Ryers Readers - The Berenstain Bears Forget Their Manners

Episode Date: July 5, 2023

Mama Bear is not too happy with her family always forgetting their manners! It is time for the Bear Family Politeness Plan!

Let's do this! Thank you so much for tuning into today's story. Don't forget to rate and follow so you never miss out on all the Ryer's Reader's fun. And if you're looking for even more fun, come join me on the Ryer's Reader's Patreon page, where you can find ad-free episodes, bonus content, and even become a Ryer's Reader's celebrity. Before we get into the story, do you want to know a fun fact? Did you know that baby bear cubs are born completely blind so they cannot see?

And they are born with just a light coating of fine hair. They rely completely on their mommies for their first few months and usually don't even leave their dens. Pretty cool, huh? Okay, story time. Today, we have a super special Ryers' Reader's request from four-year-old Maxine B. Maxine would like to hear the Bernstein Bears forget their manners by Stan and Jan Berenstein. I hope you enjoy this story, Maxine. Let's do this. There was trouble in a big tree top house down a sunny dirt road deep in bear country.

Trouble with manners. The Bear family's trouble with manners was that they forgot them. At first, it was just an occasional please or thank you that was forgotten. Then, there was a rude push without an excuse me. Then a reach across the table instead of a please pass the broccoli. Mama Bear wasn't quite sure how or why it happened, but she was sure of one thing. Whatever the reason, the Bear family had become a pushing, shoving, name-calling, ill-mannered mess. Silly head, buzz brain, noodle pus!

At the table was even worse. They were a grabbing, mouth stuffing, food-fighting, kicking under the table super mess. Of course, Mama Bear tried to correct brother and sister bear's behavior. She tried coaxing. She tried complaining. She tried shouting. She tried going to get Papa for help. Though, it sometimes seemed to Mama that he was part of the problem.

Papa banged on the table and shouted as only he could. But nothing really seemed to do any good. Mama didn't like what was happening to her family, Not one bit. Something had to be done. But what? The best way to fight bad habits, she thought, was with good habits.

Then she thought of a plan. She got a big piece of cardboard and a marker. At the top, she wrote, The Bear Family Politeness Plan. When the plan was finished, She called a family meeting and showed it to Papa and the Cubs. It certainly got the bear family's attention. Mama's plan had a list of all the rude things she wanted to stop.

Beside each one was a penalty, a job or chore that went with it. If you forgot a please or a thank you, you had to sweep the front steps. If you pushed or shoved, you had to beat. two rugs. If you got caught name-calling, you had to clean the whole cellar. But Mama, sputtered the cubs, you're not being fair. It seems to me, she said, that you're the ones who aren't being fair, to yourselves or to anyone else. That's what manners are all about, being fair and considerate. Manners are very important.

They help us get along with each other. Why, without manners, your mama's absolutely right, interrupted Papa. Thank you, Papa, for your comment, but interrupting is number three on the rude list and the penalty is dusting the downstairs. Mama said and handed him the feather duster. said brother. This looks serious. I think we better come up with a plan of our own, or we're going to be doing a lot of extra chores.

What sort of plan? asked sister. Well, he said, instead of just being polite, we'll be super polite. We'll please and thank you so much that Mama will get fed up and call the whole thing off. Yes, said sister. We'll be super polite. We'll be so much. We'll please and thank you so much that Mama will get fed up and call the whole thing off. Yes, yes, said sister. We'll be so polite she won't even be able to stand it. They put their plan into action. They were super polite on the stairs. After you, sister dear. Thank you, dear brother. In the hall. Excuse me, brother dear. Why certainly, my dear sister. Waiting for the bathroom. Terrible sorry to have kept you waiting. Think nothing of it, my dear. But it didn't work the way they expected. Mama didn't get fed up at all.

And after a while, brother and sister forgot all about being super polite and were just polite. At the table. Pass the honey, please. Certainly. In their room. Would you like me to help you pick up your toys? Thank you very much.

In the yard. Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to bump you. That's all right, no harm done. And it turned out that Mama had been right. Things did go more smoothly. Once they got into the good manners habit, they didn't even have to think about it. But it wasn't so easy for Papa.

He was the one who got fed up. It's a little harder to change habits when you're older. and he had to do quite a few extra chores for forgetting his manners. I'm glad to get out of the house, away from that politeness plan, he said as he drove the family along the highway on a trip to the supermarket. Manners and courtesy are just as important away from home, especially on the road, said Mama as they stopped at a stop sign to let pedestrians and other cars pass. They help us drive safely.

Well, grumbled Papa as they all went into the busy supermarket, I think you can have too much of a good thing. You've got to have common sense along with manners. Why, if you let everyone go ahead of you at the checkout, you'd be there forever. And sometimes you have to interrupt. Excuse me, madam, he interrupted a shopper, but I believe you have a leaking bottle in your cart. The shopper thanked him for his help.

You see, he said driving home, there's more to life than remembering your manners. Besides, manners are all right for cubs and mama bears, but we Papa bears have other things to think about. At that moment, the car in front of him stopped suddenly, and Papa bumped into it. Bunk! He was furious. Why that pin-headed fiddle brain? he snarled.

Name-calling, reminded sister. The penalty for name-calling was cleaning the whole cellar. So Papa gritted his teeth and remembered his manners. And a good thing, too, because climbing out of the other car was the biggest, angriest bear he had ever seen. But when the angry bear saw how polite Papa was, he remembered his manners, too. He explained that he had stopped short because a mama duck and her ducklings had crossed in front of him. Then he and Papa Bear looked at their bumpers and saw that no harm had been done. As I was saying, said Papa as they continued on their way,

it's very important for us to remember our manners at all times. and I want to thank you, sister, for reminding me to use mine. You're very welcome, I'm sure, said Sister Bear politely. The end. Don't forget to stick around to see if you can answer today's paying attention question. Before you go, do you think you can answer today's paying attention question? What is the best way to fight bad habits? If your answer was, with good habits, you did it!

Great job! You sure were paying attention! I hope you enjoyed that story. I wonder what we're going to read next. Bye, Maxine!