Charlie Bear Takes His Family to the River Jordan and Jericho

April 30, 1963

One Sunday when Charlie Bear was getting up from his afternoon nap, little Annie bear climbed onto his knee and asked, “When are you going to take us to see the River Jordan, Papa? You said we could go sometime soon.”

“Did I, Annie,” answered papa Charlie Bear. “Well, if I said I’d take you, then I shall. Do you want to go now?”

“Can we?” exclaimed Annie.

“Don’t know why not. Ask your mother and little Charlie if they want to go.”

Annie ran to ask a little Charlie who was outside playing with his friend “Maskie” the raccoon. When Annie told little Charlie that papa Charlie Bear had said that they could go traveling this afternoon, little Charlie said, “goodbye” to “Maskie” and the two bear children ran into the house.

Mama Bear was standing at the door and asked, “what’s all this hurry about?”

They both answered, “Papa said we can go traveling this afternoon.”

“Where are we going?” Asked Mama Bear.

Little Annie said, “to see the River Jordan. Do you want to go?”

“Why, I think that’s a fine idea. Let’s go let’s get our traveling caps.”

Little Charlie couldn’t find his cap. He looked where it should have been – in the top drawer on the right hand side. He looked in all the other drawers. He looked in his toy box. He looked in the closet. He just looked everywhere, but couldn’t find his cap.

Mama Bear called, “What’s holding you up, little Charlie?”

“I can’t find my traveling cap, mama,” cried little Charlie Bear.

“Let’s see now,” said mama bear. “I’m sure it’s here somewhere.”

In no time at all Mama Bear saw it. Know where it was? On Benjy’s head. (Benjy is little Charlie Bear’s toy dog that sleeps with him.)

When everyone had his traveling cap on, they whirled around three times, turned a somersault and there they were on a bridge that crosses the River Jordan. Little Charlie Bear wanted to go wading, but couldn’t see how to get to the water as the banks were all covered with high grasses and brush.

The whole bear family was disappointed because it was “just a river.” Somehow they expected it to be special. Charlie Bear reminded them that Christ lived in a very ordinary world and He, Himself, came as an ordinary person. It was only during his three years of preaching God’s word that He was more outstanding than others. Yes, he was always kind and friendly and everyone loved him, but he was just a normal child like you when he was growing up.

The Bear family watched the muddy water go by under the bridge as they thought about what Papa Bear had said.

Soon little Charlie bear said, “Where can we go now?”

Papa Bear told them that not far from there from where they were was the town of Jericho. It was too far to walk so they’d have to turn two somersaults to get there. 1 – 2 and they landed right at a little stream where women were filling their water jugs.

“This looks like pictures in the Bible,” said Annie. Papa Charlie Bear told her that in some parts of the world people live very much as they have for thousands of years.

The women all wore brightly colored loose hanging dresses that almost touched the ground and covering their heads were different colored cloths which hung way down below their waist.

Because they were all coming to the stream to get water, each one had a big pottery jar on top of her head! My, oh, my! didn’t they walk straight!

Little Charlie said, “Mama, can you balance one of those jugs on your head?”

“Oh, what a question,” answered Mama Bear. “We’ll never know until I try.”

With that they walked over to a group of women who were filling their jars with water. Standing over to one side was a man who seemed to be in charge of the stream. Papa Charlie Bear went up to him and asked if Mama Bear could try to carry one of the jugs on her head.

The man was very nice and right away spoke to one of the ladies. She turned around and smiled at Mrs. Charlie Bear as she handed her a gray pad made of what looked like a long a long piece of cloth about an inch and a half wide all coiled up. Mama Bear put the pad on her head. Then the man and Papa Bear lifted the water jug onto her head. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! Was that heavy! Instead of an empty jug they had put a full one on her head. Mama Bear wanted to see if she could walk. The man was afraid the jug would topple off, so he held one side as Mama Bear took three steps. But that was enough! She was beginning to be afraid her neck would crack – the jug was so heavy.

That was fun to see Mama Beer walk as straight as the ladies did with that jug on top of her head.

Little Charlie and Annie wanted to try too. So the kind man found two smaller jugs and let the children walk with water jugs on top of their heads – only this time the jugs weren’t full so full of water – just half full.

They liked doing that for fun, but we’re glad they didn’t have to get the water that way all the time!

While Papa Bear was thanking the man for helping them, the children ran across the street where they saw piles of dirt and some walls of old buildings sticking up from the ground.

As they played hide and seek among the old walls, Papa Charlie Bear and Mama Bear started investigating. A man who was walking by told them that this was where the old city of Jericho used to be, but not much had been dug up yet.

Annie and little Charlie climbed all over the stone walls and piles of dirt and really were having fun when Mama Bear called that it was getting late and they’d better go home. “OK” they answered, “We’re coming.”

When all four of the Charlie Bear family had traveling caps on, they whirled around three times, turned a somersault and they were back in their own home. Little Charlie ran out to tell his friend “Maskie” all about carrying water jugs on their heads. Mama Bear went to the kitchen to get supper ready. And, Annie asked, “Papa Charlie Bear, when can we go again to the places I hear about in Sunday School?””

“Oh, my little traveler, we’ll see if we can find a nice day soon.”