Teddy Spud his Adventures: 1

Teddy bears play a part in the lives of innumerable grownups. Often, even after a childhood teddy has been worn into a threadbare, shapeless lump, the affection is inspired still remains. Our stories ranging from mystery to humor to romance pay tribute to the special relationship that exists between a teddy bear and its owner. Our story starts with Spud, a small very old teddy bear:

Spud was a very small, very old teddy. He was so old that Spud could even remember when he was born. All he could remember was the day when the brightly coloured wrapping paper was torn away and he saw Hattie for the first time. She was only three years old on that day, but he knew the moment that she picked him up and cuddled him, that Hattie had a big heart. That was sixty eight years ago and now, well, you might be able to work out for yourself how old Hattie was, but she still had the same sparkle in her eye, she still lived in the same house, with the same toys, but only Spud lived downstairs and the others had to make do with a stuffy old toy chest in the room her grandchildren played in. Spud spent most of the day simply sitting, watching the world outside the window and he had seen such changes in that time. He had been born in a war and these windows used to be criss-crossed with black tape to stop them shattering from bomb blast, and he had seen the search-lights sweeping the sky, looking for enemy planes. And when Hattie went to the shelter, screaming for Spud, he had been left here on this very window-ledge, and that was when the bomb fell on the house next door. After the explosion, which was the loudest sound he had ever heard, Spud lay in the corner of the room and he could smell his fur smouldering, which explained the bald patch on his tummy. He could not see properly, because he had lost one of his eyes, but he could hear very well indeed, despite the ringing in his one and a half ears.

Now, he stared out of the window at a different street, filled with noise and with cars, and he watched the little children going home with their parents and remembered Hattie. A growl disturbed him and kept quite still, hoping that he had not been spotted, but he was too late. Buster stood watching him, his little stub of a tail wagging, but he was baring his teeth and his little eyes glinted with mischief.

“Hattie loves me,” he said. “She needs me, she doesn’t need a toy like you. You’re not even real, are you?”

Spud stood up with an effort and stretched his back. “Shoo!” he said, waving his little paws. “Be off with you.”

Buster opened his mouth wide and laughed and his jaws looked big enough to bite Spud in half. “It’s the end of the road for you. You’re falling to pieces, look at you. I’m doing you a favour, mate.”

Spud edged away from the dog, wondering if he could manage to climb the curtains, or perhaps, leap over it onto the table. Buster laughed again. “Don’t even think of it.”

Spud thought desperately. The dog looked like it was going to jump at any moment and so he took a deep breath, and jumped. Buster leaped straight up in the air and his jaws clamped shut on the little teddy’s body. He could smell the awful dogfood smell of buster’s breath, and felt the hot air as he panted. Buster did not stop to chat. He trotted through the sitting room, past the neat little chairs, through the simple hallway wit stained glass windows in the front door, to the downstairs toilet. He dropped Spud into the toilet bowl, and as the little bear tried to swim, reached up and pulled the silver handle with his teeth. Spud heard a terrible roar as cold water poured onto him and the next moment, he was whirled away into the darkness.