There once was a teddy bear named Theodore who was the happiest toy in Jacob’s room. Theodore went on many adventures with Jacob, and the two slept together every night.

The loved riding in the back seat together and playing with slugs outside in the backyard. One day, Mom and Dad and Jacob and baby sister Lizzie all packed their bags and loaded up the old station wagon to go to their favorite campsite. Theodore packed his bag, too, and tucked snuggly under Jacob’s arm. The family set off down the road.

Because it was summertime, and the old family station wagon could not muster up the strength to blow enough cool air into the car, the family rode with the windows down. Hot gusts of wind filled the car throughout the two-hour car ride to the campsite. No sooner had the car come to a halt than Jacob leaped from the backseat and onto the dusty soil, while Theodore excitedly sprung from under Jacob’s arm. Upon their arrival to the campgrounds, Theodore was immediately full of joy, as he laid his wondrous eyes on the very familiar trees and wildlife, which he held dear to his heart.

That evening, after Dad had set up the tent and Mom had disbursed of the sandwich lunches she had packed, the two frolicked merrily through the trees and bushes. They had fun exploring and inventing silly names for different small insects and bugs they saw along the way.

It was a hungry mountain lion! Jacob froze in terror and screamed very loudly, and Theodore clung tight to Jacob's arm. They thought their days of camping and slug hunting were over!

Just then, as Dad was roasting jumbo marshmallows over the campfire, he heard Jacob's cry for help through the woods. He came running, marshmallow still aflame, to the rescue. He swatted the mountain lion away and snatched Jacob and Theodore up in his heroic arms.

They went back to the campsite where Mom, Dad, Jacob and Theodore, and even baby Lizzie roasted marshmallows and laughed about how Jacob almost died and how they would never forget this night for the rest of their lives. Jacob learned his lesson about wandering off into the forest alone at night, and the family lived happily ever after.

The End