THUMPER'S DIFFICULT DAY...
The Thumper bear, known as Thumper for short, gazed across the playground from his seat on the school wall. He was quite different from other teddies. He had a light chocolaty brown body, with dark brown ears, nose, hands and feet. He was a smartly dressed bear too, for he was wearing black pants and a pale blue jacket with a flower pattern. Many years ago a little friend had told him that he wasn't a teddy bear at all. He was different - he was a thumper bear. However, he was looking a little worn these days. He had lost an eye and the fur on the tips of his ears and nose was becoming rather bald. He wasn't sure how old he was, but he figured he had to be at least thirty. But he felt miserable.
Although he had looked very hard among the hundreds of children who were
playing noisily, he could not spot the bright pink and white hat of his friend Jane.
Every morning since Jane had started school, she had placed Thumper on top of her books and lunch in her school bag and set off with him on the short walk from home to school.
But this morning something had gone very wrong! On the way to school, Jane and her friends had started a game of chase. Bob, bob, bob went Thumper inside her school bag that was strapped to her back. With each bob his head came further and further to the top of the bag. Jane was being chased by one of the boys and when she swung round a corner too fast the terrible happened. Thumper was jerked from the bag and went flying through the air. "Whoa” he cried as he flew, then "Humph” he exclaimed as he hit the sidewalk covered with snow.
Dazed, he lay there counting bruises and thinking that any minute Jane would run and pick him up. But No! She had not noticed him falling from her bag. “Oh my!” he thought with dismay, “what would happen now?”
“Hey what is this?” said a voice. Thumper was roughly swung from the ground until he was face to face with a boy who was much older than Jane. “Hey look!" he said to his friend, "someone has lost their teddy.”
Thumper pulled an angry face and yelled loudly "I'm not a teddy bear I'm a Thumper bear!" The boy didn't answer. "Why is it" thought Thumper, “that no one but Jane can hear me speak?"
Suddenly, with arms held out from his body, Thumper was spun in somersaults, over and over and faster and faster till he felt quite giddy. "Oh my!" he thought " "I think I'm going to throw-up!"
“He’s a bit worn and ragged looking isn’t he?” said the friend. “Yeh, he’s not worth keeping is he?” said the first boy, and with that flung Thumper away. “Ugh” he thought as once more he hit the ground with a crunch. He lay very still, swallowing hard and wishing that his head would stop spinning.
A few minutes later he heard a kindly voice say “Oh dear, someone has dropped their teddy-bear.” Thumper winced, and once more said loudly, "I'm a Thumper bear!" But again no one answered.
This time he was gently lifted up by a lady who had a smiling face. “I will take you and place you on the school wall by the gate,” she said to him, “surely your owner will see you there at recess or when it is time to go home.”
A few minutes later she placed him on the wall. “Now teddy, you wait there” she said, “and if no one has collected you by tomorrow, I will take you home myself.”
So here he sat. Suddenly he heard the school bell ring, and all the children ran to line up to go into their classes. He watched as slowly but surely they disappeared through the double doors of the school, then they were gone and the world was suddenly very quiet; and very lonely.
"Oh dear", said Thumper, "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! what to do now?" It was such a long time till playtime. He felt very cold. Sadly he lowered his head.
He thought about what would be happening if he were with Jane in the classroom now. She would place him on a shelf above her desk and from there he would see all that was happening. He would listen to the teacher as she taught the children how to add numbers or make words with letters. She might even read a story or talk about countries far away. It was all very exciting - usually.
"Hello, its Thumper bear isn't it? What are you doing out here by yourself?" said a familiar voice. It was the School Principal who Jane had introduced to Thumper only a few days ago. "I think you must be lost, and I imagine that Jane is very worried” he continued, “come along, I will take you to her classroom."
Thumper was very pleased to be lifted up off the wall, as his bottom was cold and becoming numb. The Principal carried him quite gently into the school, along the hallway to Jane's classroom and in through the door. As he entered, the teacher stopped talking and all eyes turned to look at him and Thumper.
"Look who I found" said the Principal, holding Thumper towards Jane who was looking very tearful. Thumper felt himself grabbed and clasped in a tight bear hug. This was nice, but Thumper worried that if Jane didn't let go soon he just might stop breathing! "Oh Thumper" she exclaimed, "I am so happy to see you, I thought you were lost forever"
With a kiss on the top of his head she placed him in his usual place on the shelf. He sighed happily and settled down to listen to the teacher. Suddenly he gave a very wide yawn. "Oh dear" he thought, "all my morning adventures have made me very sleepy." Slowly his eyes drooped and with a happy smile he fell fast asleep.