Your Story Hour

Guest (Male): Hey, sis, Dad, Mom, come on. Your Story Hour's on. Presenting Your Story Hour, building for a better tomorrow.

Uncle Jon: Hi, boys and girls. This is Uncle Dan.

Aunt Carole: And I'm Aunt Carole. Welcome to all you teens, moms, dads, and all the rest of the family too.

Uncle Jon: And a special welcome to all you dog lovers because today's story is all about a dog named Bear.

Aunt Carole: As our story opens, Mr. Brody and his two children are on an afternoon fishing expedition. Since the family really couldn't afford a regular vacation this year, they've taken time to enjoy local attractions. Nearby Singer Lake, with its beautiful tree-lined shores and waters teeming with fish, is the getaway spot of choice for today. Brian, age nine, is in the fourth grade, and Samantha, better known as Sam to family and friends, is six years old.

Brian: Hey, look! I've got one!

Mr. Brody: Hang on to him, son.

Brian: He must be a big one!

Mr. Brody: Easy now. Easy. Oh, no!

Brian: He got away! And he was a big one, too.

Mr. Brody: Well, son, there are more fish stories about the ones that got away than there are about fish that actually got caught.

Brian: Yeah, Dad, but you can't fry up a good "got away" story for supper. You need a fish for that.

Mr. Brody: I'll tell you what. Let's go out by that little island. Maybe the fish will be more cooperative out there.

Brian: That's a sure funny-looking island. There aren't any trees on it. Not even one. It's just a big heap of rocks. What's it doing out here in the middle of the lake anyway, Dad?

Mr. Brody: Well, I'm not sure. Once when I was a teenager, a bunch of us came out here and explored it.

Brian: Cool! What'd you find?

Mr. Brody: Nothing. Just bugs and lizards.

Sam: Eww, gross!

Mr. Brody: Well, let's go around to the other side. For some reason, the fish always seem to bite better over there.

Sam: Daddy, look!

Mr. Brody: What?

Sam: Over there on the island. Something big moved.

Brian: Yeah, I see it too!

Mr. Brody: Where? I don't see anything.

Brian: There, on that big rock right at the end of the island, Dad.

Mr. Brody: What in the world?

Brian: Look, it moved again! It's a dog!

Mr. Brody: I don't think so. It couldn't be.

Brian: Dad, it is a dog! Look. Oh, Daddy, he's so skinny! Look, he can't even stand up.

Mr. Brody: Oh, my word. Quick, kids, sit down. We're going to go in for a closer look. I'll hop out and I'll pull the boat up. All right, there.

Brian: I'm coming, too! Oh, that's cold. I just filled my tennis shoes full of water.

Mr. Brody: Here, Sam, let me help you. Up there now.

Sam: Hurry, Daddy! This way! Oh, Daddy, look at him.

Mr. Brody: Oh, now better stay back a little bit.

Brian: He's so big!

Sam: He's so bony.

Brian: He looks like a big baggy bear.

Mr. Brody: A very, very sick baggy bear. Oh, he's just about dead.

Brian: Who would do this? Who would just leave a dog out here to die?

Mr. Brody: Let's see if he likes people. You stay here and I'll get a little closer. Hello, boy. All right, take it easy now. That's right. What happened, fella, hmm? Are you sick? Oh, boy.

Brian: Is he okay, Dad?

Mr. Brody: Well, I don't see any wounds or anything, but he is a bag of bones and he's so weak. He seems friendly enough, though. It's okay for you to come closer.

Sam: Oh, Daddy, look at him.

Mr. Brody: I know, Sam. He's in pretty bad shape.

Sam: Can we take him with us, Dad?

Mr. Brody: Well...

Sam: Daddy, please?

Mr. Brody: I guess we can't just leave him out here, can we, fella, huh? You need to see a vet, don't you? All right, Sam, I'm going to pick him up, but I need you to lift his head. Now, can you do that?

Sam: I think so.

Mr. Brody: And Brian, you hold the boat steady.

Brian: Okay, Dad.

Mr. Brody: Okay, then. Here goes.

Mr. Brody: Well, what do you think, Dr. Heckman? Is he going to make it?

Dr. Heckman: No. Very doubtful. He's so malnourished that all his internal organs are failing. I'd say he's been on that island for about two months with nothing to eat.

Sam: Except bugs and lizards.

Dr. Heckman: But the chances of him even making it through the night are almost zero.

Brian: Almost? That means he has some chance!

Dr. Heckman: I'd like to say yes, but well, even if we waged an all-out attack, I don't think he'd make it. Besides, it would be a very expensive venture.

