Toddy Bear's story has quite a sad beginning so you may need a hanky at the ready. Thankfully the story cheers up as it goes along and there is no need to worry as it will definitely have a happy ending!
A sunny Saturday afternoon somewhere in The Cotswolds
A small furry object is seen being kicked around by a group of boys of the sort you wouldn't invite round for tea. A man sitting on a bench nearby, nearly drops his chocolate chip ice cream when the object hurtles towards him and lands in a heap under the bench. On further inspection the man realises that the object is a small Teddy Bear, about ten inches tall with eyes just a little too close together and feet that are just slightly too plump for his body. He shakes the Bear vigorously to remove all the bits of leaves and grass that have stuck to his fur during his ordeal and sits him carefully on the bench. A more dejected, rumpled, crumpled Bear has probably never been seen, certainly not in The Cotswolds anyway, where people are famous for taking good care of their Bears.
One hour later on the bench all alone
The sad, lonely Bear (who will be called Toddy from now on) sits in a hunched position on the bench, all on his own now that the man has gone home. In Bear terms this is about as bad as things can get. It's ok if you are Paddington or Winnie the Pooh, because everyone knows their story and when they are sad or lonely there is bound to be a “good chum” or at least a man with a marmalade sandwich around very soon. All Toddy had to hope for was that he wouldn't be used as a football again anytime soon.
The man returns bearing gifts
Toddy Bear has a friend after all! The man brings a little piece of paper attached to a piece of string and carefully ties it around Toddy's neck. Written on the paper are details about Toddy's ordeal and where he was found. Toddy is then placed on the steps of a nearby shop wearing his new placard. Its an undignified position for a Bear to find himself in - at least if he had a bucket to collect money in and a bandage around one eye and he could have been mistaken for Pudsey Bear.
Closing time at the Shop
Shopkeepers up and down the road start closing their doors and preparing to lock up. A lady with a quaint way of talking (she is probably from Yorkshire) emerges from the shop that Toddy has been taken to and is about to start sweeping the steps when she sees him sitting there.
' Eeh lad what's thou doing sitting on t'steps like that'?
Without waiting for Toddy to reply she scoops him up and takes him inside. Toddy thinks he has died and gone to heaven! Of all the places he could have been taken to! Toddy has landed in The Toy Shop....... to be continued.
