I'm happy you guys like it!
Took the time translating the introduction and the first story the best I could. Reposting the images where they fit into the story as well.
Welcome to the Salmon Run! My name is Koda and this is my brother, Kenai. He doesn't like to talk that much, but I sure do! That's why I love the Salmon Run! Oh but wait! Do you even know what the Salmon Run is? It's a super fun place! Every year, we bears gather by the stream to catch as much fish as we can. It's so wonderful to meet all friends, to play, eat and talk. We keep fishing all day, but in the evening we sit down in a circle to tell stories. It's THAT part I enjoy the most. First, Kenai didn't want to join in, but now, he also likes it. We throw a salmon between each other and the one who manages to catch it gets to tell a story about something that happened to him or her. Some stories are funny, others are really scary, some are pretty silly and some - bleh! - are about love and stuff. My own story is usually extremely good, if I may say so myself. Almost all of the bears tell something exciting that has happened during the last year and the story can be about whatever they want.
Now it's time to continue. Kenai and I have already told our stories, so now we have to throw the salmon to the others. It'll be so much fun! I know, because I've been here before...
Dandelion's New Friend -
by Jørgen Stamp
Dandelion caught the fish flying through the air with both of his paws.
Dandelion was the youngest of all the bears in the circle. She was pretty shy, but not so much she couldn't tell her story. She even looked rather proud of what had happened to her.
"What are you going to tell us, Dandelion?" the oldest bear, Tug, asked.
"I'm going to tell you about the best thing that happened to me this year and you should know it's really thrilling, so I hope you won't get scared!" Dandelion said and looked at Tug with her big brown eyes.
"No, Dandelion", Tug laughed, "I don't think so."
Then, Dandelion began her story....
Once, when me and my mum was resting just like any other day I woke up before her and crawled out of our den. Mom kept sleeping.
The birds were singing, the sun was shining and everything was all warm and wonderful. I walked up to my older brother Griff and his buddy Tok. They were busy playing with sticks.
"Hello, Griff!" I said. "Can I join you?"
"No, you can't", he answered. "We don't wanna play with you, you're too small. Run back to mom now!" Griff said and went back to playing with Tok.
Of course that made me very disappointed. "Hrmph", I snorted.
"I never get to join in and play and they always tell me I'm too small", Dandelion said to the other bears in the circle, went quiet and looked down into the ground.
"Did you really say that?" Tug asked, looking accusingly at Griff.
"Well...um, I...", Griff mumbled, looking at his paws in shame. "We were in the middle of a game and..."
Dandelion continued.
I was very sad and went back towards the den. But suddenly I saw a squirrel that scurried into the woods. I wondered where it was going and thought that I maybe could have a
little friend now that the big bears didn't wanna play with me. Mum doesn't want me to be alone in the woods, but I were so curious that I took my courage in both paws and ran after the squirrel. That little fellow scampered straight into a hole in a tree and disappeared. I had never seen a squirrel's nest before so I decided to peek into it. I shouldn't have done that!
I went into the hole with my entire head. It was dark inside and I saw almost nothing. But no matter how hard I tried I couldn't go further - and on top of it I couldn't get out either! I twisted and turned, but it was no use! Now my shoulders were stuck as well and that sure didn't help!
While I was standing there struggling I heard a rumbling sound.
Thump, thump, thump. It sounded like an enormous animal was heading towards me. My face got all warm and my heart was beating faster.
Suddenly everything turned quiet again. But then I heard something scratching in the ground and a snort by my neck.
Of course I became terribly scared and wildly kicked around to get loose, but it didn't work. I tried calling for help but all I could make was a measly yapping sound.
Then I felt how the animal grabbed my waist and started pulling. I got all numb with fear and were unable to make a sound. And since I didn't say ouch or stop, the animal kept pulling until -
plop! - I shot out of the hole.
