Polar Bear's First Sunrise

All the little polar bear cub wanted to do was see the Sun. He was born during the polar night, when night could last for weeks or even months. He had never been able to see the sun, so his mother told him stories of the enormous, bright ball in the sky that made the whole world bright. The mother bear would wrap herself around her cub, and as she prepared him for bed, she would lull him to sleep with her wondrous tales.

“When it rises, it makes the snow twinkle like the stars, and makes our fur shine beautifully” she explained. “And when it gets tired, it sinks beneath the horizon to paint the sky with brilliant colors of every kind.”

“Mama, I want to see it! When will it happen? Why hasn’t it happened yet? Is the sun okay?” the cub asked, filled with awe.

“Patience little one. Once a year the Sun sleeps, so that it can continue to shine for us when it returns. Like you, it needs to rest. Little naps at night help, much like little naps help you throughout the day. However, just like we sleep longer when we need our full strength, so does the sun. You, little one, happened to be born while the Sun is taking its long rest, but I know it will smile when it finally rises.”

“Mama, I can’t wait to see the Sun,” the cub yawned as he closed his eyes. 

The next day the cub woke up before his mother, sat at the opening of their den, and waited for the Sun to rise. He sat in anticipation, but nothing happened. After a while, he heard his mother get up.

“It's not time yet, little one,” she explained as she approached him. “The Sun is still resting. Come, I can hear your stomach growling, let's go find some food.”

The rest of the morning, the young cub followed his mother to the sea ice. To keep himself entertained on the hike, he would jump and try to catch snowflakes on his tongue. When he was bored of that, he walked in his mother’s footprints, imagining himself as a great hunter looking for his next target. Occasionally, the little cub’s mind would wander towards thinking about the Sun, and when he might get a chance to see it. He imagined watching it wake up and rise into the dark sky, bringing light all around it. Before he knew it, the cub had fallen behind his mother and had to run to catch up with her. 

“Mama, what does the sky look like when the Sun is awake?” He asked when he caught up. 

She brought him to the edge of the sea ice and said, “It looks like the color of the ocean, but lighter. Like looking at the water through a thin layer of ice.”

“That sounds beautiful!” the young cub garbled, smushing his face against the ice, trying to see. 

His mother laughed and beckoned for him to watch her, so he could learn to hunt. The rest of the day was spent hunting and teaching the cub to hunt. The polar bear showed her cub how to track food and how to break the ice with their front paws. They practiced swimming in the cold waters, and the little cub would dive beneath the gentle waves every so often. Finally, after a full day, the duo headed back to the den. The young cub was so tired that his mother had to carry him on her back part of the way. Once they arrived back at their shelter, both mother and son were quick to curl up and fall asleep. 

Hours later, the young cub woke up, and tip-toed to the opening of their cave to see if he could sneak up on the Sun while it rose. He sat, and waited, and squinted his eyes to try and see any sort of color on the horizon. He continued to wait, with hope a bright flicker in his chest, but nothing happened. Suddenly, the wind began to pick up, and the little bear thought he could see something white on the horizon. He held his breath in excitement as a big, wet snowflake landed on his nose. His heart sank as he realized it was a snow flurry crossing the frozen plane. His head bowed in disappointment, he felt his mother come up behind him and nuzzle him. 

“Don’t lose hope, little one. The Sun will rise, it just needs a little more rest.” she soothed. The mother bear nuzzled him once more, and told him to stay in the den while she hunted in the storm. As he watched her walk out into the gray storm, he felt a small flicker of hope. 

“I am going to see the Sun,” the cub whispered. He was determined to see the ball of light from the stories. The little bear wanted to see everything his mother told him about in her tales. He wanted to see the sky and the colors the Sun painted in it when it rose and set. He wanted to see the snow in the brightness of day, and giant clouds floating in the sky. He wanted it to stop being dark and dreary outside. 

“I WANT TO SEE THE SUN!” he cried into the wind and snow, both his mind and heart set on his goal.

Days passed, and turned into weeks as the polar night continued. Every morning the little polar bear cub would get up before his mother, sit at the mouth of the den, and wait for the Sun. Every afternoon was filled with more lessons on swimming and hunting, as his mother prepared the cub for the future. The days dragged on with not a single ray of light in sight, but the young cub kept to his routine. 

One morning, after a long day of hunting the day before, the cub slept longer than he meant to. He blinked his eyes open with a slow yawn, and then jolted awake thinking he may have missed the Sun. He sprinted to the opening of the cave, only to be greeted by the grayness that had surrounded him for months. The little polar bear sat down hard on the ground and pouted. 

When he looked back outside, the cub saw that the normally bleak sky had turned into a deep royal blue. He watched as it went from cobalt to turquoise tinged with a soft blush of pink and red. His mouth fell open, gazing as a halo of the brightest gold erupted surrounded by brilliant oranges and yellows, and so many other colors he couldn’t even name. Giant gossamer clouds drifted lazy across the sky. He gazed in wonder around him as the snow twinkled and danced in the soft wind. 

The little bear closed his eyes, and for the first time felt the rays of the Sun warm his now glowing fur. It was like the Sun was thanking him for being patient, and welcoming him to this wondrous new world. The polar bear cub gazed at the sky as the Sun said hello.