A Map Made in Heaven
part 3

The Dewdrop Inn
Flaggstone, Aridzona
Sunday
Day 2

The early morning sunlight glinted off of the grey sedan patiently waiting for the von Bruinwalds in the motel parking lot. However, the weasel rifling through the car wasn't quite as patient.

Inside the motel, the von Bruinwalds, with the exception of Baloo, were up, dressed, and ready to go. The family patriarch was still lazing in bed, pretending to sleep, when Rebecca and the cubs returned from gathering their complimentary breakfast of donuts, cereal, and milk from the motel office/lobby.

They crowded around the small table and dug in. Rebecca transferred a handful of dry Cheery-O's from her bowl to the tabletop for Cassie's consumption. The toddler carefully picked up a Cheery-O and put it in her mouth. Then, she offered one to her mother.

"Thank you, baby." Rebecca smiled, eating the proffered Cheery-O. "Yummy," she said, kissing the top of Cassie's head. She poured milk over her cereal, ate a spoonful, then flipped through the official trip schedule that was beside her bowl.

"Daddy's missing out on breakfast," Molly sang loudly. She took a big bite of her powdered donut, leaving a white ring around her mouth. "Sure is good."

"Daddy needs to get up," Rebecca added pointedly, turning a page in the schedule. It was obvious that Baloo wasn't sleeping. The lack of snoring was a dead giveaway.

"Mama?" Cassie said, holding up another Cheery-O for her mother.

"Yeah, Papa Bear needs to get up. But how should we do it?" Kit said, winking at his sister. He had seen Baloo's eyes open and shut quickly before the big bear rolled over, turning his back to his family.

"Eat his donut?" Molly grinned when her father cleared his throat.

From the sly smile on Kit's face, it appeared that he was going to suggest something, then he shook his head. "Nah...where are we gonna get a duck and a hose? How about tickle torture?" he whispered. With mock-solemness, he added, "I'm afraid there's no other way."

"Yeah!" Molly whispered back, barely able to contain the laughter bubbling up inside of her. "Tickle torture."

Both cubs snuck over to the bed, pounced on the big bear, and tickled his ample stomach.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Baloo gasped out between guffaws. "Think ya could get away with a surprise attack, huh? Well, here's your surprise." He tickled both children, inciting a lot of laughs before ruffling their already blowsy hair.

"Very effective wake-up call, kids." Rebecca plumped Cassie onto her husband's chest. She planted a kiss on his lips, saying, "Good morning, darling. Now, get up!"

"But, Becky, this is vacation," Baloo whined as Cassie slid off his stomach onto the bed. He sat up. "Ain't ya s'posed ta rest on vacation?"

"Not this vacation. There's too many things to see, and we need to get going if we're going to keep this vacation on schedule."

Yawning, Baloo ran a hand through his messy hair. "Vacation an' schedule don't belong in the same sentence, an' I for one ain't followin' no schedule on my vacation."

Hands on hips, Rebecca said, "It's my vacation, too, and on my vacation, we follow a schedule."

"Ya wanna bet, Rebecca?"

Both adults silently, stubbornly squared off against each other, scowling. From their grim expressions, it was obvious that neither was willing to compromise.

Rebecca said through gritted teeth, "Kit, take your sisters to the lobby for more juice or something. Your father and I are going to have a loud discussion."

"A very loud discussion," Baloo growled, clenching his fists.

As soon as the door shut behind the cubs, a battle began.

"How come they always have to fight and spoil all the fun?" Molly said softly, gently squeezing Cassie's little paw as they walked down the sidewalk, past rows of doors They didn't see the weasel rummaging around in their car's backseat; of course, the weasel didn't notice the cubs either.

Glancing back at the room from which emanated the sounds of muffled shouting, Kit sighed. "I dunno, sis. I guess it's because they don't always see eye-to-eye."

Molly's gloomy face brightened. "That's 'cause Mom's shorter than Daddy."

Kit smiled wanly. "That's one way of looking at it, Short Stuff." He took Cassie's other hand, saying, "Wanna get a donut, Cassie?"

"Yummy donut?" Molly echoed, patting her stomach. "Yummy."

