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said seriously. “It was a pair of underpants!” Which made both of them fall on the floor with laughter.

    It turned out that Little Bear was so in awe of Ping’s storytelling skills that he asked his friend to teach him his secret.
    Ping beamed with pride.
    â€œYou mean you still want to be my friend?”
    â€œOf course I do,” said Little Bear. “Why wouldn’t I? This has been the best day of my life!” He flung open his arms and hugged Ping’s waist. “In fact, all I want to do is take you home and show you off to my mom and dad.”
    Ping paused to consider what he’d just heard.
    â€œI thought you said your parents were captured by bandits and sold to the circus,” he said.
    Now it was Little Bear’s turn to look ashamed.
    â€œOh, yes... I forgot I’d said that,” he said guiltily. “I don’t normally tell fibs, but when you sent me home to bed I didn’t have a choice. I mean, I only said all that sad stuff about being an orphan to make you take me with you. I made it all up. Are you very angry with me?”
    Ping smiled.
    â€œHow could I be angry with my best friend?” he said. “Come on. It’s late. Let’s get you home before your mom has a fit.”
    Then they raced each other through the forest and reached Little Bear’s home just before their shadows disappeared into the darkening night.

CHAPTER TEN
    W hen Little Bear walked out from between the trees, his family went bananas. His brothers and sisters were the first to reach him, followed closely by his mother and father, and less closely by his aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and a ring-tailed lemur named Arthur who had lived with the black bears for the past three years.
    â€œWhere have you been?” his mother screeched as she gathered her baby into her arms.

    â€œHaving an adventure!” Little Bear replied, his voice muffled by his mother’s armpit. “And this is the bear who saved my life.”
    The family now noticed Ping for the first time.
    â€œYou’re a panda,” said Little Bear’s father.
    â€œYes,” said Little Bear. “And not just any old panda, either. Meet Ping the Unpetrified! He saved me from a snow leopard.”
    The family was very interested in the details of how Ping rescued their precious son—so much so that Ping was tempted to spin them a big lie to make himself sound even more heroic. But, catching himself just in time, he stopped making up the story and told it like it was instead. He told them about using his long shadow and his loudest roar to trick the terrified snow leopard into believing that he was a giant. And everyone agreed that Ping was incredibly brave.
    â€œA real hero,” said Little Bear’s mother. Then she turned to Little Bear and picked him up in her arms, squeezing him until he squeaked. “And you too,” she said with pride in her eyes. “My brave little soldier!”
    Watching Little Bear cuddle his family suddenly made Ping feel rather sad. Not for Little Bear, but for himself. He missed his own family and wanted to be with them.
    Little Bear’s mother noticed that Ping had suddenly gone quiet.
    â€œAre you feeling homesick?” she asked. “Where did you say your home was, Ping?”
    â€œI don’t know,” he said with tears in his eyes. “I mean, I know it’s upriver, but I don’t know how far. I was traveling so fast on my surfboard that I forgot to count the trees.”
    Just then he looked up to see the shape of a big bird silhouetted against the moonlit sky. “Panda-bird!” it squawked from on high. “Is that you? I thought I’d never see you again after you shot over that waterfall.”
    Ping’s heart skipped a beat. It was the golden eagle that had raced him earlier.
    â€œYes, it’s me!” he cried, jumping up and down and waving his arms with joy.
    â€œDon’t