as he landed softly beside him. Drake wrapped his wing around Chomper. He was the only friend who knew that Chomper had a fear of water.
“Can I come by later? My mom said I could stay for supper!” Drake’s smile always cheered Chomper up. They had been friends since they were babies and told each other everything. Chomper helped Drake play baseball. Drake helped Chomper tie his shoelaces. They were a team and always would be.
That evening, after Mrs. Bear’s famous fish soup, the boys went out to play in the tree house. Chomper could hear his brother Prowler singing in the bath tub.
It’s a beautiful day.
Hip, hip, hooray!
Gonna sing this song,
All day long!
“He loves taking baths, doesn’t he?” Drake asked.
“Yes,” Chomper replied sadly. He had never taken a bath for the same reason he had never gone swimming or gone fishing with his dad. He was terrified. The only way he cleaned himself was with a sponge and some water from a pot.
Drake flew back towards the house, “Come on!”
The two boys followed the sounds of Prowler’s voice and knocked on the bathroom door. Prowler loved an audience for anything he did and the boys didn’t wait for an answer. When he saw it was Chomper, he made room in the tub and shouted, “Jump in!”
Chomper glanced back at the door and saw Drake blocking it. “I can help you learn to swim,” said Drake, “and then maybe you won’t be so scared.”
Chomper dashed toward the window, hoping he could escape. He landed on the ledge. Prowler took some bubbles and made a cone hat on his head. Drake laughed. Chomper smiled. Prowler took some more and made elephant ears that wiggled when he shook his head. Chomper thought that the bubbles seemed to be whispering, “Jump in, jump in.” Prowler took a handful of bubbles and blew them at Chomper’s toes. Chomper tried to move quickly but the ledge was too small. He struggled to regain his balance but it was too late. All he saw were bubbles getting bigger, bigger, and bigger.
SPLASH!
Chomper opened his eyes and saw big bear feet in his face. His heart beat faster and faster. He felt a big paw wrap around his arm. Air!
“You just did your first belly flop!” Prowler laughed.
“You OK?” Drake asked.
Chomper’s large eyes looked around. He felt his toes – they were still there. So were his ears and his tummy. “I guess so.” Chomper sat in the tub dazed.
“You know, you’re sitting in water,” said Drake slowly. Chomper looked down. There were all the bubbles hugging his fur. He looked up at Prowler with his bubble hat and started to giggle. Prowler made a hat for Chomper, and he began to laugh harder. Soon all three were covered in sticky bubbles laughing.
The next day, Chomper took out his blue and green markers and paper to make party invitations. He drew fish. He drew rafts. He drew his friends laughing. Then he drew himself in an outdoor pool with a wide smile. Underneath he printed the words: Jump In! Come to Chomper’s Pool Party!
