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Once upon a time, loyal bear Kaneko woke up early in the morning. He headed out of the house. 
But that night he didn’t come home. His friends Charmander and Hiroshi were very worried. The next morning they went looking for him. They looked in trees (might he have become a drop bear?). 
They looked in snow banks. They looked and they looked, but they couldn’t find him. 
Suddenly, as they walked past the county jail, Charmander looked up. He couldn’t believe his eyes. There was his dear friend Kaneko. He was in jail. 
Poor, poor Kaneko. 
Brave Charmander always rescued his foolish friends. And this time too, he scaled the wall. He climbed up and up. 
And he rescued his dear friend. “What in the world happened?,” he asked Kaneko. “I was jaywalking,” Kaneko sheepishly explained. 
“And when the policeman chased me, I hid. But I guess I didn’t hide completely enough.” 
“So he found me.” 
“And he took me off to jail.” 
They went home that day. But the next day, Kaneko again left early in the morning. He came back just as the sun was doing down. And the same thing happened day after day. Kaneko’s friends Charmander and Hiroshi were worried. They went looking for him again. They looked and looked, but couldn’t find him. Then, they stared. They couldn’t believe their eyes. 
Could that be? Really? 
Sure enough, there he was. 
Kaneko was staring out to sea. His master had left, and headed out across the Atlantic. And he hadn’t come home. Every day, Kaneko came to the harbor, and stared out to sea. He waited patiently for his master. 
Day after day, Kaneko left early in the morning. He stared out to sea, and waited patiently — and loyally — for his beloved master. And at the end of the day, he returned home. 
He waited, and waited. 
Charmander and Hiroshi knew Kaneko needed something to eat. So they went and got him some rolls. 
They bought some milk too, and carried them to Kaneko. 
But it was a long way for two little animals with short and stubby legs. 
So when they saw some bicycles, they rented one and pedaled as hard as they could to go to Kaneko. 
They parked their bicycle, and walked out on the bridge. 
They shared their rolls and milk with Kaneko. 
Kaneko was very thankful. 
But Kaneko stayed. Charmander and Hiroshi left, but Kaneko stayed and stared out to sea. He stayed until the sun went down, late in the evening. And every day now, he goes to the harbor, and stares out to sea until the sun goes down, late in the evening. 
Loyal bear Kaneko waits patiently for his master to return. 
And then, as the sun goes down, Kaneko walks home. It is a long walk, for a little bear. When he becomes tired, he sits by the side of the road and rests. 
He walks and walks. Some days, he has to hurry to avoid the rain. 
Tired as he is, he climbs slowly up the stairs. 
He is a very, very tired bear. 
He pries open the door. He walks up to his room, and falls immediately asleep. The next day, he will head out to the harbor to wait patiently for his master again.
Sophie Wore Blue 