SCOUT: *Opens his Little Red Riding Hood money box tin.* “Oh no!” *Puts paw to mouth.* “No! Oh no! Oh help! Somebear! Anybear! Help!”
PADDY: “Goodness Scout! Are you alright?”
DAISY-MAUD: “I heard a cry for help!”
DUCKIE: “What on earth is all the twitter and flutter about, Scout?”
BOGART: “Scout! Whatever is the matter?”
FREDDY: “Did someone say they needed help?”
ROSIE: “Oh Scout! Are you hurt?”
SCOUT: “Oh Paddy, Daisy-Maud, Bogart, Rosie, Freddy and Duckie! I’m fine, but we need to call the police, or a private detective!”
PADDY: “Goodness, why would we need to do that, Scout?”
DAISY-MAUD: “What has happened that we need the help of the police?”
ROSIE: “Or a private detective, Scout?”
SCOUT: “Well, isn’t it obvious! Look!” *Points to nearly empty Little Red Riding Hood money box tin in distress.*
PADDY, DAISY-MAUD, BOGART, ROSIE, FREDDY and DUCKIE: *Look inside the nearly empty Little Red Riding Hood money box tin and sniff.*
SCOUT: “I was going to give Dolly an Easter egg as a treat, and have one myself, but when I opened the tin, I only found one, two, three of my Easter eggs!”
ROSIE: “Are mijn prins Peter and Aurora’s Easter Eggs gone too, Scout?”
SCOUT: “No. They have all been left untouched, luckily for mijn beste vriend Peter and sweet Aurora! But, where are all my precious pink Easter Eggs that I locked up in my Little Red Riding Hood money box tin? Someone has stolen them! I have been burgled! Has anybear else been burgled?”
BOGART: “Well, I haven’t, but I have eaten all the Easter Eggs I shared them with my best friends Fuzzy and Danbo.”
ROSIE: “And I also ate the extra pink Easter Eggs that mijn prins Peter didn’t eat with me, bit by bit. So, I haven’t been burgled either.”
DUCKIE: “Maybe they hatched, Scout! Your pretty Little Red Riding Hood tin is nice and cosy, so a perfect place for chicks to hatch.” *Gasps.* “Perhaps there are lots of pretty pink little chicks running about who need a mummy, like me!”
SCOUT: “Rosie and I told you, Duckie. These aren’t hatching eggs! They are chocolate ones for eating!”
DUCKIE: “Alright Scout. I was only trying to play Agatha Christie’s Miss Mallard and come up with a solution!” *Huffs.*
FREDDY: “Perhaps they rolled away when you weren’t looking, Scout. Have you checked the corners of the room? I sometimes find little lost treasures under the sofa or behind a table leg that have accidentally strayed from where they are supposed to be. I found one of Daddy’s little Limoges vases behind the leg of the Art Deco china cabinet last week.”
PADDY: “Oh well done, Freddy! Daddy told me about that, and he was so appreciative that you had snaffled it out for him with your foxy muzzle.”
FREDDY: *Beams with pride.*
DAISY-MAUD: *Smiles knowingly.*
PADDY: *Chuckles*
SCOUT: “Daisy-Maud! Why are you smiling? Quick, go and get your sweet gentlebear Benny. He is also Benny S. Holmes the world famous private detective! I’m sure he can help!”
DAISY-MAUD: “Goodness! I didn’t know that about my sweet gentlebear, Benny. I must have a chat with him about his career as Benny S. Holmes the world famous private detective.”
SCOUT: “Paddy! Why are you laughing? Quick! Get the bearphone and call the police!” *Stomps paw.*
PADDY: “Oh, I’m sorry Scout.” *Tries to smother chuckling with paw.* “But the Easter Eggs haven’t been stolen.”
SCOUT: “They haven’t, Paddy?”
PADDY: “No Scout. You have eaten them!”
SCOUT: “I have not, Paddy!” *Indignant.*
DAISY-MAUD: *Gently.* “I’m afraid you have, Scout, but we all have eaten our eggs.”
SCOUT: “I repeat, Daisy-Maud! I have NOT eaten the chocolate Easter eggs!”
PADDY: “But you did eat the Easter eggs that you locked away, when you said you had a grumbly tummy. You came and opened your Little Red Riding Hood tin and ate one, didn’t you?”
BOGART: “You even said yourself that you were going to have one when you opened your tin, Scout.”
SCOUT: “Well, of course I did, Bogart and Daisy-Maud! I had an attack of the grumbly tummies!”
DAISY-MAUD: “Exactly, Scout. Those Easter eggs you ate to soothe your grumbly tummy came from this tin, Scout.”
SCOUT: *Eyes widen in surprise.* “They did, Daisy-Maud?”
PADDY: “Of course they did, Scout. Where else would they come from?”
SCOUT: “I thought they came from Daddy’s Easter Egg collection. I thought he would just top my tin up with more pretty pink Easter Eggs.”
DAISY-MAUD: “Oh Scout, there is no special collection of Easter eggs. There is just a big collective of eggs.”
PADDY: “And when they are gone, they are… well gone, Scout.”
SCOUT: “Well! That is disappointing, Paddy!”
PADDY: “So you see Scout, we don’t need Benny. S. Holmes the world famous bear detective.”
FREDDY: “Or the police. The Easter Eggs weren’t stolen. They were eaten, Scout.”
SCOUT: “Well then I’d better eat one that is left before they are all gone.”
PADDY: “Good idea, Scout. Enjoy and treasure your Easter Egg chocolates as we all have.”
SCOUT: *Takes an Easter egg and eats it with a contented sigh.*
Scout’s Little Red Riding Hood money box tin in the shape of a book has a hinged lid metal construction with working lock and key. It features a pretty illustration of Little Red Riding Hood on cover. It dates from the 1930s.
My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.
He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.
Scout was a gift to Paddy from my friend. He is a Fair Trade Bear hand knitted in Africa. His name comes from the shop my friend found him in: Scout House. He tells me that life was very different where he came from, and Paddy is helping introduce him to many new experiences. Scout catches on quickly, and has proven to be a cheeky, but very lovable member of our closely knit family.
Rosie is Scout's cousin, because like Scout, she is a free trade knitted bear from Africa. She was made in Kenya by one of the Kenana Knitters, Martha Wanjira. She is made from home spun and dyed wool. She was a gift to me from two very dear friends, including the one who gave Scout to Paddy.
Bogart has travelled all the way from Georgia, via Alabama as a gift to me from a friend. He has lovely Southern manners and seems to be a fun and gentle soul with an inquisitive nature.
Daisy Maud is Jago's little sister and was made by the same friend in England who made him. She is made of German mohair with floral fabric cotton paw pads that match her pretty sunhat, and glass eyes. A sweet and loving little girl bear, she is happy to be reunited with her big brother, Jago, and enjoys being spoiled by her Daddy.
Freddy Fox is made by Merrythought in England. I bought him, of all places, from a men’s accessory shop in Melbourne’s Block Arcade, called Mr. Wares. Freddy Fox is made of English Mohair with felt paws and glass bead eyes. He has so much charm and charisma that already he is winning hearts with anyone whom he meets, and he is kind and sweet, which makes him an ideal member of our family.
Duckie I saw when I was at a Sunday market on a stall of homemade knitted and crocheted items. She caught my eye straight away with her happy, smiley face and bright colours. I think she finds life with my bears intriguing and perhaps a little confusing, however she is learning.