The big mysterious creature put me down on the ground and I turned around. I was terrified to discover that the animal was way bigger than I had imagined. I flinched, whimpering in despair, and then I ran off in full speed.
I ran as fast as I could, but soon I stopped and hid behind a tree. I was gasping for my breath and panting in fear.
The big animal turned around and looked in my direction. It took a couple of steps forward.
I was still standing behind the tree and couldn't move, I was that scared!
Suddenly the big creature decided to turn back and tramp along the same way it had come.
Finally I could breathe and sit down on the ground to rest for a while.
"What a monster!" I thought. "I'm lucky it didn't catch me and trample me to death!"
Now, I just wanted to go home. I headed off in the opposite direction of that giant animal. I ran and ran, but after a while I started wondering why the forest never ended.
"Weird", I mumbled. "I didn't really run this far on my way here, did I? Where has the squirrel's nest gone to?" I searched, but I couldn't find it.
I kept going. Then I started running again, because I wanted to go home - quickly! I was missing my mum! After a while I stopped and looked around. I didn't recognize anything, so I started running in the opposite direction instead. I ran and ran until I couldn't keep going anymore. I just ended up further into the woods. In the end, I sat down and looked up towards the sky.
"Dang it!" I mumbled. "Soon mum will wake up and discover that I'm gone. I shouldn't have run off into the woods alone! But I only wanted to say hello to the squirrel and ask him to be my friend instead of Griff and Tok! And then I got lost and now I can't find my way home again..."
I buried my face in my paws. I was starting to feel really sorry for myself.
As I was sitting there pitying myself I suddenly started hearing a heavy thumping sound in the forest. Oh no, not this again! I thought to myself. I hope that giant won't have me as his lunch!
I leaped into the bushes to hide.
I waited for a long time, careful not to make a sound. I was barely breathing. The heavy thumps were coming closer. The giant animal was on its way. Suddenly it stopped in a clearing. I could see it clearly. It was a huge beast with thick fur, a powerful trunk and a pair of long, impressive tusks.
It must've pulled me out of the hole with its trunk. A shiver went through my spine and I got so frightened my belly started aching as I was hiding behind that bush. The giant turned its huge body and looked into my direction. I immediately stepped backwards - right on a twig!
Snap!
Oh no! I thought, startled. I hope the monster didn't hear! Now I must be completely quiet.
I didn't hear whether the beast was coming closer, so after a while I peeked out again. The giant animal had stopped right behind the bush and was stretching its neck like it was about to roar. I covered my ears and shut my eyes. Did the animal see me?
"Why did you close your eyes?" the chubby bear cub Mini asked, interrupting the story.
"I don't know", Dandelion responded, a bit annoyed. "I just did." "What kind of animal was it?" Mini asked.
"I'll tell you", Dandelion said and continued the story.
I was waiting for the animal to roar, but there was no sound. At last I got the courage to peer out again. At once, I found myself looking straight into the eyes of the enormous beast!
"Are you lost?" the giant animal rumbled.
"Um...yes", I said, trembling.
"Follow me. I'll help you home. I know all the paths of these woods - at least the ones that are big enough for me to walk on!" the animal continued with his deep voice.
Confused, I were standing still. What would I do?
"Poor little thing! Can't you walk any longer?" the beast asked and put me on top of its head with its trunk.
"Aaaah!" I cried as it grabbed me. "What kind of animal are you, anyway?" I asked afterwards with a trembling voice.
"Mammoth", the animal answered. "And there's no need to be scared. I know I'm big, but all big animals aren't dangerous. Small animals can be just as frightening."
"Yeah, I know", I answered. "Spiders for example."
"Yeah, they're pretty awful", the mammoth answered. "Not to talk about mice!" The giant animal shuddered. "They're so SCARY!"
"Oh, so it was a mammoth", said Fritte, a fat bear who was always eating. "Just as I thought!"
"Yeah", Dandelion responded. "And it wasn't dangerous at all!"
