Buttons and Lacey- Storybook-4-©Copyright-Sheryl Hale Black

Buttons And Lacey, The Good Manners Bears

And Their Pet Balblitzes

Storybook # 4

"Mrs. Brown Bear Teaches Bare Facts About Good Manners"

It is Tuesday, a day that looks to be a little cloudy with rain expected anytime now. We know that yesterday it looked like it was going to rain outside and it never happened. Today it looked the same and Buttons once again brought his umbrella to school and he hung it in the coat closet along with his hat.
Remember in Storybook #3, Lacey met Buttons’ parents and between Lacey’s father and Buttons’ stepfather, the little bears learned about the kind of people bears they were not to associate with. (Associate means to link together with another person.) They also had learned from Mr. Harry Bear, the bus driver, how to behave while riding on the school bus. Learning good things in life seems to be something that happens to those who will listen and if they use what they learn, then they will be much happier by doing so.

Mrs. Brown Bear begins the day with: "Good Morning Class. We are going to have a busy day today learning the bare facts about good manners. Tomorrow we will learn the ABC’s of good manners, but it is important for you to first learn why we need to behave properly this great country of the USA. We will start this lesson by class participation. (Participation means to share in something, to take part in an action of some kind.)

I will call on a few of you here in the class to tell me why you think we are to behave properly toward one another and I will tell you if you are correct and if you are not correct, I will tell you why. I feel it is important for all of you to know the bare facts about good manners first. I feel this because you are in a classroom of so many other little bears and you need to know why you are to behave properly so that you will have a successful year and make good grades.
Tomorrow you will learn the ABC’s of good manners, which will give you a guideline of what those manners are. The word "Guideline" means something suggested to cause a certain action."

Mrs. Brown Bear then called on Berry Bear by asking him: "Berry Bear, why do you think that we are to behave properly toward one another in this life? " Berry Bear begins to wiggle around in his seat and a shocked look comes across his face as he begins to turn a red from being the first one that the teacher calls on. Mrs. Brown Bear notices his behavior and tries to make him more comfortable by saying: " It is quite alright that you may be feeling a little bit of

embarrassment. Everyone here in the class will learn to speak in front of others this year so please know that you are not alone in the way you are feeling right now. Take a moment to think about my question, and then answer the best way you know how."
As Berry Bear slowly looks across the classroom and seeing that so many were looking at him, his voice quivers and cracks as he attempts to answer his teacher. "We are to behave properly because you tell us to." With this answer, the classroom fills with laughter and Mrs. Brown Bear stands to her feet and hits her desk with her pointing stick as loud as she could.

The classroom of little bears gets very quiet now as they all heard the loud noise and saw the expression on Mrs. Brown Bear’s face. She tells them: "Class, I am not going to accept this behavior at all from you. This is your last warning, the next time that any of you laugh at another bear’s answer, you will sit in a corner of the room for one hour without making a sound.

If there should be more than one bear that laughs, then because I will not know exactly who laughs and who doesn’t laugh, the entire class will have to be punished even though some of you will have minded my instructions. I am certain that the biggest punishment for the guilty ones will come from your new friends next to you when they don’t speak to you for a while. You will learn one way or another that you do not laugh at anyone in this class when they are speaking or answering a question that I have asked them."

Every bear by now was sitting as stiff as a board and trying to be as quiet as possible. They were learning a lesson that day about good manners faster than they had expected to learn. It appeared, by the expression on all of their faces, to look as if none of them wanted to be the one to cause others any trouble. Thoughts of how embarrassing it would be for other to not speak to you for causing was more than they could handle at this point.

Mrs. Brown Bear apologized to Berry Bear for the laughter and went on to tell him: "No Berry Bear, I am afraid that the answer you gave to me was not correct. Now I will tell you why. In the Bible, it tells us to treat others the way we would want others to treat us. Is there anyone here in this room that would want to be treated badly?" Not one little bear raised his or her hand to answer the question that Mrs. Brown Bear asked. As she looked around the room, she replied: "I suppose no one would want to be treated badly, so that is why you do not treat another person bear that way. You treat the person bear around you the very same way you would want to be treated and I would guess that the treatment you would give would be very good treatment."

Mrs. Brown Bear, still standing at her desk then asked Buttons to give her another reason why good manners were important to have. Buttons was shy, but because he knew that Berry Bear had lived through his embarrassment, he proceeded to answer her question out loud: "My mother has told me that it is important to have good manners because good manners can make me successful in life." With Buttons’ answer Mrs. Brown Bear smiled and said: "Yes Buttons, you are correct and it is good that you have a mother that teaches you this. It is so important that good manners are learned at an early age so when the little bear is older more people bears who can help as far as employment and possibly friendships will like him or her and this leads to success. Thank you Buttons." Buttons immediately replied: "You are Welcome Mrs. Brown Bear."

"So now you have heard from two of your classmates about what they feel is the reason behind our having good manners." said Mrs. Brown Bear as she sat back down at her desk. She went on to say: "I will tell you that we also need to know good manners because we live in a civilized society. Society is a collection of all people such those of us here in the USA.

We, as a society of people in order to live together peaceably, need to behave properly toward one another to be successful in this life. This is what makes our country united and strong. United means to join together in agreement with one another."

The time was going by quickly in the classroom that day. The class of little bears seemed to be enjoying what Mrs. brown Bear was teaching on. The class went to lunch and then to the playground to have recess and after recess was ended, they all came back in the building and sat down. Mrs. Brown Bear told them that they could talk with one another for about an hour and then she would call on one more little bear before the school day was over.

The classroom was full of chatter and giggling, but not too loudly because the little bears remembered the scorning that the teacher had given them that morning. They were very respectful by not being too loud because they did not want to anger Mrs. Brown Bear again. (Scorning in this case means that Mrs. Brown Bear was upset with the little bears for laughing and she told them that she was upset and warned them to be good.)

After the hour had passed, Mrs. Brown Bear then called on Mandy Bear who was seated close to Lacey. Remember that Mandy Bear was the little girl bear that Lacey had met at the playground on Saturday. It looks like Lacey and Mandy Bear are going to make real good friends. Lacey found out later after they had met that they lived on the same street in the little town of Caveville, USA.

Mrs. Brown Bear asked Mandy Bear: "Why do you think that we should all have good manners?" Mandy bear was the only one who had stood by her desk to answer the question that Mrs. Brown Bear had asked and that is a form of good manners as well. Standing shows a sign of respect to the person that you are speaking with. Mandy Bear replied: "The reason I think we should all have good manners is because if we are nice to one another then you can meet good friends that you can have the rest of your life."
Mrs. Brown Bear clapped her hands and the whole class joined in as well. Mrs. Brown Bear then said: "Mandy Bear, that was a good answer to my question and I don’t think I have to explain anything about what you just told us. I think after last Friday when each of you had met new friends, you should know by now how that having good manners works well for you.

Mandy Bear told Mrs. Brown Bear: "Thank You Mrs. Brown Bear." And the teacher then replied, "Your welcome Mandy Bear". Mrs. Brown Bear stood once again by her desk and told the class: "I am very proud of each and every one of you for answering my questions today. I do hope that you will always remember that in this great country that we live in, it is so important to know why we must all behave properly toward one another. Tomorrow we will learn the ABC’s Of Good Manners so I want each one of you tonight to think about what those manners are that I will be teaching about. Many of you will already know most of them. It is time for you to get ready to get on your school bus and remember the rules that Mr. Harry Bear has given to you. I will see you all in the morning.

End Of Storybook #4

Endless Stories Can Be Written For These Characters. Please Contact Me.