A fierce tug-of-war ensued.

“Molly!” Kit yelped when the map ripped in two. The teenager held up his crumpled half. “Now look what you did.”

“You tore it, too,” Molly retorted, tossing her half of the map at him.

“Are ya one-hundred percent, posi-tutely sure we’re goin’ the right way, kid?” Baloo asked, holding Woobie to the top of his head in hopes that the teddy bear would serve as a cushion between his head and the car roof.

“Yes, we’re going the right way!” Kit said irritably. “I’ve only been the navigator since forever. Doesn’t anybody trust me? Jeepers!” He glared out the window, wishing that he was home, alone in his quiet room, away from his annoying family.

At her wit's end, Rebecca impulsively pulled off the road into a scenic overlook area. “Out!” she commanded. “Everyone out now!”

Baloo, Kit, and Molly stared dumbly at her. Cassie’s sobs subsided to ragged whimpers.

“And that’s an order!”

“You ain’t gonna drive off an’ leave us, are ya, Rebecca?” Baloo asked, hand on the door latch.

That tempting thought flashed through Rebecca’s mind. Instead, she sighed in exasperation as she turned off the ignition. “No. We need a break from each other and this car, that’s all. C’mon, baby. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Meanwhile, Weazel, who happened to be driving by at a breakneck speed, saw the von Bruinwalds at the scenic overlook. At risk to life, limb and car, he stomped on the brakes, backed up, and pulled into the overlook. Engine idling, he rolled down window and put his binoculars to eyes, pretending to be a bird watcher.

The von Bruinwalds went about their business, unaware that anyone was spying on them. Rebecca changed Cassie in the backseat of the Chevrolette. Molly collected pine cones. Kit leaned against the railing, staring balefully out over the misty mountains. When Baloo put a paw on the teenager’s shoulder, he shrugged him off and took two steps away.

“Sure is purdy, ain’t it?” Baloo said tentatively.

Kit refused to answer. He continued to glare at the scenery.

Baloo looked at Kit for a long moment, not knowing what to say. Kit rarely got angry at him. Rubbing the back of his neck anxiously, the pilot stammered, “Um...I...uh...forget what I said back there. It was all them bumps on the head talkin’. You’re still the best navigator there is, in the sky or on land, an’ I’m real proud of ya, Kit. Forgive your ol’ Papa Bear?” He held out his hand.

After that heartfelt apology, Kit smiled half-heartedly and took the proffered hand.

Father and son were talking like best friends when Rebecca approached them with Cassie in tow; the toddler was munching on a graham cracker. She tossed the car keys to Baloo. “Let’s see how you do on Pothole Road, hotshot. If you hit one, single pothole...”

“You’ll have my tail section in a sling,” Baloo concluded with a grin. “Too bad we don’t have chips to go along with all them dips.”

The five bears piled into the car and soon were on the road again with Weazel’s black Fjord following at a discreet distance.

In the Chevrolette’s backseat, Molly opened her book bag and dumped her newly-acquired pine cones in. Then, a stunned expression settled on her face. She haphazardly removed everything from her bag, from the pine cones to the melted crayons. She became more agitated with each item.

Kit picked up the crumpled piece of yellowed paper that Molly had tossed on his lap. He smoothed the musty parchment out and looked it over, his eyes widening as they flitted over the Babbleonanonian pictographs. Then he gently traced the large ‘X’ on the left side of the map with his index finger. It appeared to be a genuine treasure map, but surely it couldn’t be. Why would there be a treasure map in their car? It had to be a cleverly-produced facsimile.

He was about to say, “Molly, where did you get this map?” when she shrieked, “Stop, Daddy! Stop the car!”

With a squeal of brakes, the car bumped over a pothole and lurched onto the shoulder. A passing truck driver honked at them angrily.

“What’s wrong?” Baloo and Rebecca cried simultaneously, spinning in their seats to look at their daughter.

But Molly was already out the door. She said frantically, “Open the trunk, Daddy! I gotta look in the trunk!”

Baloo shared a look with Rebecca, who shrugged in response. Everyone slid out, and Baloo unlocked the trunk.

Molly unlatched her suitcase and rifled through it.

“What are you looking for, sis?” Kit inquired, watching as she tossed clothes from her suitcase. A blue hair ribbon landed on his nose.

