THE NOT SO ENCHANTED WOODS,

Papa and Mama bear have decided to hold a small dinner to commemorate the recent ausipicious celebration. It's decidedly going to be a very small ado, inviting close kins. Furthermore it is to reciprocate C who had cooked up a fine dinner for them a few days ago.

But the enchanted woods is not without life predicaments. The used-to-be-simple animal kingdom way of life has now become severely complicated, entwined with many mind-boggling inter-species rifts and feuds. Papa and Mama bear's thoughts are completely muddled. They can't decide whom to invite. If they invite A, then it would mean that they have to leave B out. You see, A and B have been estranged for a few years due to reasons only known to them. And inviting them both in one occasion would mean either both won't turn up or if they do, it might mean rekindling of an old cold feud!

Thus the bears decided to ask A, C, D for the dinner and plan a separate ado for B. Papa had to execute tactfully the task of calling and forewarning them of the complex and sticky situation. He requested them not to mention anything pertaining the dinner to B, lest B will get hurt. When Papa explained the whole mumbo-jumbo to C, being a simple straight-forward person she is, she excepted it without much exasperating queries.

Unlike C, explaining the perplexing issue to obdurate D proved to be more challenging! "Why can't you invite both A and B together? Isn't it our responsibility to bring them back together?" And D rant and rant further, supplying Papa Bear with a short sermon on the obligations of mending inter-species ties. Blah, blah....Irritated, Papa bear was quick to retort, "Puhleeze! I planned this dinner in my gesture to thank my elders for their kindness. I don't want this ado to freakily turn into a confrontation of some sort! Especially not in front of glorious food!" Exasperated, he added, "You know what D? When one does a deed which is 'sunnat' but at the same time if the deed could provoke bad consequences which in turn might sever already weakened ties, then one might as well abandon the deed altogether, lest the deed might transform into a sin!!" D became quiet, probably trying to absorb Papa's rather ' intriguing ' fatwa'.

Sigh! Why must one make life so complicated? Life as it is, is so brief. Why can't we just forgive and forget and try to be nice to each other?? Papa bear gave a long sigh and told Mama to remind him not to plan such dinners anymore next year!

Papa and Mama bear could still vividly remember the regrettable incident that occurred in their previous house party, a few moons ago. Their dear cousin, Winnie the Pooh, created an uproar when she overheard a famous female crooner in the crowd pronounced her name wrongly as Winnie the Po-Oh! What an unsightly scene! And not to forget the dumbfounding visit by a strange gold-haired girl who invaded their privacy by sampling their porridge, testing the comforts of their chairs and lastly, having the utmost cheek to criticize their beds and horrors of all horrors, to finally sleep in Baby bear's cot! The reminiscing thoughts send cold shivers down both their already osteoporotic spines! No! They won't let such ridiculous incidents happen again under their noses!

Papa and Mama stared at each other quizzically. Maybe they should just call the dinner off?

What do you think? Send your thoughts and ideas on what should be Papa and Mama bear's next course of decision via sms. The person sending the most number of sms with the most popular suggestion will win a dinner for two with Mawi Bear at The Mawi World Resort. Winner will also win a life-long supply of Mawi mineral water (however this prize is subjected to the outcome of the impending suit against the mineral water producer).Type <<>papa-mama bear<>><<>your suggestion<>> to 8234. The line is opened now!