Mr. Brody: How much? How much are we talking, Dr. Heckman?

Dr. Heckman: Well, it depends. If he manages to survive, and I don't think he will, we could be talking several thousand dollars.

Mr. Brody: Oh, boy.

Brian: Dad?

Mr. Brody: What, Brian?

Brian: What if we, well, what if we didn't go to the water park this weekend? I mean, could we take that money and...

Sam: Yeah! That's a great idea!

Mr. Brody: Well, that would only pay for maybe one day of the vet's bills.

Brian: Well, it's one day, Dad. Maybe something, I don't know, maybe something good will happen.

Sam: Yeah, a miracle!

Mr. Brody: Dr. Heckman?

Dr. Heckman: Well, we can give it a day if that's what you want.

Aunt Carole: As soon as the Brody family left, Dr. Heckman began trying to stabilize the condition of the big dog. And then he did one more thing.

Guest (Female): Tribune, how may I direct your call?

Dr. Heckman: Hello. May I have the Special Feature department?

Guest (Female): Certainly. One moment, please.

Abby Schultz: Abby Schultz, Special Features. May I help you?

Dr. Heckman: Well, I think you can. I'm Dr. Clifford Heckman, a veterinarian.

Abby Schultz: Yes.

Dr. Heckman: I thought you might be interested in a story about cruelty to animals. You know, how uncaring people can be by abandoning an animal to die, and about how other people become involved to help.

Abby Schultz: Well, yes. Yes, as a matter of fact, I am an animal lover myself. What's the story?

Dr. Heckman: Well, earlier this afternoon, two children and their father brought in a dog and...

Mr. Brody: How do you want your eggs, Samantha? Hard or soft?

Sam: Hard, Dad. I don't want any runny parts.

Mr. Brody: Coming up. Your brother should be back from his paper route any minute, and then we can sit down for breakfast.

Sam: Then can we call the doctor about Bear?

Mr. Brody: Bear?

Sam: Yeah. Don't you think he looks like a big old bear?

Mr. Brody: A pretty skinny bear, maybe. Oh, here's your brother now.

Brian: Dad! Sam! Look! Look at this! I can't believe it!

Mr. Brody: Whoa, whoa, slow down. Now, what's got you all charged up this morning?

Brian: Look here on page two! I didn't see it at first until I accidentally threw Mrs. Perry's paper in the bushes and had to go get it. Her paper was kind of tangled up and look, that's when I saw it right here on page two.

Sam: It's Bear!

Brian: Bear? Hey, great name, Samantha. Anyway, it's him!

Mr. Brody: My word, you're right. It says here, "Two children in our community, Samantha and Brian Brody, have willingly given up their vacation at the water park in order to pay the initial vet bill for an abandoned dog which they found on Singer Island while on a fishing expedition with their father, Chet Brody."

Sam: Hey, that's us!

Mr. Brody: "Dr. Heckman estimates the dog has been on the island for eight weeks without food. Broken and worn teeth indicate that the animal may have tried to eat rocks to stave off starvation."

Brian: Oh, Dad, can you believe it?

Mr. Brody: It says here, "A fund is being established to help with medical bills. Send your contributions to the Tribune and mark the envelope 'Rescue'."

Brian: A fund? You mean people are going to send in money to help pay for Bear's vet bills?

Mr. Brody: Well, it looks like maybe they will.

Sam: Yay!

Mr. Brody: I'd say Dr. Heckman plans on waging an all-out campaign to save Bear. He must be the one who called the paper.

Aunt Carole: That afternoon found Brian, Samantha, and Father at Dr. Heckman's clinic. Bear had made it through the night. He was holding on by a thread, but he was alive.

Sam: Hello, Bear. Can you hear me? Nice Bear. Nice Bear.

Dr. Heckman: I doubt it. He's almost comatose. I'm still very doubtful.

Sam: What's comatose mean?

Mr. Brody: It means that he's so sick he's almost dead. He doesn't even know we're here.

Dr. Heckman: Oh, I wouldn't say that exactly. He might know someone is here, but he's just too sick to respond.

Sam: You hang in there, Bear. Nice boy. Good boy. You're going to be okay. We'll come to see you every day, Bear. Right, Brian?

Brian: Yep, every day, Bear. So you have to make it. You just have to.

Uncle Jon: We'll find out how Bear is doing in just a moment, but first, Aunt Carole and I want to encourage you to join our Adventures in the Holy Bible Club. Membership is fun and totally free.

