Hi there! Today, we’re going to talk about a special bear named Paddington. This story is from a book called “Paddington” by Michael Bond, with pictures by RW Ali. Let’s dive into Paddington’s adventure!
Mr. and Mrs. Brown were at a train station called Paddington Station in England. They were waiting for their daughter, Judy, when Mr. Brown saw something furry. “It looks like a bear!” he said. Mrs. Brown was surprised. “A bear at the station? That’s silly!” But Mr. Brown was right. It was a bear!
The bear was sitting on a suitcase with a sign that said, “Please look after this bear. Thank you.” The bear politely said, “Good afternoon. May I help you?” Mr. Brown asked if they could help the bear instead. The bear said he was from a place called Darkest Peru and had traveled all the way to England by himself. He had been eating marmalade, a sweet orange jam, from a jar.
Mrs. Brown felt sorry for the bear. “We can’t leave him here alone,” she said. “Can he come home with us?” Mr. Brown asked the bear if he would like that. The bear was happy and said, “Oh yes, I would like that very much!” They decided to name him Paddington, after the station where they found him.
Mr. Brown took Paddington to have some tea and snacks. Paddington was so excited that he climbed onto the table to see all the treats. But oh no! He slipped on a strawberry tart and fell into a cup of tea. Everyone laughed, and they decided it was time to go home.
Judy held Paddington’s paw, and they all got into a taxi. The driver was surprised to see a bear and said, “Bears are extra!” Paddington waved to people outside, and they waved back. It was a friendly place!
When they arrived at their house, Paddington met Mrs. Bird, who took care of the family. She was a bit strict but kind. Paddington had a bath, and even though he made a mess, everyone was happy to have him clean and shiny.
Paddington sat in a comfy chair with a cup of tea and toast with marmalade. The Browns wanted to hear about his adventures. Paddington started to tell them about his life in Peru with his Aunt Lucy. But soon, he fell fast asleep. After all, it had been a big day for a little bear!
And that’s the story of how Paddington the bear found a new family and a new home. We hope you enjoyed learning about Paddington’s exciting day!
Paddington’s Journey Map: Create a simple map showing Paddington’s journey from Darkest Peru to England. Use colored pencils or crayons to draw the map. Mark important places like Darkest Peru, the ocean he crossed, and Paddington Station. Discuss with your friends or family how Paddington might have felt traveling such a long way alone. What would you pack if you were going on a long journey like Paddington?
Marmalade Taste Test: Paddington loves marmalade! With the help of an adult, try tasting different types of jams or marmalades. You can have a small taste of strawberry, grape, or orange marmalade. Which one is your favorite? Talk about why you think Paddington likes marmalade so much. Can you think of other foods that might be popular in Peru?
Bear Care Activity: Paddington had a sign that said, “Please look after this bear.” Imagine you have a bear to take care of. What would you do to make sure your bear feels at home? Draw a picture of your bear’s new home and write a short story about a day in the life of your bear. Share your story with your class or family.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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[Music]
Hi, I’m Ryan Leod.
And I’m Craig Tovi.
Welcome to Story Time with Ryan Leod and Craig Tovi. Today’s book is “Paddington” by Michael Bond, illustrated by RW Ali.
Why are you saying things like that, Ryan? Paddington’s British, and this book takes place in England, so I guess we should do accents. Let’s get started!
“Paddington” by Michael Bond, illustrated by RW Ali.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington on a railway platform. In fact, that was how he came to have such an unusual name for a bear, because Paddington was the name of the station. The Browns were waiting to meet their daughter, Judy, when Mr. Brown noticed something small and furry near the left luggage office.
“It looks like a bear,” he said.
“A bear?” repeated Mrs. Brown.
“In Paddington Station? Don’t be silly, Henry, that can’t be.”
But Mr. Brown was right. It was sitting on an old leather suitcase marked “Wanted on Voyage,” and as they drew near, it stood up and politely raised its hat.
“Good afternoon,” it said. “May I help you?”
“That’s very kind of you,” said Mr. Brown, “but as a matter of fact, we were wondering if we could help you.”
“You’re a very small bear,” said Mrs. Brown. “Where are you from?”
The bear looked around carefully before replying, “Darkest Peru.”
“But you’re not really supposed to be here at all. I’m a stowaway.”
“You don’t mean to say you’ve come all the way from South America on your own?” exclaimed Mrs. Brown. “Whatever did you do for food?”
Unlocking the suitcase, the bear took out an almost empty glass jar.
“Marmalade,” it said.
“Like marmalade?”
Mrs. Brown looked at the label around the bear’s neck. It said quite simply, “Please look after this bear. Thank you.”
“Someone just abandoned Paddington.”
“No, they left a nice note that said ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’”
“Yeah, but they didn’t sign their name, so they didn’t want to be found.”
“Well, let’s not think about that.”
“Oh, Henry,” she cried, “we can’t leave him here all by himself. There’s no knowing what might happen to him. Can’t he come home and stay with us?”
“Stay with us?” repeated Mr. Brown nervously. He looked down at the bear. “Would you like that?” he asked, hastily adding, “if you have nothing else planned?”
“Oh yes,” replied the bear, “I like that very much. I have nowhere to go, and everyone seems in such a hurry.”
