One sunny morning in Honeycomb Valley, Bruno the bear cub woke up with a big smile. He saw pretty flowers outside his den. "I will pick flowers for my den!" said Bruno. He walked to the meadow, his big paws making soft sounds on the grass. The flowers were so tiny and bright. Bruno saw red flowers, blue flowers, and yellow flowers. He wanted to pick the prettiest ones.
Bruno reached out with his big paw, trying to be extra gentle. His tongue stuck out a bit as he concentrated really hard. "Easy does it," he whispered to himself. But oh no! His big paw was just too strong. When he tried to pick the red flowers, they got squished! The petals fell down on the grass. "Oh dear," Bruno said, looking sad at his big paws. "I didn't mean to hurt them." He saw more flowers nearby. There were still blue ones and yellow ones left to try.
Bruno looked at his big paw and wiggled his fingers. "Maybe if I use just one tiny finger, I can do it!" he said. He bent down close to the blue flowers. Very slowly, he stretched out his smallest finger. It was still pretty big next to the tiny blue petals. "Gentle, gentle," Bruno whispered. But even his smallest finger was too strong! The blue flower bent and broke. "Oh no, not again!" Bruno's eyes got wet. He sat down in the grass and looked at the broken flowers. His big paws had made two mistakes now. Just then, he saw a little bee buzz by. It landed so softly on a yellow flower. The flower didn't break at all! Bruno watched with wide eyes as the bee showed him how gentle things could be.
Bruno watched the bee with hopeful eyes. "Excuse me, little bee," he said in his softest voice. "Could you teach me how to be gentle with flowers?" The bee buzzed happily and flew closer to Bruno. "Bzzzz! Of course! The secret is not just in picking flowers, but in helping them grow!" Bruno's ears perked up. "Grow? What do you mean?" The bee flew in circles around Bruno's big paws. "Your paws are perfect for digging small holes in the ground. Then we can plant flower seeds!" Bruno's eyes lit up. He had never thought about planting flowers before! The bee showed him how to carefully dig tiny holes with just the tip of his claw. From his neck pouch, Bruno found some flower seeds that had stuck there from his earlier tries. The bee helped him drop them into the holes. "Now pat the dirt softly," buzzed the bee. Bruno used his big paw to cover the seeds, and this time, his size was just right! "Now we need water," said the bee. Bruno saw a small stream nearby, but he wasn't sure how to carry the water.
Bruno looked around and spotted a large, green leaf from a nearby plant. "That looks perfect!" he said. With careful movements, he picked up the big leaf using both paws. This time, his big paws were helpful - they could hold the wide leaf just right! He waddled to the stream, holding the leaf out in front of him. The bee buzzed along, watching with interest. At the stream, Bruno dipped the edge of the leaf into the water. The leaf curved up at the sides, making a perfect little bowl! Water filled the leafy cup. "Slow and steady," Bruno whispered to himself. He walked back to where he planted the seeds, trying not to spill a drop. His big paws actually helped him keep the leaf steady as he walked. When he got to the planted seeds, he saw a problem. How could he pour the water without spilling too much at once? The bee buzzed excitedly around Bruno's head. "Try tilting the leaf very slowly," it suggested.
Bruno took a deep breath and tilted the leaf just a tiny bit. A small stream of water trickled down, making perfect little drops that fell softly on the soil. "Look!" Bruno said happily. "My big paws are holding the leaf so still!" The bee buzzed with joy. "You're doing it, Bruno! Just right!" When all the water was poured, Bruno and the bee sat back to look at their work. The dark spots in the soil showed where the seeds were sleeping. "Now what?" asked Bruno, wiggling his big paws in excitement. "Now we wait," said the bee. "But while we wait, we can make more garden spots! You have such perfect paws for digging!" Bruno looked around the meadow. There were many places where he could plant more flowers. He could dig near the stream, or make a new garden patch closer to his den.
Bruno smiled his biggest smile. "I want to make gardens everywhere!" he declared. With his newfound confidence, Bruno spent the whole day digging careful holes with his big paws. The bee helped him plant seeds all around - near the stream, by his den, and along the meadow path. Days passed, and Bruno visited his garden spots every morning, carrying water in big leaves. His paws, once too big for picking flowers, were now perfect for tending his growing garden. Then one magical morning, Bruno woke up to find tiny green shoots poking through the soil. As the sun rose higher, he saw spots of red, blue, and yellow - new flowers were blooming everywhere! The bee came buzzing by, landing on Bruno's nose. "See?" it hummed softly. "Your big paws didn't just pick flowers - they made a whole garden full of them!" Bruno looked at his paws with pride. They weren't too big after all - they were just right for making beautiful things grow. And from that day on, whenever anyone visited Honeycomb Valley, they would find Bruno in his garden, using his perfect planting paws to make the meadow more beautiful than ever before.