Cassie giggled. "Nummy dough-dough."

Just as the cubs entered the lobby, an extremely disgusted Weazel opened the grey sedan's door, climbed out, and slammed the door shut. He had searched the car thoroughly, including in the glove compartment and underneath the seats, yet had produced nothing, nada, zero, zip, zilch. The treasure map of Emperor Karat was nowhere to be found. In fact, he wasn't even sure that this was the car belonging to the fat pilot and his family.

Weazel slumped to the ground, exhausted. He had spent a trying night going from motel to motel, looking for the von Bruinwalds's car. There must have been at least two thousand grey cars in Flaggstone. He had searched every one of them, but there hadn't been a trace of the fat pilot, let alone the map.

Frankly, he felt like giving up. He hadn't slept a wink all night and his body ached from the previous day's fiascos. But he knew that quitting wasn't an option. In the back of his mind loomed the fearsome Heimlich Menudo, Jerry the Nipper and Mickie Finn.

Weazel leaned against the side of the Chevrolette, thinking, What would Heimlich tell me to do? While pondering that, he absently stared at the row of ponderosa pines opposite him as they serenely swayed in the breeze. Heimlich would tell me: "How stupid can you be, Weasel? Find the fat pilot and his family, and you will find the map."

"But how am I s'posed to do that, Heimlich?" he wondered aloud. "There's a bazillion motels in this town. What if those bears already left Flaggstone? What if they stayed in another city? Then what do I do?" The knot in the pit of his stomach tightened. He hoped that his death would be swift and painless.

But, then, fate smiled on him. Or, rather, fell on him.

A clipboard flew out of the window of the nearest motel room and bonked Weazel on the head. "Ow!" he whined, rubbing his sore pate. "That's a pain that's gonna linger."

From inside the motel a familiar, bossy woman's voice demanded, "How dare you do that, Baloo? That's our schedule!"

A familiar male voice said stonily, "Ya mean, was our schedule, Becky."

The woman snapped, "Baloo, why did you do that? Stop stuffing your face and pay attention to me when I'm yelling at you, buster! Ba-LOOO!"

The window slammed shut.

Weazel shook the stars from his head, then picked up the clipboard. When he realized what it was and who it belonged to, he leaped up and whooped for joy.

"Owwww," he moaned, holding his aching head. In that head, a plan was taking shape. He sped towards his car, saying happily, "For once, I'll be one step ahead of those map-stealing bozos."

One Hour Later

The grey sedan wound its way north by northwest through sandstone-walled canyons. Kit and Molly gazed out the open windows, looking with eager eyes at the rugged cliffs that flashed by them.

"Lookee at the river, Kit!" Molly exclaimed, pointing to a rushing rill running beside the road on the right side of the car.

Kit glanced out her window, then focused his attention on the left side of the car. "Hey, look at that big boulder way up there on top of the cliff."

Molly scooted over beside him and caught a glimpse of it before they rounded a bend in the road. "Wow, that thing is huge! How does it stay balanced on that little pointy end?"

Kit shrugged. "Very carefully."

"Just as long as it stays up there a little while longer," Rebecca said, smiling at the cubs in the rearview mirror.

"How much further is it to the Colossal Canyon, Kit?" Molly asked.

"Why don't you tell me, Molly?" Kit handed her the maps and compass.

"For really?" Molly exclaimed, her eyes bright with excitement.

"You've got to start navigating sometime." Kit grinned. "First, find where we're at."

Molly opened the map and studied it, frowning. "Okay. We've gone past Vaille, so we're somewhere on this road..."

While Molly calculated their position, Baloo shifted snoozing Cassie on his lap and craned his neck to look at the speedometer. "You're goin' too fast, Becky."

"I am not! Have you noticed how many people have passed us? Uphill and around curves even. There's a lot of crazy drivers on this road."

"I know. I'm ridin' with one," Baloo murmured.

"I'm doing just fine, thank you, Baloo," Rebecca replied curtly, trying to keep both the car and her temper under control as they zoomed around a tight curve. "You don't hear the kids complaining, do you?"

"'Course they ain't. One of 'em's sleepin', an' the other two are too scared out of their wits by your drivin' ta say nuthin'."

