After surviving his first encounter with the farmer, B.B. still feels both curious and careful. He decides this day’s journey would take him in the direction of the lights he noticed the night before.

Down the gravel road, B.B.’s wandering feet lead him past the half-full tomato garden and the farmer’s beehives, where he stops to watch the bees buzzing to and fro. He thinks for a second about stealing a handful of honey to fill his grumbling belly, but remembers what happened in the garden and decides he’d better not.

As he steps through a shallow creek, he giggles feeling the cool water tickle his toes and takes a moment to wash away the last bits of tomato from his fur. As he continues on, he marches through fields of hay, the tall grass providing cover so no one could see him.

After a few hours, B.B. finds himself surrounded by lots of trees, making him think of home… his parents… their cozy cave… and yummy wild mushroom soup. Suddenly a sound snaps him out of his daydream. His ears perk up, following where the sound was coming from. Emerging on the other side of the trees, B.B. makes it to a small clearing, where he sees them. He sees ALL of them. This was the place he had been searching for.

He crouches down low and looks around, trying to find the perfect place to watch the humans.  He spots a perch high atop a whimsical contraption that appears to have a swinging device, a box filled with sand and a brightly painted tube. It was a maze of tunnels and bridges, perfect for games of hide-and-seek (B.B.’s favorite). It was a playground.

 

B.B. thought about his situation while hiding in the trees, watching the playground from afar. Even though he wanted to stay hidden, he knew that to see the humans well, he had to climb to the top of the structure.

With a fearless burst of energy, B.B. springs from the cover of the trees and races toward the playground. Spotting a passing pup, he leaps onto its back, hoping for the same warmth Banjo showed. The dog, startled at first, recognizes B.B. as a friend and continues on its way. Just as quickly, B.B. vaults from the dog into an empty flower pot. He tips the pot over, using it as cover until a gust of wind propels him towards the playground’s edge. Fate smiles upon him as a vine dangles from a nearby tree. B.B. grabs the vine with his strong hands and makes his way to the summit.

Breathing hard but feeling relief, B.B. lay down flat on his tummy to start his observation. First, he sees humans exchanging words and gestures, eating and drinking, walking and running… much like the yetis he knew in the woods. Some carried bags, others tossed a round object into a hoop, while a large group sitting at a picnic table stared silently at the rectangles in their hands. Almost hypnotized as their thumbs tapped the surface frantically.

B.B. is amazed by all the colors around him: yellow, orange, red, and green. But this time, they are not the leaves on the trees; they are the clothes the humans are wearing. Some wear things on their heads, cover their feet, or have dark shields over their eyes. It seems strange to him because he was only covered in fur.

Two people, dressed alike, dance together in front of one of those rectangles he saw earlier. He likes the sound they move to and hears one of them call it a “song.” If that’s what those devices are for, B.B. understands why humans like them so much.  He particularly likes the sound of the guitar.  

He sees another pair of humans hug and touch lips and remembers his parents doing the same thing. He cringes and makes a mental note to never do that with another yeti. Gross!

The dog that gave B.B. a lift is now retrieving a small green ball and returning it to his human friend, while a tiny version of that human chases the dog back and forth.

Everything seems good, until he sees a shorter human near the box of sand push another one down and throw the sand in his face. He yells and laughs, not letting the other human get up. That’s when B.B. recognizes the look on the little boy’s face, one that B.B. remembers feeling the day his parents left. It was the water rolling down his cheeks that gave it away. The boy was feeling really sad.

As B.B. watches, he starts to feel scared, wondering if humans could be dangerous. But then, he sees something amazing happen! Another kid steps up, and then another, and another, all gathering around to help. One of them even calls out to a tall human with long hair and bright red lips, who rushes over.

Realizing he doesn’t stand a chance against all the other kids, the bully gives up and runs off. The little boy wipes his tears and smiles again. They help him up and invite him to play a game with them in the tunnel maze.

The sun starts to set and the playground is slowly abandoned. B.B. lowers himself onto one of the platforms and finds a comfy corner near one of the colorful tubes. He starts munching on some short, yellow sticks he finds in a forgotten brown paper sack. He really enjoys the tiny white specks of rock on the human food. So tangy, he licks his lips. With his belly full and safely hidden, he curls up for the night, using the shelter of the playground to rest until morning.

The act of kindness that B.B. saw today ignited a spark of hope within him. Humans and yetis may seem different, but they share something special𑁋they stick together and help each other out when one is in trouble. And although some yetis and humans make mistakes or do unkind things, it’s our choices that make us different, not what we look like or where we come from.