Jump to content
    Cia
    • Signature Author
  • 462 Words
  • 3,356 Views
  • 4 Comments
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Dribbles - 2. Teddy Bears' Picnic

Prompt: What was your favorite book as a kid? Recount the way it made you feel when you read it.

The little girl slips quietly over to the record player. The thin black record is carefully balanced on her fingertips. Standing on tiptoe she places it in the record player and lowers the arm to rest on thin grooves. As the cheerful notes begin to come from the speaker she hurries back over to the pillow on the shag carpet. Sunlight falls through a dirty window to make sparkle on the dust in the air above the book place like magic to her young eyes.

“Come see!” she calls to her friend looking at the old tire swing in the tree outside.

“But I wanna go play. I don’t want to look at the pictures.”

“It tells us the story. Listen!”

*If you go down to the woods today, You’re sure of a big surprise.

*If you go down to the woods today, You’d better go in disguise.

The two girls huddle on the pillow and giggle at the family zipping up into bear costumes. They listen to the record sing song version of the book and gently touch the pictures of the bears peeking out in the woods.

“I want a hula hoop!” She stands up and pretends to play with the hoop.

“Me too!” Her friend giggles as she stands up and pretends to swirl one around her little waist too.

They fall back down on the pillow and listen as they turn the pages. The mommy kisses the little girl asleep in her bed at the end. The little girl on the pillow looks wistfully at the picture and sighs before closing the book. Running over to the record player, she turns it off.

“Want to go play on the swing now?”

    ~ ~ ~

All grown up now, she follows the tugging hand to bed filled with stuffed animals. Bears of all shapes and sizes mingled with monkeys, kittens, and baby dolls. One bear, a small white one sits in a place of honor on the pillow. Her little girl hops into bed and hugs the special bear close, and then picks up the book at the foot of the bed.

“I want you to read this one.” Her chubby finger rubs on the teddy bear on the worn cover.

The little girl all grown up looks down and smiles. “Are you sure?”

“I want it. Look,” her small hand turns to a page in the beginning, “there’s a little girl in it. She goes on a picnic.”

“Yes she does.”

“Can we go on a picnic?”

She laughs. “Sure. How about tomorrow?”

“Can we bring our teddy bears? It can be a Teddy Bears’ Picnic, just like in the book. You can read us the book again. It's our favorite, you know.”

"I know."

Leaning down, she kisses her little girl’s forehead. “I’d love to.”

      

This isn't just a story. It really happened. I love that book still.
Copyright © 2017 Cia; All Rights Reserved.
  • Like 3
  • Love 1
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
You are not currently following this author. Be sure to follow to keep up to date with new stories they post.

Recommended Comments

Chapter Comments

I never read that book, so it's hard to really understand the feelings, but I like how you wrote this. Even without having read the story I can picture the scene that you are describing.

Link to comment
  • Site Administrator
On 06/15/2011 05:48 PM, Renee Stevens said:
I never read that book, so it's hard to really understand the feelings, but I like how you wrote this. Even without having read the story I can picture the scene that you are describing.
Hmm... I didn't consider that when I wrote it. To me it's such an iconic classic. I can still hear the scratchy record player and the quiet singing voice that almost whispered 'For every bear that ever there was, would gather there for certain because, today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic!' It's just one of my very favorite memories. Thanks for reading!!
Link to comment

I find that parents who read to their children create special bonds with them. The favorite book I have from my childhood, I've bought and given copies of to my godchild and to the children of my closest friends. It is the book I read to them. It has a way of binding us together and making everyone feel that special time of wonder. Thanks for sharing this one Cia.

Link to comment
  • Site Administrator
On 08/18/2011 04:09 AM, comicfan said:
I find that parents who read to their children create special bonds with them. The favorite book I have from my childhood, I've bought and given copies of to my godchild and to the children of my closest friends. It is the book I read to them. It has a way of binding us together and making everyone feel that special time of wonder. Thanks for sharing this one Cia.
I also loved a book of Aesop Fables I had, my dad and I would read that. I found a 2005 reprint with the original 1919 illustrations and share it with my kids... with strict no hands policy. I want to be able to share it with grandkids in the future too! :D Books do bring us closer.
Link to comment
View Guidelines

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Newsletter

    Sign Up and get an occasional Newsletter.  Fill out your profile with favorite genres and say yes to genre news to get the monthly update for your favorite genres.

    Sign Up
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Our Privacy Policy can be found here: Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue..