Michael Bond - Paddington Here and Now

First published in hardback in Great Britain by

HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2008

This edition published in 2018

HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF.

www.harpercollinschildrensbooks.co.uk

Text copyright © Michael Bond 2008

Illustrations copyright © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2008

Cover illustration copyright © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2008

The author asserts the moral right to be identified

as the author of the work.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins eBooks.

Conditions of Sale

This book is sold subject to the condition

that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise,

be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated

without the publisher’s prior consent in any

form, binding or cover other than that in which

it is published and without a similar condition

including this condition being imposed on

the subsequent purchaser.

Source ISBN: 9780007269419

Ebook Edition June 2008 ISBN: 9780007281916

Version: 2019-03-14

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Copyright Copyright 1. Parking Problems 2. Paddington’s Good Turn 3. Paddington Strikes a Chord 4. Paddington Takes the Biscuit 5. Paddington Spills the Beans 6. Paddington Aims High 7. Paddington’s Christmas Surprise About the Author By the Same Author About the Publisher First published in hardback in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2008 This edition published in 2018 HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF. www.harpercollinschildrensbooks.co.uk Text copyright © Michael Bond 2008 Illustrations copyright © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2008 Cover illustration copyright © Peggy Fortnum and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2008 The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of the work. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins eBooks. Conditions of Sale This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form, binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Source ISBN: 9780007269419 Ebook Edition June 2008 ISBN: 9780007281916 Version: 2019-03-14

1. Parking Problems Chapter One

2. Paddington’s Good Turn

3. Paddington Strikes a Chord

4. Paddington Takes the Biscuit

5. Paddington Spills the Beans

6. Paddington Aims High

7. Paddington’s Christmas Surprise

About the Author

By the Same Author

About the Publisher

Chapter One 1. Parking Problems Chapter One 2. Paddington’s Good Turn 3. Paddington Strikes a Chord 4. Paddington Takes the Biscuit 5. Paddington Spills the Beans 6. Paddington Aims High 7. Paddington’s Christmas Surprise About the Author By the Same Author About the Publisher

“MY SHOPPING BASKET on wheels has been towed away!” exclaimed Paddington hotly.

He gazed at the spot where he had left it before going into the cut-price grocers in the Portobello Market. In all the years he had lived in London such a thing had never happened to him before and he could hardly believe his eyes. But if he thought staring at the empty space was going to make it reappear he was doomed to disappointment.

“It’s coming to something if a young bear gent can’t leave ’is shopping basket unattended for five minutes while ’e’s going about ’is business,” said one of the stallholders, who normally supplied Paddington with vegetables when he was out shopping for the Brown family. “I don’t know what the world’s coming to.”

“There’s no give and take any more,” agreed a man at the next stall. “It’s all take and no give. They’ll be towing us away next, you mark my words.”

“You should have left a note on it saying ‘Back in five minutes’,” said a third one.

“Fat lot of good that would have done,” said another. “They don’t give you five seconds these days, let alone five minutes.”

Paddington was a popular figure in the market and by now a small crowd of sympathisers had begun to gather. Although he was known to drive a hard bargain, he was much respected by the traders. Receiving his custom was regarded by many as being something of an honour: on a par with having a sign saying they were by appointment to a member of the Royal Family.

“The foreman of the truck said it was in the way of his vehicle,” said a lady who had witnessed the event. “They were trying to get behind a car they wanted to tow away.”

“But my buns were in it,” said Paddington.

“ Were , is probably the right word,” replied the lady. “I dare say even now they’re parked in some side street or other wolfing them down. Driving those great big tow-away trucks of theirs must give them an appetite.”

“I don’t know what Mr Gruber is going to say when he hears,” said Paddington. “They were meant for our elevenses.”

“Look on the bright side,” said another lady. “At least you’ve still got your suitcase with you. The basket could have been clamped. That would have cost you £ 80 to get it undone.”

“And you would have to hang about half the day before they got around to doing it,” agreed another.