The Little Lady

“Tedward!”, called Emily, a five year old girl, opening a little sunshine yellow suitcase on her bed.

“Yes, Modom?”, said her little teddy bear valet, popping up from out of her toybox wearing a teddybear sized bowler hat upon his head.

“Tedward. I am going to be camping outside in the back garden. Mummy has made me a packed lunch and got the tent and sleeping bag ready but I still need to pack a few things. Will you fetch them for me please?”, she asked.

“Certainly, Modom”, said Tedward, climbing out of the toybox, dressed in his black valets uniform of
black tie and long tailcoat, and toddling over to stand at the foot of Emily’s bed, “What particular items did Modom have in mind?”.

“Well”, said Emily thinking, “The sun might get very bright so I’ll need something to cover my head and my eyes”.

“Ahh. I know just the things”, said Tedward, going away but returning soon after holding Emily’s
floppy sunhat and bright yellow sunglasses.

“Oh yes. Those will do splendidly, Tedward”, said Emily, bending down and taking the floppy hat and glasses from his furry paws.

“Will that be all, Modom?”, asked Tedward then, taking a silver pocket watch from his waistcoat pocket and looking at the time.

“Oh no”, said Emily, shaking her head, “Because it may also start raining and so I will need something to keep the raindrops off my head”.

“Hmm?”, thought Tedward, reaching under his bowler hat and scratching between his teddybear ears, “I think I may know just the thing”.

Then Tedward went away again but soon returned holding a pretty yellow umbrella with pictures of rainbow coloured butterflies all over it.

“Oh yes”, said Emily, taking the umbrella from her bear valet and placing it within her suitcase, “That will keep the rain off perfectly”.

“Is there anything else which Modom desires?”, asked Tedward gazing up at her.

“Hmm?”, thought Emily long and hard, “There is one thing I haven’t packed yet”.

And then, giggling, Emily picked up Tedward by his paws and put him into the suitcase too.

“Now, Modom. I really must protest!”, said Tedward unhappily as the lid of the yellow suitcase went down.

“Oh, but Tedward!”, she said, “ I can’t go camping without my teddybear. What would I cuddle?”.

“Very good, Modom”, sighed Tedward from within the case.

It was rather bumpy inside Emily’s suitcase, especially as she carried it downstairs but, when the case was opened once more, Tedward saw the bright summer sun and smelled the bright flowers that grew in Emily’s back garden and he heard the chirping of birds in the trees and he was overwhelmed.

“My word, Modom”, he said to Emily, looking round about, his little teddy bear eyes opening wide, “It’s…It’s wonderful!”.

Emily agreed and then Tedward served her
tea from a tartan flask and cucumber
sandwiches from a Tupperware box and
they both sat together on their picnic
blanket enjoying the day.