How Blackcloud Got His Name

18. How Blackcloud Got His Name

One bright morning, Blackcloud the big brown bear woke up from a vision dream, shaking his furry head! He had received a message from Mother Earth herself, and now he knew exactly what he had to do! "I need to round up the dogs and head to the stream!" Blackcloud roared as loud as he could, his growl echoing through the forest! Every animal in the forest heard it--there was no way anyone could ignore Blackcloud's mighty call!

The dogs quickly gathered around Blackcloud, wagging their tails and barking excitedly! Larry the Labrador was first to arrive, followed closely by little Chacko the Chihuahua, who was bouncing up and down, his tiny paws tapping the ground.

Blackcloud looked down at his friends. "We need to go to the stream, but first, does anyone have any questions?"

Chacko, the small, hyperactive puppy, raised his tiny paw and wagged his red tongue excitedly. "Oh yes! I have MANY questions!" he yelped. "Why are you called Blackcloud? You're brown and you are not a cloud!"

Blackcloud smiled a big bear grin. "Good question, Chacko!" he said. "I'll tell you the story on the way to the stream. Now, hold on tight and listen closely!"

As the group began to march through the forest, Blackcloud started his tale. "Many moons ago, my family was sitting around a big campfire, enjoying a delicious meal. They were waiting for my mom to give birth to me! It was a beautiful night, and everything was perfect..."

Just then, far away in the shadows of the forest, the evil witch peered into her crystal ball. She saw the peaceful bears enjoying their time and felt a strange, dark energy bubble inside her. "I don't like this at all!" she grumbled. "They're too happy! It's messing with my evil energy!" With a evil laugh, she told her brother, the wicked warlock, what she planned to do. "I'm going to send a lightning bolt to hit that giant pine tree, and when it falls, it will start a HUGE fire! Let's ruin their fun!"

Her brother cackled with evil joy. "It's going to be wonderful!" he agreed.

With a flash of her wand, the witch sent a giant lightning bolt crashing down! ZAP! The tree was struck with a loud boom, and the fire quickly spread out of control! All the animals scattered in fear, shouting for help!

"Mother Earth! Please help us!" they cried in panic.

And just when it seemed like the fire would burn everything in its path, something magical happened! The sky darkened, and a huge, swirling black rain cloud appeared, blocking out the sun! It wasn't just any cloud--this was a cloud of protection! The rain began to pour, putting out the fire in no time! The animals cheered with joy, thanking Mother Earth for her help!

As the black cloud poured its rain over the forest, something even more amazing happened. Blackcloud's mother, by the campfire, gave birth to him! The moment he was born, the animals knew there was something special about him. The Native Americans who had witnessed the event came forward and said, "This little bear is destined for greatness! He was born with the strength of the black cloud that saved the forest!"

And that's how Blackcloud got his name!