Bear’s Quiet Mountain

A Tale of Listening and Finding Peace

For children ages 4–8. Approximate listening time: 11 minutes.

Transcript

Bear's Quiet Mountain: A Tale of Listening and Finding Peace High above the valleys, where the pine trees climbed the slopes and the clouds sometimes rested on the mountaintops, there was a little brown bear named Benji. Benji was curled into the warmest corner of his family's den. His nose was tucked beneath one paw. His other paw was stretched over his head. And he was having a very serious dream about... a mountain made entirely of blueberries. Mmm... just one more blueberry... Huh?! Ohhh... Why is everybody so noisy in the morning? Good morning to you too. Mama... Is there anywhere on this whole mountain that's actually quiet? Hmm. Maybe. Maybe? You'll have to listen for it. Listen for quiet? Exactly. But if it's quiet... there won't be anything to listen to. You might be surprised. Benji sat up. That sounded suspiciously like one of Mama's puzzles. And Benji could never leave one of Mama's puzzles alone. I'm going to find the quietest place on the mountain. Take your time. I will! And remember- What? Don't forget to listen! Benji followed a narrow trail between tall pine trees. He tried very hard to find silence. Quiet... Nope. Definitely not. What was that?! Coming through! Coming through! Very important pika business! A tiny pika burst onto the trail with his paws full of grass. It was Pip, Benji's quick little friend, always busy preparing for winter. Pip? Benji! Perfect timing. Why are you running? I'm not running. I'm moving efficiently. It looks like running. Efficiently. What are you doing? Collecting grass for my winter hay pile. But winter is a long time away. Exactly! That's why I only have... several thousand trips left. Oh. What are you doing? I'm looking for the quietest place on the mountain. Quiet? Completely quiet. Hmm. Have you tried the creek? The creek? Sure. Follow me! Wait, Pip, creeks aren't quiet. Efficient movement! But Benji followed anyway. Soon the trees opened around a clear mountain creek. Water slipped between gray stones, curled around smooth rocks, and tumbled into tiny shining pools. Pip. Yes? The creek splashed and bubbled beside them. This is the opposite of quiet. Is it? Listen! Splashing. Bubbling. Dripping. Right. So... not quiet. Maybe don't listen to the whole creek. What? Pick one sound. Just one. Benji sat beside the water. For once, Pip stopped moving efficiently. They listened. I hear... water sliding over that little stone. Mm-hmm. And one drop falling from that fern. Mm-hmm. That's actually kind of nice. See? But it's still not the quietest place. Then keep climbing. I will. And Benji? Yeah? Listen small. Listen small? You'll figure it out. Several thousand trips! Bye, Pip. Benji climbed higher. The pine trees grew shorter. The trail grew rockier. And the wide blue sky seemed closer than before. Whoa. Careful there! Benji looked up. A sure-footed young mountain goat was making her way down the rocky trail toward him. It was Mabel. Mabel? The mountain likes to move its pebbles around. Why? Maybe it gets bored. Mountains don't get bored. Have you ever asked one? No. There you go. I'm looking for somewhere quiet. Ah. Pip said to keep climbing. Good advice. Do you know somewhere completely silent? Completely? Not one sound. No wind? No wind. No birds? No birds. No water? No water. No pebbles rolling down the mountain? Especially no pebbles. Hmm. I don't know a place like that. Oh. But I know a place where the mountain sounds very different. Where? The Whispering Cave. A cave? Just around the ridge. Is it scary? Only if you're frightened of dripping water. I'm not. Then you'll be fine. Mabel led Benji around the ridge and into the Whispering Cave. Hello? Oh! The cave likes to repeat things. Hello! Blueberries! Very important message. Extremely important. Then Benji remembered why he had come. He closed his mouth. Mabel stood still. And together they listened. Then- For a long moment, the cave was almost silent. That's all I hear. Keep listening. I can hear the air moving. Mm-hmm. And... I can hear myself breathing. There you are. Me? You're one of the mountain's sounds too. I never thought about that. Most of us don't. Come on. Where? The sun will be going down soon. But I haven't found the quietest place yet. Maybe you need someone who stays awake after sunset. Oliver. Oliver. By the time Benji reached the high meadow near the summit, the mountain had turned gold. The sun rested on the edge of the world. Long shadows stretched across the grass. Oliver? There was no answer. Oliver? A broad-winged old owl settled on a nearby branch. It was Oliver, the mountain's patient, watchful listener. You're very loud for someone searching for quiet. Oliver! Good evening, Benji. How did you know what I was doing? Pip told Mabel. Mabel told a raven. The raven told two chickadees. The chickadees told me. News travels fast on this mountain. Faster than Pip. Don't tell him that. I value my peace. Oliver... does the mountain have one completely quiet place? Hmm. Sit down. That's not an answer. It will be. Close your eyes. Okay. Benji closed his eyes and listened. What do you hear? The wind. What else? Grass. What else? A bird. What else? The creek. What else? Me. Anything else? I don't- Wait. Crickets. The mountain is changing shifts. Changing shifts? The daytime singers are going to sleep. The nighttime singers are waking up. Another owl? My cousin. Good evening! So the mountain never gets completely quiet? Almost never. Then I failed. Did you? I wanted to find quiet. And what did you find? A creek. A cave. Pebbles. Wind. Crickets. Benji thought for a moment. And my breathing. Sounds to me like you found quite a lot. But none of it was silence. Perhaps quiet isn't when the world stops making sounds. What is it, then? Perhaps quiet is when you stop fighting the sounds... and start listening to them. Benji looked out across the mountain. Below him, the creek whispered between its stones. The pines brushed their needles together. The evening insects sang from the grass. And somewhere very far away- He's still doing that? Very dedicated fellow. Benji laughed softly. When Benji finally returned home, stars were shining between the branches. Mama Bear was waiting outside the den. Well? Well what? Did you find the quietest place on the mountain? No. Oh? I found something better. What's that? Come inside. Lie down. All right. Now listen. Hear it? I do. The mountain's lullaby. I wondered when you'd find it. You knew? Mamas know a few things. Even about mountains? Especially about mountains. Benji tucked his nose beneath one paw. The wind whispered through the trees. The creek murmured far below. The crickets sang their tiny evening song. And none of it seemed noisy anymore. It sounded... like home. And beneath the stars, on his not-so-silent mountain... Benji fell asleep. Good night, Benji. The end.

Bear’s Quiet Mountain

Transcript

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