While we were walking back to where we started, Mowgli turned to Bagheera.

"Hey, listen, I'm sorry for not listening to you earlier, Bagheera."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry, Mowgli." said Bagheera. "I should've been more...welcoming than..."

"Concerned?" I said.

"Yes, I...suppose I was." said Bagheera.

"Just like my mother." I said.

"So...are we good?" asked Mowgli.

Baloo picked all of us up and gave out a big bear hug.

"Sure, we're good. Of course, we're good." he said.

"I see what you mean when you said he sounds like your grandpa." Mowgli said to me while we were being squeezed.

Just then, our parents' voices started to get louder.

Baloo quickly put us down. Then he and Bagheera ran off to hide when our parents came around the corner.

"There you are!" said the stepdaddy.

He and the other parents threw their arms around us.

"Oh, you really had us worried, honey." said Daddy as he and Mother hugged me, Lucille, and that Grace.

"I thought I told you not to go wandering off on your own." said Mother.

"I can explain, Mrs. Jones." said Mowgli. "You see, we all thought we'd take a shortcut to meet you at one of those picnic spots. But somehow, we end up getting lost. Luckily, some of my animal friends helped us find our way back."

Mother raised an eyebrow.

"Is this true?" she asked.

"One hundred percent true, Mrs. Jones." said Mowgli, who winked at us.

I winked back. Only both of my eyes kept on shutting. So, I had to hold one of them open with my fingers.

"Well, now that everyone's back together again," said the stepdaddy. "Who wants Chinese for dinner?"

I jumped way high in the air.

"Hooray!" I shouted. "Hooray for Chinese! 'Cause I hadn't eaten a thing all day."

"Well, that's really nice of you." said Daddy. "But I don't think..."

"Nonsense, my friend," said the stepdaddy as he put his arm around Daddy. "You don't even have to pay a single dollar. It is all on me."

Just then, Mowgli heard some bushes rustling. That meant Baloo and Bagheera were still hiding.

"We'll meet you back at the cars." he said. "We just need to say some good-byes."

The stepdaddy smiled and chuckled. "Alright. But don't take too long."

As the parents left, I felt someone tap on me from behind. It was Baloo.

"I think you drop something." he said.

Bagheera walked up to us. And guess who he placed on the ground?

"Philip Johnny Bob!" I shouted.

I ran up to him and hugged him with all my might.

"I thought I lost you!" I said.

"I thought I never see you again." said Philip Johnny Bob.

I threw my arms around Bagheera.

"Thank you for saving my bestest friend...Daddy Cat." I said.

Bagheera's eyes got big and wide.

He turned to Baloo and Mowgli, who only smiled and shrugged their shoulders.

Bagheera looked back at me, smiled, then wrapped his paws around me.

"You're very welcome...Li'l Miss Jungle Suit." he said.

"Well, what do ya know?" said Mowgli as he crossed his arms.

"Guess I'm not the only one who has his own li'l buddy anymore." said Baloo as he put his arm around his Li'l Britches, who smiled back at him.

Just then, we heard one of our cars honk. That meant it was time to go.

"Oh, that reminds me." said Bagheera as he held up a bunch of wild flowers with his tail.

"Thought your families would love these."

"Yes," said Lucille as she picked some wild flowers of her own. "My nanna will love them very much."

Me, that Grace, Mowgli and Ranjan picked some wild flowers of our own as well.

"Thanks for letting us stay, guys." said Mowgli. "I had a great time. We all did."

Bagheer looked back at Baloo. Both of them smiled at each other.

"Well, surprisingly enough, I suppose I did enjoy your company as well. We both did." said Bagheera. "And, although it's against my better judgement, you're welcome to come back to the forest anytime."

I did a gasp.

"You mean it? You really, really mean it?"

Bagheera chuckled. "As Baloo would say, 'you better believe it.'"

Just then, one of our cars honked again.

"Well, we better get going." said Mowgli.

"Yes, we better get going." I said. "On account of I'm so hungry I could eat a tiger."

Mowgli, Baloo and Ranjan laughed at my joke.

Lucille and that Grace laughed at my joke too.

And guess what? Bagheera laughed too!

'Cause that was a good one, I tell you!

After that, we said good-bye to Baloo and Bagheera. Then, we all ran off to catch up with our parents. 'Cause we don't want to keep them waiting, that's why.

"There goes one of the good ones." said Baloo.

Then he did a sad sigh. On account of he started to miss Mowgli and the rest of us already.

"I know it's hard, Baloo." said Bagheera.

"It always is." said Baloo.

"But you should be happy to know the children will be home safe and sound." said Bagheera as he and Baloo watched our cars drive away.

Me, Lucille and that Grace waved good-bye to them from our car. Philip Johnny Bob waved good-bye too. Only I did the waving for him.

Mowgli and Ranjan waved good-bye to Baloo and Bagheera from their car.

As he watched us pull out of the parking lot, Baloo smiled. "And I bet they can't wait to tell all their friends about us."

"I'm sure they will, Baloo." said Bagheera. "I'm sure they will."

As soon as our cars drove away, Baloo turned to Bagheera.

"Well, come on, Daddy Cat! Let's get back to where we belong. And get with the beat.

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities

Bagheera: Forget about your worries and your strife

Baloo and Bagheera: I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life

And they kept singing that song all the way home.

To my departed nana,

Dorothy Pesci

and the

5th Grade Class of Foster City School

(2002-2003)