Rebecca glanced in the mirror and saw Kit and Molly bent over the map, engrossed in a navigation lesson. They didn't seem scared to her. "Sure, Baloo," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, watch out for that car!"

"Eek!" Rebecca stomped on the brakes to avoid hitting a police cruiser that had pulled onto the road right in front of them. The von Bruinwalds were thrown violently forward. With a squeal of brakes, the car screeched to a stop right in front of the cruiser.

"Told ya you were goin' too fast, Becky," Baloo said smugly, pushing himself back from the dashboard. He looked down at Cassie safely cradled against him; she, unaware that anything had happened, was still sleeping peacefully, her thumb in her mouth.

"I was not!" she snappe, plucking the map from her head and handing it back to Kit.

"Isn't 'police' spelled with a 'c' instead of an 's'?" Molly said, wrinkling up her nose in confusion as she stared at the sloppy 'POLISE' painted in white on the side of the black Fjord.

"Yeah, it is," Kit said, fixing a suspicious eye on the policeman shuffling over to them. The fifteen-year-old, who had dealt with more than his fair share of cops in his short life, thought that this was the strangest looking cop he'd ever seen.

Rebecca rolled down the window and addressed the policeman with a nervous smile. "What seems to be the problem, Officer?"

The cop - a short, stout weasel in a baggy blue uniform - pushed his orange-rimmed sunglasses up further on his nose. In a slightly nasal voice, he said, "I'm, uh, been assigned to check every car that passes through here, ma'am."

"You didn't stop that car right in front of me," Rebecca pointed out.

"Um, it's a, uh, a random search. We're randomly searching cars, making sure that you aren't stealing any, uh..." Weazel blurted out the first thing he saw; "rocks. Yeah, that's it! Rocks, from the Colossal Canyon."

"Sorry to disappoint ya, Officer, but we ain't got no rocks," Baloo laughed.

"Except the ones in your head, Baloo," Rebecca rejoined, silencing her husband with a stern look.

"I'll be the judge of that," the policeman said. "Open the trunk."

"But, Officer, we haven't even been to the Colossal Canyon yet," Rebecca said, getting out of the car to unlock the trunk.

After opening the trunk, Rebecca stood to the side while the policeman eyed the suitcases.

"Don't look over my shoulder while I'm lookin', lady!" Weazel cried. Upon seeing Rebecca's astounded, slightly suspicious expression, he cleared his throat and said in a calmer tone, "Uh, I mean, it's a violation of the federal law to watch a cop searching your vehicle, ma'am."

"Oh...okay..." Baffled, Rebecca reluctantly got back in the car.

Weazel frantically rummaged through the bags in the trunk. With a triumphant laugh, he located the pink diaper bag and zipped it open, thinking, Somethin' smells weird in here. He grabbed up all of the brochures and maps that he could find and stuffed them in his pockets. Hearing a 'squeak', he fished a rubber giraffe from his pocket and tossed it back into the trunk.

He slammed the trunk shut and sauntered back to the driver's window, his lips twitching in an attempt to conceal his glee. "No rocks here. You're free to go, ma'am."

"Thank you, Officer."

"No." Weazel patted his pocket with a irrepressible smile on his face. "Thank you." He got into his car - getting white paint on his hands in the process - started it up, and backed onto the shoulder. He grinned and waved at the bears as they drove off.

When the grey sedan was out of sight, he reached into his pocket, retrieving the maps and brochures and sorted through them. "This time, I've got it I've got it! I've got...nothin'!" Furious, he ripped the brochures into tiny shreds, saying, "Who wants ta see the world's largest ball of twine anyways?" After tossing the paper out the open window, he beat his head against the steering wheel, prompting a pained, "Owww!" He put his hand to his pounding head, only to smear paint all over his forehead. Looking at his reflection in the rearview mirror, he groaned, "This is a really bad day..."

Colossal Canyon
Forty-Five Minutes Later

After paying a nominal fee for entering the Colossal Canyon National Park, the grey sedan rolled into the information center's packed parking lot.