"I've always been wary of mammoths", Bo the bear interposed. "When I was little I were even scared of them. They're so big!"
"Yeah, but I wasn't scared anymore", Dandelion said smugly and kept telling her story.
I looked around in the forest as I was sitting there, high up in the air with the giant mammoth below. It was amazing to be up there feeling the wind in your fur and your ears. I felt like a queen. "Yippee!" I shouted. But exactly in that moment a branch struck my face so that I fell backwards and ended up on the back of the mammoth.
"Watch out for branches!" he shouted. To think he didn't tell me that before!
After a while we arrived at the end of the forest.
Then I saw Griff down there. He was standing with his back towards me and he and Tok were still in the middle of their game.
"Hi, Griff!" I shouted from the back of the mammoth. "What are you doing?"
"Dandelion, we've told you we don't wanna play with little bears and..."
He didn't say more than that, because in that moment he laid his eyes on Tok who was sitting in front of him looking all terrified. Griff turned around and fell on his butt in fright!
"Oh my! Where did that giant come from?!" he cried.
"From the woods", I said calmly.
"Y-you kn-know you're not allowed to be in the woods alone", Griff stuttered.
Griff and his buddy were frightened, but soon they realized it was a friendly mammoth.
"Can we also take a ride?" Griff asked.
"I don't know", I answered happily. "You better ask mom!"
Right then, mum came.
"Dandelion!" she cried in surprise as she saw me and my new big friend.
"Hello!" I yelled back at her. The mammoth put me back down on the ground.
"Where have you been?" mum asked and gave me a hug. "I've been so worried! You can't go out into the woods alone!" she scolded me. "You could get lost!"
"I know", I answered. "But look, mum! I got a new friend."
I turned toward my big friend, but that silly mammoth had slipped away and was hiding behind a tree! I ran up to him.
"Mum, this is..." And then I realized I didn't know the name of the mammoth.
"What's your name?" I whispered to him.
The mammoth bent down towards me.
"Big Red", it whispered in my ear. My big buddy was so shy he had to run and hide!
"This is Big Red!" I exclaimed proudly.
"Hm...", mum said. "Thank you for the help, Big Red!"
"No problem", he answered.
That was the first time I met a mammoth and I understood how nice and peaceful the are, despite being so large. Me and Big Red became really great friends after this.
Once, later that year, me and my big buddy were out in the woods again. I felt like a queen as I was sitting up there with a firm grip on his long , fluffy fur. This time mum said I was allowed to go out into the forest - as long as I stick together with Big Red.
Suddenly, the mammoth flinched, startled. He took many steps backwards and stuttered nervously:
"L-look a-at the ground! Heeelp!" I looked down and saw a little gray wood mouse gnawing on a nut.
"Are you afraid of that?!" I asked.
"Y-yes", Big Red gasped.
"Why?"
"You never know where they are! What if it suddenly crawls up into my trunk or into my ear or...Aaah!" he yelled. "It's moving! Help! Take it away!"
I grabbed his tail and lowered myself down to the ground. Then I quickly rose up and chased the little mouse into the bushes.
"Shoo, shoo" Away with you!" I said. Then I turned towards Big Red who still was looking shocked.
"The coast is clear, big guy!" I laughed.
"Are you sure it won't come back?" Big Red whispered.
"Sure thing, it's far away by now", I said and peered into the bushes.
Big Red cautiously walked past them.
After a while he lifted me up to his back again so that we could keep going on our journey through the woods.
"What a hero you are!" Griff exclaimed enviously as Dandelion finished her story.
"Yeah", Dandelion said confidently. "Big Red is really big but he still isn't too big to play with me! And we always help each other if one of us gets scared!"
"It must be nice to have such a good friend", said Tug.
"Yep!" Dandelion said and stood up to send the salmon flying.
And so she did. She threw the salmon high, high up into the air so the next storyteller could catch it.
