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"How to Scare Ghosts" is the second story in the sixth episode of the third season of Little Bear. It was written by Michael Thoma with a story by Else Holmelund Minarik. In Canada, it premiered in 1997 on CBC Television. In the United States, it premiered on 11 June 1997 on Nickelodeon.

Summary[]

There is a full moon outside. Father Bear is giving Little Bear a trumpet lesson. Little Bear still needs some practice from what his playing sounds like. Mother Bear comes in, ready to tuck Little Bear in for bed. While being tucked in, Little Bear can hear the faint sound of a harmonica playing in the wind. He says it sounds like a ghost, but Mother Bear says it's just the wind. Father Bear tells Little Bear that if he listens closely, he can hear the music in the wind. Little Bear listens and hears the ghostly harmonica again. Just as his parents are leaving, Little Bear asks Mother Bear to leave the candle in his room, which she does.

Once alone, Little Bear can hear the harmonica again, and with it, more instruments. Thinking it's more than just the wind, Little bear takes the candle and goes to investigate. He opens his bedroom door and the music becomes much louder. He looks around but doesn't see anything. Then a mysterious gust of wind blows out his candle. He sneaks behind Father Bear's chair and can see three raccoons by the fireplace playing the music Little Bear has been hearing. He cautiously greets the strangers, who immediately become frightened of him and hide anywhere they can.

After the raccoons emerge, claiming that Little Bear nearly scared them to death, Little Bear apologizes for scaring them. When asked what he's doing up so late, Little Bear replies by saying he heard music which turned out to be the raccoons, while Little Bear thought it was the wind. The raccoons claim the wind doesn't know anything about music. After being asked, the raccoons reveal themselves to be ghosts and ask Little Bear if he wants to play some music with them. Little Bear agrees and hurries to his room for Father Bear's trumpet.

On his way back, he stops outside his doorway and looks over at the door to his parents' room, before continuing on to the raccoons and joining them in a song. The raccoons start off, and Little Bear comes in on trumpet, sounding much better than before. The raccoons and Little Bear combined make some pretty good music. But their song is short lived, as Little Bear's trumpet playing soon wakes his parents. They come out of their bedroom to find Little Bear, now by himself and playing the trumpet alone.

Mother Bear asks him what he was doing and Little Bear explains to them that he heard music, which turned out to be the raccoon ghosts. Father Bear asks where the raccoon ghosts are now, and Little Bear tells him that they had been scared away. Mother Bear says that Little Bear must have been dreaming. Little Bear protests, but Father Bear picks him up and says it's time for them all to go back to bed. Mother Bear agrees, but then turns to look back as the raccoons can be heard laughing and playing their harmonica.[note 1] Mother Bear tucks Little Bear in before giving him a kiss on the cheek and wishing him goodnight. Father Bear also kisses Little Bear, who tells him, "At least now I know how to scare ghosts." Father Bear chuckles and wishes Little Bear goodnight. As Little Bear closes his eyes, the music can again be heard playing faintly in the background.

Background information[]

  • It is unknown whether the raccoon ghosts were real or imaginary.
  • This episode marks the second and final appearance of Father Bear's trumpet, the first being in the episode "Little Bear's Band". However, Little Bear played it much better in that episode than in this one.

Notes[]

  1. It is unknown whether or not Mother Bear heard the raccoon ghosts at this point.

Appearances and references[]

Citations[]

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