Andy Stanton - Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear

‘Well now, Polly,’ said Alan Taylor when they were seated comfortably in the soft leather chairs in his headmaster’s study. ‘What brings you here today?’

So Polly told the little biscuit all about Padlock.

‘An’ I thought you might know what’s wrong with him, Alan Taylor, ’cos you’re such a professor of the natural world,’ she finished, gazing in awe at all the books on the bookshelves. There were five in all, and they were titled: ‘ANIMALS A–G’, ‘ANIMALS H–L’, ‘ANIMALS M–Q’, ‘ANIMALS R–Y’ and ‘ZEBRAS’.

‘Hmm,’ said Alan Taylor, leaning back in his chair and taking a puff on a tiny liquorice pipe. ‘Would you mind handing me that copy of “ANIMALS A–G”, Polly? I think we might find what we’re looking for in there.’

So Polly took down the heavy book, which was bigger than Alan Taylor himself, and she turned the pages until she came to the section about bears.

‘Let’s see,’ said Alan Taylor, jumping on to the page for a better look. ‘Hmm . . . interesting . . . aha! Just as I thought,’ he nodded. ‘Padlock is showing all the signs of homesickness. You see, Polly, bears are not meant to be cooped up in the World of Men. They simply aren’t born to drive cars, or to work in shoe shops – or even to sit around town squares doing nothing all day long. If you ask me,’ continued the headmaster, ‘Padlock’s real home is the Kingdom of the Beasts, where he can roam wild and free and hairy as nature intended.’

‘Oh, thank you, Alan Taylor, thank you,’ said Polly gratefully. ‘I knewed you’d have the answer! I’ll go an’ put things right at once. But will you help me?’ she asked hopefully, because Alan Taylor was always good to have along on adventures, and whenever he fell asleep you could secretly nibble his delicious gingerbread fingernails.

Alan Taylor sighed.

‘I’d love to, Polly, but I just can’t. I’ve got a huge pile of essays to mark and it’s Parents’ Evening next week. It’s quite hard work being a headmaster, you know.’

‘Well, you’re the best one what I ever heard of,’ said Polly, giving her friend a lovely big kiss on the nose. And bidding Alan Taylor a fond farewell she set off to see about returning Padlock to the Kingdom of the Beasts where he belonged.

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