“Lucy. She’s not here!” Big tears welled up in her eyes and her chin quivered as she wailed, “She’s lost! She’s lost, and...and... I’ll never see her agaaaaaain!”

Rebecca knelt down and gathered her daughter in her arms. “We’ll find her, honey. Shh...don’t cry, Pumpkin.”

Cassie also wrapped her arms around her big sister, gazing up at her with questioning eyes.

While Molly mourned her lost toy, Baloo and Kit diligently searched through the other bags, but to no avail. No brown-haired, brown-eyed doll in a blue dress was to be found.

Baloo shook his head sadly when Rebecca mouthed, “Find her?”

“We’ll just retrace our steps until we find Lucy.” She gave her husband a pointed look. “Won’t we, darling?”

Baloo nodded. Patting Molly’s golden hair, he said, “Yeah, Button-nose, we’ll go rescue Lucy.” He put a hand to his aching head. “Wish we didn’t hafta go back over that bouncy and jouncy road again. Dunno if my noggin can take it.”

Kit spread the two halves of the Coloradio map out on the closed trunk lid. “Who says we have to? About five miles back, there was a side road. We’ll take that over to this other road, which will lead right into Manitoo Springs. Of course, it’s not one of the speedier routes.”

“Who cares?” Baloo said as they slid back into the car. “Gettin’ there an’ gettin’ Lucy’s the important thing.”

One minute later...

“Wrong way! You’re goin’ the wrong way, you stupids! Ester’s Park is the other way!” Weazel yelled when the von Bruinwalds passed him, going in the opposite direction. “They must be tryin’ to throw me off the trail. Ha! I’m too smart for that old routine. Two can play that game. I’ll double-cross the double-crossers.”

With a squeal of brakes, he spun the steering wheel, making a tight U-turn in the middle of the road.

Dizzily, the weasel said, “When I catch up to those bears, they are going to be in real trouble, or my name’s not Weasel...er, Weazel.”

Weazel took off, tires smoking.

Ester’s Park
Three Hours Later

“Where’s the park?” Molly exclaimed. She held Lucy up to the window so that the doll could see the city. “All I see is stores, stores, houses, and more stores.”

Rebecca smiled over at her daughter. She and Cassie were sitting in the backseat to give Molly moral support. “Ester’s Park is the name of the town, Molly.”

“More gift shops,” Baloo grumbled under his breath, “means more shoppin’, an’ you know what that means, Li’l Britches.”

“More sacks to carry?” Kit said helpfully.

Baloo nodded glumly. “Yep. More sacks to carry. Shoppin’ with your mama is,” he caught Rebecca’s frown in the rearview mirror and swiftly changed his tune; “a whole lotta fun?”

Laughing, Rebecca squeezed his shoulder. “Sure, Baloo.” She knew how much he despised shopping.

“There’sa park!” Molly crowed, pointing over Kit’s shoulder to a large expanse of green lawn dotted with shelter houses and playground equipment.

“The ‘Big Guy’s’ gettin’ hungry. What say we enjoy some of Mother Nature’s green before spendin’ all of our green on stuff?”

After their picnic lunch, Rebecca said, “I haven’t gotten a picture of you kids in Ester’s Park yet.”

“‘Yet’ bein’ the key phrase,” Baloo murmured to Kit. “Becky’s probably taken ten rolls of film already.”

“Nine, if you must know, Baloo,” Rebecca said, catching him in a candid shot; he was cramming a piece of fudge into his mouth. “Why don’t you kids go sit at the top of the slide?”

Meanwhile, Weazel lurked behind a nearby oak tree. He watched as Molly clambered up the slide’s ladder.

“Got her, sis?” Kit asked, handing Cassie up to Molly.

“Yep.” Molly firmly grasped the toddler around the waist and swung her onto her lap.

“Hang on to her,” Kit said. “I’m coming up.”

As the cubs posed at the top of the slide, Weazel drew out his trusty revolver. “What a sweet family moment,” he sneered. “Too bad it has to end.”

“Say ‘taffy’!” Rebecca said brightly, focusing the camera.

“No, say ‘bye-bye’,” Weazel said sinisterly. He closed one eye and carefully aimed his revolver at

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