The five bears piled out of the car. It was a hot, hazy day devoid of the smallest hint of a breeze. Heat radiated from the gravel lot and from the numerous cars parked there. They wound their way through the crowded parking lot to the information center. After walking through the gift shop crammed with souvenirs, they came out on a rail-enclosed landing overlooking the canyon and crawling with sightseers.

"Wow!" Kit breathed, taking in the awesome panorama before him.

"I can't see!" Molly hopped up and down. "There's too many big people in the way." Before anyone could stop her, she wormed her small body through the wall of people to the railing. "Double wow!" she exclaimed, sticking her head through the wooden rails to peer down into the deep canyon.

"Molly!" Rebecca called frantically. Panic welled up inside of her. There were people milling around everywhere and more people seemed to be crowding onto the landing's small space every second. Strange faces flashed before her eyes and strange voices echoed in her ears.

"Molly!" Baloo bellowed, causing Cassie to cover her ears with her paws. "Aw, doggone that girl. She knows she's s'posed ta stick close in strange places."

"Oh, Baloo, she's so little. What if...?" Rebecca began, placing a trembling hand on his arm.

Baloo's eyes darted around the crowd for a little yellow bearess. "Don't worry your pretty head, sweetheart, I'm sure she's..."

"I'm over here!" Molly shouted, trying to wade through the people clustered around her.

"Right over there," Baloo concluded, relieved.

"Molly, you get back here right this instant!" Rebecca demanded.

"I'll get her," Kit offered. He laboriously made his way through the crowd, saying, "Excuse me, pardon me, pardon me, excuse me."

"Hi, Kit," Molly said brightly when her brother appeared beside her. "Isn't the Colossal Canyon big?"

"That's why it's called the Colossal Canyon," Kit replied, putting a protective hand on his sister's shoulder. He wondered what it would be like to cloudsurf through the canyon.

"Watch that first step. It's a lulu," Baloo joked as he, Rebecca, and Cassie jostled their way through the other sightseers to the railing.

"Molly Elizabeth von Bruinwald, I will not tolerate your running off like that, young lady," Rebecca scolded, taking her daughter firmly by the hand.

"Sorry, Mom," Molly said contritely. "I promise I won't do it again."

"Good."

Molly crinkled up her nose thoughtfully. "Does this mean I don't get any souvenirs?"

Rebecca's stern face softened. She affectionately squeezed Molly's hand. "No, Pumpkin. You can still get souvenirs."

"How would you like to fly through this canyon, Papa Bear?" Kit asked, arms folded across the top of the railing.

Baloo judged the canyon's twists and turns with a critical eye, then said confidently, "Piece of cake. It'd be sure be a heckava lot easier than Mirkle Pass back home."

"Anything's easier than Mirkle Pass."

"Lookee at the mountain goat. Do ya see it, Daddy?" Molly said. She tugged on the hem of her father's shirt and pointed to a white speck on the opposite side of the canyon.

No matter how much Baloo squinted, he couldn't see the goat. "Yeah, I see it, Button-nose," he fibbed, patting her on the head.

"And lookit way down there!" Molly cried. "There's people walking."

"Molly, honey, don't stick your head through the railing."

"Aw..." Reluctantly, Molly drew back from the railing.

"Baloo, did you bring Cassie's bonnet?" Rebecca asked.

"In my pocket, Beckers."

Rebecca pulled a white sunbonnet from Baloo's shirt pocket and tried to tie it on Cassie, but the cub had other ideas. She buried her face in her father's shirt, whining impatiently. Finally, Rebecca succeeded and adjusted the wide brim so that it shaded the baby's face. "Now wasn't it worth coming all that way to see this, Baloo?"

"I still say it woulda been faster with the Duck."

"Oh, stop complaining and enjoy the scenery. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Yeah, an opportunity to get heatstroke. Man, oh, man, what a scorcher!" Baloo said, fanning the toddler's face with a brochure as he marveled at the view. Cassie promptly grabbed the brochure flapping before her face and stuck a corner of it in her mouth. "But all this nuthin' is really somethin'," he murmured, gently playing tug-of-war with Cassie over the brochure.

Rebecca opened her brochure and read, "The Colossal Canyon is a mile deep, 227 miles long and has an average width of ten miles. The visible sedimentary layers were formed over billions and billions of years."

