Little Charlie Goes To The Festival

July 13, 1966

One day Papa Charlie Bear was out in the yard looking to see if the peaches were ripe when Annie and little Charlie came running out of the house and said, “Papa, can we go to Pearblossom to the Sunshine Festival today?”

“Sunshine Festival?” asked Papa Charlie. “What do you mean? Is there a festival that celebrates Sunshine?”

“Yes,” they both answered together. “Down in Antelope Valley there is a town called Pearblossom and every summer they have what they call a Sunshine Festival where lots and lots of people come together to have a good time in the Sunshine.”

“Well, if its a good time you’re looking for, perhaps we better go and have a good time too,” suggested Papa Charlie. “Annie,” he went on, “do you suppose your friends the Bunny twins, Pam and Kim, would like to go, too?”

“Oh goodie,” exclaimed Annie. “I’ll run over and ask them.”

Papa Charlie said to little Charlie, “Do you think your little friends Davey and Danny Deer would like to go?”

“I hope so,” said little Charlie. “I’ll go ask them.”

While the children were off inviting their friends to go to the Sunshine Festival with them, Papa Charlie went into the house to ask Mama Bear if she would like to go with them to Pearblossom.

Mama Bear was busy making a new dress for Annie, but she said that she would go with them — the dress didn’t have to be finished today.

In only ten minutes both children were back. Annie said that the Bunny twins would be right over as soon as they had combed their hair and changed their dresses. Little Charlie said that the Deer brothers would be over just as soon as they had washed their hands and faces.

Mama Bear said to Annie and little Charlie, “Now you two children better get cleaned up and be ready to go by the time your friends get here. Annie, put on your red checkered western dress and Little Charlie, put on your new plaid shirt.”

Papa Bear and Mama Bear went to their room and got ready, too.

In just a few minutes Pam and Kim, the Bunny twins, came hopping up the path. Just behind them were Danny and Davey the Deer brothers.

Little Charlie wasn’t quite finished dressing, but he ran out to the front porch and gave them each a traveling cap and said, “Here are your traveling caps. Put them on so we’ll be ready to go. It won’t take us much longer.”

With that he dashed into the house to finish dressing.

Annie came out of the house in her pretty red checkered dress carrying her traveling cap.

Next Papa Charlie said, “Everyone have a traveling cap? I see someone has given one to each of the Bunny and Deer children. Let’s put them on, whirl around three times, turn a somersault and here we are at the Pearblossom Sunshine Festival.”

“Oh, look!” all the children said together. “What’s that big thing going up in the air round and round and people riding on it?” asked Annie.

“That’s what they call a Ferris Wheel,” answered Papa Charlie.

“Over there are some ponies,” said Little Charlie. “Can I ride one, mama?” he asked. “Can I?”

“May I,” corrected Mama Bear. “Ask your father if it’s all right.”

“May I, Papa?” pleaded Little Charlie.

“Why, Yes. I should think it would be fun for all of you to take a ride,” replied Papa Charlie. “Do you want to Pam?”
“Thank you, Mr. Bear, but I’ll watch for just a minute,” said Pam, the Bunny Twin.

“What about you, Kim?” asked Papa Bear.

“Oh, yes,” answered Kim. “I thing it would be lots of fun.”

“And what about Danny and Davey. Do you want to ride the ponies?” There really wasn’t any point in asking the Deer boys because they were already over by the ponies petting them and talking to them.

The children all rode the ponies, except Pam and Annie who watched. They saw other rides — a train ride, a swing, a merry-go-round, a small Ferris wheel, auto ride and a bomber ride.

Papa Charlie Bear let each child choose three rides. Annie and Pam went on the small Ferris wheel, the swing and the merry-go-round.

Kim and Danny went on the small Ferris wheel, the train ride and the swing.

Davey and Little Charlie went on the auto ride and the bomber ride.

Little Charlie and Papa Charlie went on the big Ferris wheel while Davey took another auto ride instead of going up in the big Ferris wheel.

Mama Bear visited the different food booths and talked to the ladies who had made delicious pies, Mexican enchiladas, and fried shrimp.

Papa Bear had a hamburger, some corn on the cob. Then he saw the fried chicken — he just had to have some of that too.

Just when Papa Charlie Bear thought it was time to go home, the whole area seemed to become alive with clowns. There were big ones and little ones, striped ones and red ones, some with long hair and some with no hair.

At first the little forest children were frightened. They had never seen anything like this. But soon the clowns showed they were friendly and just having a lot of fun with the people at the Sunshine Festival.

Before long Danny and Davey Deer, Pam and Kim Bunny, and Annie and Little Charlie were all playing games with the clowns.
Mama Bear saw that it was getting late so she and Papa Charlie went around the Festival grounds gathering up the little visitors from the mountains.

When they were all together, Papa Bear said that it was time to go home and that they would probably come again next year.

With that he gave the order to “Put on your traveling caps, whirl around three times, turn a somersault” and there they were back home just in time to see Mrs. Bunny and Mrs. Deer walking up the path to the Bear house.

The Bunny twins and the Deer boys thanked Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Bear for taking them to the festival.

As they went toward their own homes, the children could be heard telling their mothers of the lots of fun they had on the ponies, the rides and playing with the clowns.

Little Charlie said, “Papa, you said we could PROBABLY go again next year. Does that mean we REALLY can?”

“No,” answered Papa Charlie. “That means very likely we will. Now you two get washed up and into bed. We’ve had a busy day.”
“Can we take another trip soon, Papa?” asked Annie.

“Yes,” answered Papa Charlie, “Tomorrow you tell me where you’d like to go.”

“Good night my princess,” he said as he kissed his daughter good night.