Cast of characters

Bea –mom bear to puppies & Scruffles Part 1&2

Sweet Puppy– from Part 1&2 invited by Bea to live in cave

Scruffles–  from Part 1&2 invited by Bea to live in cave (RIP)

Doolie –mom bear to puppies from Part 2

Benny–miniature sheep dog  from Part 2  (RIP)

Annie–Brussels Griffon from Part 2 (RIP)

Maddie–3-legged Brussels Griffon from Part 2

Zoe– Tibetan Terrier from Part 2

Willow–counseling tree (metaphor for people who help children) Part 1&2

Previously: Everyone is hoping Doolie will go to see Willow to talk about the Zoe problem. She hurt Annie who had to go to the bridge of rainbows, so Doolie couldn't have her living with them anymore.

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Doolie remembered how much Willow helped her crew from what seemed long ago. Dear Benny and Zoe had cried to Willow how useless they felt because they had such intense anxiety.

They each told her how their fear caused them to behave in such a way that even though that reputation was the last thing they wanted, they couldn’t help themselves.

She mentions the mission they had accepted, to free their mom, who after rescuing a horse being abused, was locked into a cage. The comforting tree tells the two self-doubting puppies that the rescue was only successful because of them. 

They had actually tolerated Maddie, with her three legs to crawl across each of their backs, hike up their necks, reaching their heads to be able to stretch on her one little back leg to move the lever, to open the gate, to free their mom.

Willow emphasizes how even though both of them hated being touched and would snap at others in similar situations, during this very important, dangerous project, they did not object.

They both walked away from Willow feeling a little more sure of themselves and a little calmer. As Doolie recalled their meeting with Willow, she focused on what both Benny and Zoe had said about how their anxiety caused them to react to someone before they even realized it was happening.

Willow had believed them and didn’t criticize them for not being able to instantly change their actions. This gave Doolie a reason to do the very same brain exercise as Bea does when she needs to prepare to do her talk to the maker. 

Bea was also doing her talk to the maker to enable Doolie to come up with a solution to this terribly sad, awkward dilemma. There had to be a way. Willow might be able to unlock the answer to the problem just as Maddie who after crawling over grumpy Annie was able to do to free their mom.

There had to be a way to free Zoe, to save her, so she wasn’t put out to be alone with no one to talk to or play with. She would probably be able to find food because she knew about the food on the edge of the dumpsters at the back of the buildings that is surrounded by that black stuff that covered all of the grasses and little trees.

Bea worried about how Zoe would be able to reach the food the humans left on the cover of the dumpsters.  The confused puppy would need a bear mom to get to the top of the dumpster for her. She could never climb that high. 

Bea began doing her scanning and planning exercise to try to think about how she could sneak out to help reach some food for Zoe. She remembered how she thought she would have to move into one of the dumpsters, to live, since she couldn’t get herself back out of it.

She was panicking when she realized she was trapped until reliable Scruffles, her first guest, a raccoon cat, came to her rescue. So who would come to the wee bear’s rescue this time? Scruffles was at the bridge of rainbows and would not be able to suddenly appear to save his mom.

She felt guilty as she rethought rescuing Zoe for food. Her repetitive thinking returned. There must be, there has to be another way. She decided she’d just wait and not get stuck in her thoughts and worries.

She’d become stuck enough when she dropped her ‘be good to myself’ treat, honey. Her exercise of running in place made her legs very tired. When she got stuck like she was now, she couldn’t do anything. Everything fun passed her by. All she could do was focus on what was keeping her stuck. 

All of this anxiety evaporated when Bea got the message from  Doolie that she decided to go to see Willow. It was because of Willow that Doolie finally thought of who could help Zoe and take her in.