Aunt Carole: The adventure stories and fun-to-do quizzes are especially designed for everyone nine years old and older. As a club member, you'll not only receive adventure stories, puzzles, and quizzes, you'll also collect fully dramatized CDs from our Life of Jesus album as you return your completed quizzes.

Uncle Jon: Here's a letter from a club member who's just ready to graduate. Dorothy writes, "Knowing that these are my last set of quizzes, I want to thank you all for making this possible. I've learned a lot, and my walk with Jesus has become closer. I thank you from the bottom, middle, and top of my heart. It's been great."

Aunt Carole: We thank you for writing, Dorothy. Wouldn't you like to have a closer walk with Jesus, too? Then join the club. It's easy. Just visit our website at yourstoryhour.org, click on Adventures, and sign up. That's yourstoryhour.org.

Uncle Jon: If you don't have access to the web, just mail Aunt Carole and me a card or letter asking for the Adventures, and we'll sign you up. Our address is Your Story Hour, Box 8, Niles, Michigan, 49120. That's Box 8, Niles, Michigan, 49120. Now let's get back to today's story, A Dog Named Bear.

Aunt Carole: After rescuing the big black dog, which Samantha named Bear, from the island in Singer Lake, Sam and her brother Brian, true to their promise, visited Bear every day at Dr. Heckman's office. But progress seemed slow, almost nonexistent.

Sam: Hi, Bear. Are you better today? Nice Bear. Nice Bear.

Aunt Carole: For three weeks, Bear's fate hung in the balance. Then one day...

Dr. Heckman: Oh, hi. And how are Sam and Brian today?

Sam: I'm fine.

Brian: Me too. How is Bear?

Dr. Heckman: Well, come see for yourself.

Brian: Look, he sees us!

Sam: He's wagging his tail! Is he going to be okay, Dr. Heckman?

Dr. Heckman: Well, I still can't guarantee that he won't have a major setback, but I'd say he's on his way.

Sam: Oh, Bear, I love you!

Brian: Hey, Sam, look! We're on the front page of the paper! You, me, Dad, Bear, Dr. Heckman, and that lady reporter.

Sam: Our picture made the front page?

Brian: Yep, right here. The article tells everybody that Bear's home with us now.

Sam: Wow, Bear, you're a big star now, aren't you?

Brian: Yeah, but as soon as you're all better, you have to come on my paper route with me. After all, you have to work for your food around here, you know.

Aunt Carole: Before long, Bear followed Sam wherever she went, and early-rising neighbors often caught a glimpse of Bear loping along beside Brian's bicycle as he delivered the morning paper. Every night, when Father relaxed in the big easy chair after a long day in front of his computer, Bear fell asleep with his head on Father's foot.

It was a wonderful, almost magical time for the family, and it was hard to remember how life had been before Bear's arrival. No one could have guessed, however, how much more special Bear would become.

Mr. Brody: Okay, kids, have we got everything? Buns, hot dogs, ketchup...

Brian: Pickles, mustard...

Sam: Potato chips...

Brian: And dip. That's it, Dad. When are we supposed to be there?

Mr. Brody: I think we might as well go on over now.

Sam: This is such a neat idea. I'm glad we can have the neighborhood party at the Andersons.

Brian: Yeah, they're the only ones with a pool.

Mr. Brody: Well, it's 6:00. Time for the festivities to begin. Let's go!

Pete: Hey, there you are. Come on in. Gate's open.

Sam: Hi, Mr. Anderson.

Pete: Hey, Sam. I see you got the potato chips.

Sam: Yep, and the dip too.

Brian: Hi, Brian. I think Jerry's in the house. Go on in if you want.

Brian: Okay, thanks.

Pete: Well, Chet, can you believe it? Kids will be heading back to school tomorrow.

Mr. Brody: Short summer.

Pete: You can say that again. But it's been a good one.

Mr. Brody: Yeah.

Pete: You guys are practically celebrities around here with that dog thing. Where is he, anyway?

Mr. Brody: He's in the backyard there. If you look hard, you can see him right through the fences.

Pete: Yeah, there he is. He sure keeps an eye out for your kids. Look at him now. He can hardly stand having to stay over there when you guys are over here.

Mr. Brody: Listen, rescuing that dog was the best thing I've ever done. He's filled up a big spot in our hearts. You know, when the children and I lost their mother...

Pete: I know, Chet. It's been hard.

Guest (Male): Say, everybody, Chet's here with the hot dogs. Let's get started.

Mrs. Anderson: Okay, you guys, hot dogs are grilled to perfection. Come and get them. Here you go, Sam. Chips and here's your hot dog. There. The salad's there on the table, so's the pop.

Sam: Thank you, Mrs. Anderson.

