All the little teddy bears (standard:fairy tales, 1879 words)
Author: moya	Added: May 09 2002	Views/Reads: 3469/2177	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
If you fancy going down to the woods today - think again!

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story


"I know."  Emily flopped down onto the upturned wheelbarrow with no
wheel, her usual seat.  "Dad must have told her.  How could he?  He 
knew it was a secret.  All through tea she kept asking questions about 
you.  She says she's writing a book.  About fairies and such like, and 
how some of them are still around." 

This was worse than ever.  I can cope with simple greed, but not a
mortal out to prove a theory.  Before I knew it I'd be in a cage with 
professors poking at me!  I grabbed my bags. 

"I'm off!"" 

"Don't leave me,"  cried Emily in a panic.  "I haven't told her
anything.  I'll say you were just something I made up when I was 
little." 

"Too late for that.  She saw me." 

"But I need you.  I can't fight her on my own.  She's ever so sweet on
the surface, but I know she hates me really.  I don't think she likes 
dad that much either.  She's all over him, and then when he's not 
looking she switches off.  Anyway, why should you have to move when 
you've been here so long, and you've got everything so nice?" 

She had a point there.  I was fond of my flowerpot.  I'd got a proper
fireplace with a chimney coming out of the hole at the top, and Emily 
had brought me some of her doll's house furniture.  I would have a job 
finding somewhere else as comfortable.  And I've lived in this garden 
nigh on seven hundred years.  I've grown attached to the place. 

"We must get her to go away,"  said Emily. 

"It won't be easy,"  I warned.  "She looks like she's got her hooks into
your pa, good and proper." 

"Couldn't we use a wish?" 

"Emily!" 

Hadn't I warned her years ago about wishes?  Didn't I tell her of the
lad who wished for a barrow-load of gold and ended on the gallows 
because he never thought that folk would wonder how he came by it?  Or 
the silly lass who wished to be beautiful to catch the lad she fancied, 
only squire took a fancy to her, and got her in no end of trouble.   I 
don't know what it is with mortals and wishes.  No good ever comes of 
them.  You'd have thought they would have learned that by now.  I made 
Emily promise, when she was just a little thing, never to ask. 

"You can't just wish her away,"  I told her, "it would just make matters
worse." 

"Then give her the wish,"  said Emily. 

I looked at her with respect.  They call us tricky and devious, but I
always say, if you want a really sneaky idea, go to a mortal.  I never 
knew Emily had it in her. 

"It might work.  What's she doing tomorrow?" 

"She wants to have a Teddy Bear's Picnic.  It's her birthday, she says
she's always had one on her birthday, since she was a little girl.  
She's brought the teddy bears with her, they're all over the front 
room.  She talks about them all the time.  She said that when she was 
little she used to believe that they came alive when she was not 
looking and played, like in the song.  She used to try to catch them at 
it, but she never did." 

"Are you going?" 

"She's asked me, but I don't want to.  I think they're creepy." 

"Change your mind.  Where's she having this do?" 

"In the garden, I suppose." 

"I know a better place.  You know the clearing in the middle of Hoggetts
Wood?  With the fairy ring?" 

Emily nodded. 

"Right.  This is what you must do." 

Hoggetts Wood was a fair distance from the cottage, I had to set off
before dawn to get there in time.  I saw them coming over the fields, 
both clutching a great load of stuffed bears.  Emily led the way into 
the heart of the wood.  Once troops of fairies had danced there on 
moonlit nights.  All gone now.  Only the great fairy ring was still 
there, and the ancient oaks around it. 

The Stepmother was delighted with the place.  She fluttered around
setting up the teddies against roots and trunks, chattering away to 
them as she worked.  A nasty looking lot they were too, all battered 
and decrepit.  The one in pride of place had only one eye and one arm, 
and all its fur was missing.  I had a word with Emily while the woman 
was preoccupied. 

"Is it going to work?"  she asked.  "She got really excited about the
wish, but what if she's only pretending she believes me?" 

I shrugged.  "Doesn't matter, as long as she uses the right words.  And
if she's really a good person, and means you no harm, then no harm will 
come to her.  On the other hand - " 

"What?" 

"Well, wishes can be tricky things. I just hope we don't take out half
the county.  Listen.  If it looks like turning nasty, and I shout 
'Run!' don't wait to see why, just do it.  Promise?" 

She nodded. 

The woman had finished fussing about.  Now she was standing in the
middle of the ring.  Emily had told her what to say.  You have to use 
the right words.  It stands to reason.  Mortals are always saying "I 
wish this" or "I wish that".  It would never do if one of us were to 
overhear and grant it.  Could lead to some very embarrassing 
situations. 

The Stepmother raised her arms. 

"O fair and mighty Titania, I implore you, grant me my desire.  I ask
once, I ask twice, I ask thrice." 

Then she made her wish. 

I think I can safely say that the teddy bears enjoyed their picnic.  I
was proud of Emily.  When I shouted "Run!" she never hesitated, she 
took off like a rocket, crashing through the bushes, making so much 
noise I'm sure she could not have heard anything.  Well, I suppose she 
must have heard the screams, but not the snarls, the rending and 
crunching. It did not take very long.  By the time help came there 
wasn't much left, and the teddies were the same as they had always 
been, except for the blood. 

And is Emily living happily ever after?  I hope so.  They blamed wild
dogs, or something escaped from a zoo, though nothing was reported 
missing.  I don't think she remembers much about it,. though I can't be 
sure.  She never comes to see me now, and if we meet in the garden her 
eyes just slide past me.  It's only to be expected, she's growing up.  
Still, I miss her. 

I could almost feel sorry for the Stepmother.  She deserved it, of
course, she must have been fairly vile for her wish to have turned out 
that badly.  Still, I can't help remembering the look on her face as 
her wish was granted, the incredulous delight, and then the dawning 
horror as they closed in and she saw the teeth. 

Silly woman.  You have to be very careful what you say when you make a
wish.  But who could have imagined anyone would have been stupid enough 
to want a picnic with real live bears? 

They buried the teddies with her.  Which I must say was a relief. 


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