heâd grown up in and lived in all his life. âI doubt it,â he muttered. âProbably one of them big olâ chain stores that sells everything a bear doesnât need. Like Bearmart or Bears Roebuck. The kind that chases all the little mom-and-pop stores out of town.â
âNot likely,â said Fred. âThey donât use Day-Glo paint to announce new Bearmarts. But I guess weâll find out soon enough.â
ââFraid so,â said Gramps. âHey, why donât you cubs meet me at the Bearsonian after lunch? I can show you around the special exhibit.â
Brother was tempted to say yes. Gramps may have been a slow walker, but he could be a real fast talker. And an interesting one, too. The Great Bear War was kind of a hobby of his. He knew everything there was to know about it. He could tell you about all the famous battles, and about the lives of the great generals, like Ulysses S. Bear and Grizzwall Jackson. He even knew the Gettysbear Address by heart.
But then Brother remembered that this was the first day in quite a while that he and Fred had had a chance to spend time togetherâjust the two of them. So he said, âThanks, Gramps, maybe next time.â
âOkay, you two,â said Gramps. âBut remember: this week only â¦â And he ambled off down Grizzly Avenue in the direction of the Bearsonian.
Chapter 3
Dullsville No More?
Brother and Fred spent several days hiking, fishing, and playing catch before they decided it was high time to take another look at the mysterious building project on the corner of Bruin Street and Grizzly Avenue. Maybe construction had already begun. And maybe they could figure out what it was all about.
As they approached the corner of Bruin and Grizzly, the cubs could see that things were progressing. Or, rather, they could hear that things were progressing. From behind the multi-colored fence came the sounds of high-powered digging equipment and cement mixers. Then they noticed a new sign on top of the fence. It read: AT LAST! EXCITEMENT COMES TO BEARTOWN! A FABULOUS ENTERTAINMENT CENTER GOING UP ON THIS SITE!
Brother and Fred looked at each other in astonishment. âAn entertainment center?â said Fred. âIn Beartown? I must be dreaming. Pinch me.â Brother obliged. âOuch! Hey, Iâm not dreaming!â
âCome on, letâs have a look,â said Brother.
They raced across the street to peer through the cracks in the fence. They saw huge mechanical scoops and shovels lifting and hauling dirt from a vast hole in the ground. A fleet of cement mixers was lined up alongside, churning merrily away.
âTheyâre getting ready to lay the foundation,â said Fred.
âWow! Whatever it is, itâs gonna be huge!â
With their noses pressed against the fence, the cubs traded guesses about what the new entertainment center would be like. Maybe it would be an amusement park with cool rides and a funhouse. Or maybe a sports center with miniature golf and an arena for rollerblading. Or an enormous arcade, with every kind of pinball machine and electronic game ever invented. Or a multiplex cinema, with twenty screens and shops and cafés. Or a huge theme restaurant, all made up like a rain forest or a princeâs palace or a haunted mansion â¦
The possibilities seemed endless. They couldnât wait to find out which one it would turn out to be!
Fortunately, they didnât have to wait long. Just until later that afternoon, in fact. When Brother got home from rollerblading with Fred, he found Papa relaxing in his easy chair in the living room. That afternoonâs Beartown Gazette lay folded neatly on his lap.
âPapa,â said Brother, âhave you seen anything in the paper about the new entertainment center thatâs going up downtown?â
âEntertainment center?â said Papa. âYou mean that thing with the Day-Glo fence at Bruin and