"Sedimentary layers. Is that what the different colored stripe-y rocks are called, Mom?" Molly asked.

"Yes, Pumpkin. It also says that it took the river..."

Baloo snatched the brochure from her hands. "Stop readin' an' start lookin', Becky. We didn't come all this way ta read somethin' from a manual."

Annoyed, Rebecca grabbed her brochure back and lightly smacked him across the arm with it. "I'll read if I want to, Baloo. A little knowledge about what we're looking at heightens the experience."

"We don't need to be any higher. We're already up high enough. Hey, Cookie, look at all the pretty rocks," Baloo said, prying the pamphlet from Cassie's mouth. "Tons an' tons of rocks."

"Wocks!" Cassie squealed, clapping her hands. "Wocks, wocks, wocks, wocks.."

"The word of the day," Rebecca murmured wryly to her husband as she slipped her arm through his with a wink and a smile.

"Speakin' of rocks, I wonder if that cop ever found anyone carryin' illegal rocks," Baloo mused.

"I don't know about that, but I do know that it's picture time!" Rebecca sang cheerfully, prompting a collective groan from Baloo, Kit, and Molly. She pulled a camera from her purse. "Backs to the railing, everybody. And smile."

A Half an Hour Later

Weazel, now dressed inconspicuously as a tourist in gaudy plaid pants and a yellow polo shirt, pulled into a parking space at the Colossal Canyon's information center. He consulted the von Bruinwald's official trip schedule. "Yep, this is the place all right. Now, all I have to do is find that map."

He put a pair of binoculars to his eyes. A sea of automobiles stretched before him. The majority were some shade of black or grey.

"Talk about findin' a needle in a haystack," he groaned. Then, Weazel's frown turned upside down. He murmured, "Looks like I found the needle and the haystack."

The fat pilot and his son were threading their way through the parking lot.

Weazel put on his sunglasses, got out of the car, and casually sauntered towards Baloo and Kit.

"I'm not sure about this, kid," Baloo was saying as he opened the Chevrolette's door.

"C'mon, Papa Bear, it'll be fun," Kit said. "It'll give us a chance to see the Colossal Canyon up close."

Baloo slung the diaper bag over his shoulder and slammed the door shut. "Why's Becky gotta be as stubborn as a mule?" In a falsetto tone, he mocked, "If a mule ride is on the schedule, Baloo, then we're goin' on a mule ride." In his own voice, he continued, "An' that's another thing - how in tarnation does she remember what was on that doggone schedule? That thing's solid gone."

Kit shrugged. "Mom's got a good memory."

"Memory, schmemory." Angrily, Baloo said, "Let that be a lesson to ya, Li'l Britches. Never marry a gal who's smarter'n you."

"Okay, Papa Bear," Kit mumbled, knowing that deep down his father was proud of his wife's abilities.

While tromping back to the info center, Baloo grumbled, "Still think we shoulda took the Sea Duck. Then, we coulda flown over the canyon. None of this mule business."

Weazel had to trot on his short legs to keep up with the bears. He trailed behind them at a discreet distance, thinking smugly, Now I've got 'em.

Inside the info center, the bears disappeared into the crowd, much to Weazel's disappointment.

I don't got 'em. The weasel stopped in the middle of the stuffy info center, which was stuffed tighter than a Thanksgiving turkey with tourists. The information desk was to the right. The gift shop was straight ahead. The restrooms were to his left. Everywhere he looked, there were tired tourists roaming around aimlessly as well as screaming, whining children.

Over the din, Weazel said to himself, "Ya'd think a bear that fat would be easy ta spot."

He impatiently plowed his way through the gift shop - knocking a paperweight off the shelf in the process - to the canyon overlook.

Here, there were more people, but not the ones he was searching for. He stood there for a few moments, scanning the crowd for the five bears. How'm I s'posed ta find those thieving bears with all of these stupid people in the way? What am I s'posed to do now, Heimlich?

A snippet of Heimlich's advice came to him: When things look hopeless, Weasel, you cannot give in to despair. You need to find a way to gain perspective. Now, find that map or else!