Mrs. Anderson: I put a blanket down for you kids out back under the trees on the other side of the pool. I thought that would be a great cool place for you. The rest of us will eat here at the side of the house away from the sun.

Sam: Okay, thanks. Come on, Brian, out back by the trees.

Brian: Okay, I'll be there in a minute. You go ahead.

Aunt Carole: Sam walked around the corner of the house and headed for the blanket near the back of the yard. Brian and Jerry loaded up their plates and then waited while Justin, Kimberly, and Zach, the other neighborhood kids, got their food. Meanwhile, Father and the other neighbors were engaged in lively chatter about summer vacations and plans for fall.

Pete: So we just got back from our vacation last Sunday. Boy, Chet, old Bear's riled up about something.

Mr. Brody: Pete, how about another hot dog?

Pete: Sure thing. Huh, I wonder what's wrong with Bear. He usually doesn't... what in the world? My word, he cleared that fence by a foot! Bear! Look, he's scrambling over the next fence. It must be five feet high! Bear!

Mr. Brody: What's happening? What's wrong?

Pete: He's coming for us at 90 miles an hour. Bear! Whoa, look, he's headed for the pool! Come on!

Mr. Brody: Bear! Sam! Where's Samantha? Brian? Sam?

Brian: It's Samantha! She's face down in the pool!

Mr. Brody: Watch out, I'm going in! Bear's already got her! Here, boy, bring her here! To the side, Bear!

Pete: Somebody call 911! Call 911!

Mr. Brody: Samantha! Look, Bear's pulling her this way. Come on, Bear. I got her. Boost her up, Pete.

Pete: Oh, here.

Mr. Brody: Lay her down and turn her over. We've got to get the water out of her lungs. She's got a big bump on her head.

Brian: Sam! Sam!

Mr. Brody: 1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000, 4-1000...

Pete: They're here! I hear them coming. Oh, thank God.

Mr. Brody: 1-1000... Where's Brian? Brian, where's Brian?

Pete: He's out front with Pete. They're waiting to show the paramedics where to come.

Mr. Brody: Hang on, Chet. 1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000, 4-1000, 5-1000...

Unit 1: Unit 1 to base. Unit 1 to base.

Base: We read you, Unit 1. Go ahead.

Unit 1: We've stabilized the patient. Contusion to the right temple, possible concussion. Heartbeat is restored. She's now breathing on her own. Blood pressure is 75 over 55 and we're ready to transport.

Base: Base to Unit 1, Roger. What's your ETA?

Unit 1: Five to seven minutes.

Base: Roger, we'll be waiting. Permission to transport.

Unit 1: Roger.

Unit 1: Okay, let's get her in there. Let's hope they've got a room ready.

Guest (Male): This way, room three.

Unit 1: Okay. Ready? Let's move her over. One, two, three.

Guest (Male): Blood pressure?

Guest (Female): I'm not getting one, Doctor.

Guest (Male): We've lost heartbeat. Paddles! Quickly, we're losing her!

Aunt Carole: Twice in the emergency room, Samantha's heart stopped, but fortunately, the doctor was able to revive her. Her condition was extremely serious, but for now at least, she was alive. After a few X-rays, she was transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit, and the doctor spoke privately with Father.

Dr. Hansen: Well, Mr. Brody, it's too early to tell exactly how well Samantha's going to come through this. We don't know how long her brain was without oxygen.

Mr. Brody: You mean she might have brain damage?

Dr. Hansen: It's possible. We don't know yet. Right now we need to worry about her lungs. Then we'll tackle any injury to the brain. She received a nasty blow to the head, but so far there's no indication of a developing hematoma. Again, we don't know how long she suffered oxygen deprivation. But I will say this, children are amazingly resilient and I've seen miracles happen. But at this point, you do have to be braced for the worst.

Mr. Brody: Thank you, Dr. Hansen. I...

Dr. Hansen: I know. I know. I have a daughter just a year older than Samantha. I'll tell you what. Why don't you go home briefly, get some dry clothes on, and come back? You can stay through the night with her if you like.

Aunt Carole: Chet Brody was almost numb with worry and grief. Little Sam looked so pale, so helpless, and it seemed there were tubes and wires attached to every square inch of her small body. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson and a few of the other guests were assembled in the waiting room, and they readily agreed to take Brian back to the house to get some dry clothes for Father so he could stay by Samantha's side. Quietly he slipped back into Samantha's room, settled in a chair, and held her small white hand in his.

Mr. Brody: Dear Lord, please, if it is Your will, let Samantha come back to us. She's so little. She's just six. Please, please let her be all right. It's okay, Sam. Daddy's right here. It's okay, honey. You're okay.

