In an igloo in the North Pole, there lived a young polar bear named Toby. Toby was a very creative and smart bear. He wanted to travel the world because he had never been outside the North Pole. He wondered how it was like to live outside the North Pole.

Like always, one night he went to sleep wishing that someday he could travel the world. In the morning, he was woken up by loud sounds that came from outside his igloo. He went out and saw a helicopter and a few people there.

He asked a man standing near the helicopter, “Who are you and what is that machine?”

The man replied, “My name is John and I came here with my team to conduct research about the North Pole. That is a helicopter, an aircraft in which humans can travel to different places.”

“Wow, you guys travel the world? I’ve always wanted to see how it’s like out there, but I’ve never been outside the North Pole,” said Toby.

“Well, we are going to Melbourne, Australia, tomorrow. Do you want to join us?” asked John.

“Yes! I would love that,” Toby said with excitement.

The next morning, Toby packed his bags and sat in the helicopter along with John and their team.

“You’ll be alright,” Jill assured him.

When the helicopter took off, Toby got scared and grabbed the seat.

A few hours later, the helicopter landed and they all got out. It was very hot and sunny, so Toby felt really warm and sweaty. He had never been in such a warm weather before.

They went outside the airbase and Toby saw an ice cream truck. He went close to the truck and asked the ice cream man what it was. The ice cream man gave Toby an ice cream. Toby ate it and felt much better. Then they sat in a car and then drove away.

“This city is so beautiful,” Toby said while looking out of the window. Then the car finally stopped outside a hotel and they all got out. After they checked in, they took Toby upstairs.

John opened the door of a room and said “This is where you will stay, okay?” Toby nodded in the affirmative.

The next morning, they went out for a ride in a car. As the car was passing the Melbourne skyline, Toby asked John, “These buildings are so tall, don’t people get scared?”

John smiled and said, “No, there is nothing to be scared of.”

Then they arrived at a stadium. There was a cricket match going on there so they bought the tickets and went inside to watch the match. Toby didn’t understand the game so John explained it to him. After that Toby started to enjoy the game.

After the game, they went to a restaurant where John ordered a burger for Toby. When it came, John asked Toby to taste it. Toby thought it looked weird, so he had second thoughts.

“Just try it, believe me you will like it.”

Toby tasted the burger and absolutely loved it. Then after finishing their meal, they went back to the hotel.

The next morning, it was time for Toby to return so he packed his bag and went downstairs along with John and his team. They went back to the airbase and got on the helicopter. When they reached the North Pole, Toby felt very happy. Though he had enjoyed his trip, he had missed home, realising that the world outside looked tempting and beautiful from afar, but there can be no place like home.

John gave Toby some photographs of his trip and said, “The next time we come, we will take you somewhere else and show you more of the world outside.”

Toby thanked them and waved at them as they sat in the helicopter and took off. Toby would always remember his new friends and the tour of Melbourne for the rest of his life.

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 26th, 2018