“That settles it,” said Mrs. Brown. “Now you must be thirsty after your journey. Mr. Brown, can you get some tea while I go and meet our daughter Judy?”
“But Mary,” said Mr. Brown, “we don’t even know its name.”
Mrs. Brown thought for a moment. “Well, I know,” she said. “We’ll call him Paddington after the station.”
Paddington tested it several times to make sure. “Oh, I’m right here! Paddington! Oh right, Paddington!”
“Paddington! Paddington! Over here!”
“It sounds very important,” Mr. Brown tried it out. “Next, follow me, Paddington,” he said. “I’ll take you to the snack bar.”
Mr. Brown was as good as his word. Paddington had never seen so many snacks on one tray, and he didn’t know which to try first. He was so hungry and thirsty that he climbed up onto the table to get a better look.
Mr. Brown turned away, pretending he had tea with a bear at Paddington Station every day of his life.
“Henry!” cried Mrs. Brown when she arrived with Judy. “What are you doing to that poor bear?”
Paddington jumped up to raise his hat, and in his haste, he slipped on a strawberry tart, skidded on the cream, and fell over backward into his cup of tea.
“I think we better go before anything else happens,” said Mr. Brown.
Judy took hold of Paddington’s paw. “Come along,” she said. “We’ll take you home, and you can meet Mrs. Bird and my brother Jonathan.”
Mr. Brown led the way to a waiting taxi.
The driver stared at Paddington. “Bears are extra,” he growled. “Sticky bears are twice as much, and make sure none of it comes off in my interior. It was clean when I set out this morning.”
The sun was shining as they drove out of the station, and there were cars and big red buses everywhere. Paddington waved to some people waiting at a bus stop, and several of them waved back.
It was all very friendly.
Paddington tapped the taxi driver on his shoulder. “It isn’t a bit like Darkest Peru,” he announced.
The man jumped at the sound of Paddington’s voice. “CR,” he said bitterly, “jam all over my coat!” He slid the little window behind him shut.
“Oh dear,” murmured Mrs. Brown. “I wonder if we’re doing the right thing.”
Fortunately, before anyone had time to answer, they arrived at Windsor Gardens, and Judy helped Paddington onto the pavement.
“Now you’re going to meet Mrs. Bird,” she said. “She looks after us. She’s a bit fierce at times, but she doesn’t really mean it. I’m sure you’ll like her.”
Paddington felt his knees begin to wobble. “I’m sure I shall, if you say so,” he replied. “The thing is, would she like me?”
“Goodness gracious!” exclaimed Mrs. Bird. “What have you got there?”
“It’s not a what,” said Judy. “It’s a bear called Paddington, and he’s come to stay with us.”
“A bear?” said Mrs. Bird as Paddington raised his hat. “Well, he has good manners, I’ll say that for him. I’m afraid I stepped on a jam top by mistake,” said Paddington.
“I can see that,” said Mrs. Bird. “You’d better have a bath before you’re very much older. Judy can turn it on for you. I dare say you’ll be wanting some marmalade too.”
“I think she likes you,” whispered Judy.
Paddington had never been in the bathroom before. While the water was running, he made himself at home. First of all, he tried writing his new name on the steam on the mirror.
“I’m a bear who doesn’t know how to write.”
Then he used Mr. Brown’s shaving cream to draw a map of Peru on the floor.
It wasn’t until a drip landed on his head that he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. He soon discovered that getting into a bath is one thing, but it’s quite another matter getting out again, especially when it’s full of soapy water.
Paddington tried calling out, “Help! Help! Help!” at first in a quiet voice so as not to disturb anyone, then very loudly, “Help! Help!” When that didn’t work, he began bailing the water out with his hat, but the hat had several holes in it, and his map of Peru soon turned into a sea of foam.
Suddenly, Jonathan and Judy burst into the bathroom and lifted a dripping Paddington onto the floor.
“Thank goodness you’re all right!” cried Judy. “We heard you calling out.”
“Fancy making such a mess,” said Jonathan admiringly. “You should have pulled the plug out.”
“Oh,” said Paddington, “I never thought of that.”
When Paddington came downstairs, he looked so clean that no one could possibly be cross with him. His fur was all soft and silky, his nose gleamed, and his paws had lost all traces of the jam and cream.
The Browns made room for him in a small armchair, and Mrs. Bird brought him a pot of tea and a plate of hot buttered toast and marmalade.
“Now,” said Mrs. Brown, “you must tell us all about yourself. I’m sure you must have had lots of adventures.”
“I have,” said Paddington earnestly. “Things are always happening to me. I’m that sort of bear.”
He settled back in the armchair. “I was brought up by my Aunt Lucy in Darkest Peru,” he began.
But you have to go home for retired bears in L.A.
He closed his eyes thoughtfully, and a hush fell over the room as everyone waited expectantly.
After a while, when nothing happened, they began to get restless.
Mr. Brown tried coughing. “Cough, cough, cough, cough.”
Then he reached across and poked Paddington.
“Well, I never,” he said. “I do believe he’s fast asleep.”
“After all that’s happened to him,” said Mrs. Brown. “Is it any wonder?”
“I think we have a future in accents.”
“Me too!”
Spot on!
“Paddington” by Michael Bond, illustrated by RW Ali.
Well, thanks for watching Story Time with Ryan Leod and Craig Tovi. We’ll see you next time!
[Music]
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