"Ah-ha!" Weazel cried. He had just gotten a brainstorm.

To gain perspective, he decided to climb a scraggly pine tree that was growing just outside the wooden fence separating the overlook from the canyon. He clambered onto the fence railing and, using all of the strength that he had in his flabby arms, pulled himself up to the bottommost branch. "The things I do for a coupla quad-trillion dollars. Ouch!" He plucked a pine needle from his thumb.

Precariously perched astride the prickly limb, he put his binoculars to his eyes. Spying a foxy fox, he let out a wolf whistle. "Why can't she have the map instead of that fat pilot? Wouldn't mind chasing her." Then, he forced himself to focus on his objective. He finally found the family of bears. They were standing near a paddock full of mules that was beside the info center, listening to an attractive, young lioness dressed in cutoff shorts and a red flannel shirt rolled up to her elbows. Twin plaits of tawny hair hung over her shoulders.

"Howdy, folks. I'm Ellie Kay, your guide for today," the lioness said with a pronounced southern accent. "Are you ready for your twelve-mile, narrated ride through the Colossal Canyon?"

Twelve miles? Weazel thought, alarmed. I've got to get that map now! In his haste, he fell from the tree, landing nose-down in the dirt. "Ow..." Despite the searing pain, he regained his feet quickly and hurried towards the paddock.

"Yeah!" Molly squealed in response to the guide's question.

"One little lady's ready."

Weazel tried to sneak up on the bears undetected, but was betrayed by a mule braying, causing him to yelp and jump six and nine-tenths inches.

Ellie Kay said enthusiastically, "Oh, we're got another rider. Welcome aboard, sir."

"No...I...uh...that is...I'm just here for..." Weazel stammered, backing away.

Business-like, Ellie Kay said, "That'll be five dollars, please." She held out her hand.

With everyone's eyes upon him, he had no other option. Weazel reluctantly reached for his wallet and gave her the money.

"Thank you, sir," Ellie Kay said, slipping the money into her pocket. She resumed her perky tone. "Now, everyone pick out a mule, and don't be afraid of them. They're as gentle as kittens." She took a good look at Baloo and suggested, "Why don't you try Big Ben, sir?" She fondly patted the neck of the largest mule.

Seven mules were quickly saddled for the tourists and, one by one, the five bears and weasel mounted.

"Everybody ready?" Ellie Kay asked from the lead mule, looking over her shoulder at the group. "Here we go."

"Whoa!" Baloo cried as his mule lurched forward.

Twelve miles, Weazel thought gloomily.

Six Miles Later

Frowning up at the broiling sun, Weazel slapped at a mosquito that was drowsily buzzing in his ear as he bumped along. Riding through the canyon may have been someone's idea of a good time, but it wasn't his. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place - literally. The jagged canyon wall loomed to his right. To the left was the steep drop-off into the gorge. All he wanted to do was get that map and go home, but he didn't know how to do it. He was so deep in thought about his next move that he jumped in the saddle when a falcon screeched overhead.

Easy, Weazel, it's just a little bird, he thought, trembling slightly. Chasing after that map was making him frazzled and jittery. He wished that he could be more like his surefooted mule, which seemed oblivious to all fear as it slowly, methodically plodded along the narrow trail, its long ears flapping.

The ride through the canyon would have been completely silent save for the steady clop-clop of the mules' shod hooves against the rock and Ellie Kay's annoyingly cheerful voice spouting a never-ending monologue.

"In addition to being one of Usland's largest national parks, the Colossal Canyon serves as an ecological refuge. It's home to over 1,500 plant species, 355 bird species, 89 mammalian species, 47 reptile species, 9 amphibian species, and 17 fish species."

"Isn't this great, Papa Bear?" Kit asked, looking over his shoulder at Baloo, who was on the mule right behind him.

"Yeah, sure, kid," Baloo replied sarcastically. "Whoa, mule! Whoa!" He had been slipping and sliding on the saddle for the entire trip. His backside felt like one big black-and-blue bruise.

"And the view is spectacular," Kit added, staring appreciatively at Ellie Kay's slender form.

"Uh, the canyon's over there, Li'l Britches," Baloo chuckled.

"Kit likes a girl. Kit likes a girl." Molly's sing-song taunt echoed through the canyon, causing Kit's face to flame beet red.

"Molly, don't tease your brother," Rebecca chided. She gently pried Cassie's little fingers from the mule's coarse mane.

Hearing a noise that started down low, then started to grow, Molly asked, "What's that sound?"

"Uh, my confidence?" Baloo replied, wrenching himself back in the saddle with difficulty.

"The sound you're hearing is the sound of the Twin Waterfalls, one of Colossal Canyon's natural wonders," Ellie Kay replied.

The mules rounded a bend in the canyon, allowing the riders a glimpse of the Twin Waterfalls. Two waterfalls, on opposite sides of the canyon, crashed hundreds of feet into the gorge below.

On the banks of a rushing river, Ellie Kay stopped and dismounted. Over the roar of the waterfalls, she shouted, "This is Promontory Point, folks, the halfway point of your tour. We're now 1000 feet above the Coloradio River. We'll stop here to stretch our legs and to look at the waterfalls. But be careful, people. Some of the rocks are slippery."

Baloo fell off his mule with a 'thump' and a pained, "Oh..."

Kit and Molly hopped off easily, and Kit went to help his mother and baby sister.

When Ellie Kay ushered the bears to the ridge overlooking the canyon, Weazel saw his chance. He hurried to where the mules were standing, lined up beside the river, and stood on tiptoe to reach the pink bag that dangled from Big Ben's saddle.

His fumbling fingers had almost freed the strap from the saddle horn when the rock he was standing on rolled beneath his feet. "Oh, nooooo!"

Arms flailing, he slid into the river and floated past the mules, who were placidly drinking.

"HEEEEELLLLPPP!" he spluttered, trying to keep his head above water as he was swept along with the current.

"Oh, my gosh! Look!" Rebecca gasped, pointing at Weazel bobbing in the river.

Quicker than a flash, Kit seized the coil of rope hanging from Ellie Kay's belt, took out his airfoil, fanned it open, tied the rope around it, and flung the airfoil like a frisbee at the weasel.

Weazel miraculously grabbed onto the airfoil.

"Yay!" Molly shouted, clapping her hands.

"A little help here," Kit said through gritted teeth, straining to hold onto the taut rope. Baloo and Ellie Kay also caught hold of the rope. Together, the three of them started to reel Weazel in.

But, then, Weazel's strength gave out. He couldn't fight against the current beating against him any longer. With a bloodcurdling, "Ahhhh!", he was swept from the airfoil, over the waterfall.

Their equilibrium off-balance, Baloo, Kit, and Ellie Kay collapsed in a heap with a collective, "Oof!"

Molly gazed at the waterfall somberly and hugged her mother. Rebecca, tears beading in her eyes at the weasel's horrible fate, hugged her daughters close to her.

Kit stood up and pulled his airfoil out of the river. He untied the rope from it and stared at it sadly.

"You tried, son," Baloo said, putting a comforting arm around the boy's shoulders.

"I should have tried harder," Kit said fiercely. He closed the airfoil with a click of a button and concealed it beneath his shirt.

"I want to go home, Mom," Molly murmured with a shuddering sigh.

"Shh, honey, it'll be okay," Rebecca cooed, meeting Baloo's sorrowful eyes.

To the von Bruinwalds' utter surprise, Ellie Kay said in her usual cheerful way, "Time to head back, folks."

"But what about...about...him?" Kit exclaimed, gesturing to the river.

Ellie Kay let out a dismissive laugh. "Oh, this sort of thing happens all the time. Don't worry. A rafting party will be along. They'll pick him up. Come on, now. Stay together, people."

Downstream...

A soggy and spluttering Weazel pulled himself out of the river. "I'm starting - cough - to hate - cough - those bears." Wringing out his shirt, he looked around in trepidation at his surroundings. He had no clue where he was, it was going to be dark in just a few short hours, and he was lost in the Colossal Canyon. He fished his sunglasses from his trousers pocket and put them on, only to have the lenses pop out. That was the proverbial last straw. He fell back flat on his back, moaning, "This is a really, really bad day."

End of part 3