You should have seen Bear. He must have been watching you, even though he had to look through the mesh fences to see you. He must have never taken his eyes off you. You know, Sam, I think God sent Bear to us as a special friend. It's kind of like we rescued him so he decided to take good care of us. Especially you, Sam. You're the one who spotted him on that island. If it hadn't been for you... Sam? Samantha?

Sam: Daddy?

Mr. Brody: Oh, Sam! You're awake! Oh, honey!

Sam: Where am I?

Mr. Brody: You're in the hospital, honey.

Sam: The hospital?

Mr. Brody: Don't you remember? You fell into the pool.

Sam: Pool?

Mr. Brody: Yes. Remember? We were having a neighborhood picnic at the Andersons.

Sam: Oh, yeah. I had a hot dog.

Mr. Brody: Yes, that's right.

Sam: Daddy?

Mr. Brody: Yes, Sam?

Sam: My hot dog.

Mr. Brody: Yes, you had a hot dog.

Sam: It fell into the water and...

Mr. Brody: Your hot dog fell into the water?

Sam: Uh-huh. And I bent over to get it...

Mr. Brody: Out of the water?

Sam: Uh-huh. And I slipped and I don't remember anymore.

Mr. Brody: You must have slipped and hit your head on the side of the pool, Sam. You almost drowned. I thought you were... well, anyway, Bear saved you.

Sam: Bear? Bear saved me?

Mr. Brody: Yep. He jumped three fences and plunged into the pool before any of us knew what happened.

Sam: Bear saved me. But why are your clothes all wrinkly, Daddy?

Mr. Brody: Well, I sort of jumped in too.

Sam: I love you, Daddy.

Mr. Brody: I love you too, Sam. But you need to rest now, okay?

Aunt Carole: For the entire three days that Samantha was in the hospital, Bear restlessly paced around the house. He even wore a circular path in the grass in the backyard. Brian said they should rename him "Worry Wart," but of course he was just teasing. Finally, the day came when Father brought Samantha home from the hospital.

Mr. Brody: Well, here we are. Home again.

Sam: Look, there's Bear in the backyard.

Mr. Brody: Oops, correction. There's Bear in the front yard. It seems fences don't mean much to him when you're involved, Sam.

Sam: Bear! Oh, Bear!

Uncle Jon: I'm sure the Brodys thank God over and over for Bear.

Aunt Carole: Yes, they do. You know, their experience reminds me of the truth of verse one in Ecclesiastes chapter 11. It says, "Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days."

Uncle Jon: I think you'd better explain what that means, Aunt Carole. Some of the boys and girls might think that all they'd find would be soggy bread.

Aunt Carole: Oh, that won't do. Actually, this Bible verse means that in some way, at some time, every deed we do, whether for good or for bad, will be returned to us.

Uncle Jon: Of course it won't always be in the same way that Sam, Brian, and their dad experienced.

Aunt Carole: No, and not every kind deed will immediately be rewarded, but kindness does have a way of coming back to us, if only by the knowledge that we have done something good and that we feel better about who we are for having done it.

Uncle Jon: And every time we do something positive, something good or kind or helpful, we're acting in the same way that God acts toward us, and we become more and more like Him.

Aunt Carole: I know that Samantha's family would be the first to say that love and compassion and kindness do come back to bless those who have helped others by their loving deeds.

Uncle Jon: So remember, when you have the opportunity to be kind, always welcome it and act upon it. You'll be so glad you did. Obviously Bear agrees.

Aunt Carole: He's a smart dog.

Uncle Jon: That he is. And if he could talk, I think he'd tell us that it is a very good idea to express our appreciation to those who do us a kindness. So in that spirit, and for all the boys and girls and their families who benefit from Your Story Hour's outreach...

Aunt Carole: We thank every one of you whose gifts and prayers make this ministry possible.

Uncle Jon: May every slice of bread you've cast upon the waters come back as a full loaf. If you'd like information on how you can join us in spreading the good news of God's love, visit our website at yourstoryhour.org or call us toll-free at 1-800-987-7879 and ask our receptionist, Barbara, to sign you up for our free monthly newsletter. Once again, our toll-free number is 1-800-987-7879.

Aunt Carole: Well, it's time for us to say goodbye for now.

Uncle Jon: And God bless you until we meet again.

Aunt Nikki: This has been Your Story Hour, building for a better tomorrow. This is Aunt Nikki, Aunt Carole, and Uncle Jon saying...

Uncle Jon: Goodbye, everyone.

Aunt Carole: See you again next time.