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How Kodi Came to Credo
9/1/2004
Kodi was born in the great forests of the mountains about 50 km north of Langley, British Columbia. When he was very young he played with his twin sister Cadi, wrestling with her, playing hide and seek and digging for bugs together. Kodi loved his family very much. Mom was a big black bear but Cadi and Kodi were brown. Kodi was still very young when his whole life changed.
One day there was a horrible crackling sound and a smell of burning in the air. Mom screamed, "Run cubs!" Kodi, Cadi and his mother ran for their lives. A forest fire blazed behind them, rushing down the mountain, engulfing creatures all around him. He veered out of the way of a tree and tripped on a root but he got up and ran even faster than before.
The fire slowed and grew farther behind. Kodi slowed to catch his breath. He looked behind him to see where Mom and Cadi were and smacked right in to something. It was a human, in a funny yellow suit. Mom had taught him to stay far away from them. Kodi tried to run, but strong hands grabbed him and tied him up. His mouth was bound and he was placed into a sack.
Strange noises woke him up. He could tell the humans were communicating. Kodi started to whine. He wanted his Mom. And he was so hungry! He tried to understand what they were saying. He wished they would give him something to eat.
The next few days passed in a blur. Kodi was always moved around. One day he was placed into a cage. He could see and smell fresh air again. But he was almost dead from starvation. Finally the humans place a big bowl of food and water I front of him. He ate greedily.
Every day the humans would talk to him. Kodi was intelligent and soon learned a few words of their language. Kodi quickly learned that the humans would give him his favourite treats if he did what they said. He became tame. Months passed. Kodi was put up for sale. But most people that came to look at him were either scared of him, didn't have room or didn't have money to take care of him. They also didn't like his size and colour since Kodi was brown and small for a black bear.
One day while Kodi was sitting in his cage with a "For Sale" sign on it he noticed a friendly man coming toward him. He hardly looked up. "Another buyer that won't take me," he thought. "I'll probably spend the rest of my life behind bars."
This man, however, needed a mascot for his school. What could be better than a real live bear to do the job? He scratched Kodi's chin and asked him if he liked kids. Kodi wagged his head enthusiastically and agreed to be the school's mascot. The man bought him right away for a good price. On the trip to the school the man introduced himself as Mr. Vanderboom. Soon Kodi thought of him as a second dad.
The kids of Credo were not scared of this friendly, talking bear. They became his second family. Kodi's goal was to be the best mascot ever, and he is.