The Brother’s Bear come out to play,
With a run and a jump and a skip,
But what are they going to play today,
Come on brothers, tell us quick.
Today they are going to play numbers,
They will count on their journey to school,
The many different things that they will be passing,
Taking turns is the only rule.
‘Look there’s one’ little Mark says to his brother,
‘One Postman delivering the post.
Birthday cards, letters and invitations,
Picture postcards are what I like the most’.
Jo says, ‘I see two dogs that look fluffy,
All shaggy and brown taking a walk.
They play with each other so nicely,
As their owners stop for a talk’.
‘I see three big bright red buses’
Says Mark as they reach the Lollipop Man.
Both brothers stop, look and listen,
As they cross holding tight to mummy’s hands.
‘Those four pigeons are eating bread slices,
And there are only five big slices left’.
‘Yes’ says Jo smiling happily.
‘But with each peck there seems less and less’.
It’s Jo’s turn and he spies six rainclouds,
Looming high in the sky.
‘I don’t think that we could count the raindrops though’,
Mark states, ‘No matter how hard we try’.
‘But I do spot seven people,
All going into that sweet shop.
I wonder what they will buy there,
Newspapers, crisps or lollipops’.
‘Eight cars are parked in this street here’.
Excitedly points out Jo.
‘Go on, go ahead, why not count them?
There are eight of them all in a row’.
It is brother Mark’s turn to point now-
‘I see nine people standing together,
Oh, don’t they look cold and a little bit cross
As they wait for a bus in this cold weather’?
‘Well I guess that leaves me the last number’
Says Jo as he looks all around.
But no matter how he tries he can’t see ten,
Ten things just cannot be found.
‘OK’ Mark says, ‘Let me help you’.
His eyes also look high and low,
But the number ten just seems absent,
Where to find it, they just don’t know.
They have now entered the school gate,
Counting all of the different things that they pass,
Through the gate and through the car park,
They will soon be inside of their class.
And still they just cannot find them,
A group of things that equal ten,
Maybe they will never find them,
And the game will just have to end.
But after the boys have got settled,
And mummy has told them bye bye,
Jo says, ‘Mark take a look around you’.
Puzzled, Mark asks him ‘Why’?
‘Because the number ten can be found here,
Just count all of the children in the class’.
‘You’re right’ Mark exclaims, ‘So we have finished-
We have finished our counting game at last’.
And with that the brothers do settle down,
Along with their class full of school friends,
Happily they were able to finish,
Their fun game of counting to ten.
It is time for the brothers to go now,
As they begin their lessons for the day,
Though they go they want you to join them,
The next time they return to learn and play.