Storytelling Sunday 2: The Words The Pictures

It's Storytelling Sunday! And after last month's record breaking 52 entries I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got for us this time round. Words? Pictures? A bit of both? Let's hear it!

 By last Wednesday I had decided on my story for today. I had even promised a couple of you a story about a car. But,when I thought really hard, I realised that there was another story which needed to come first. And here it is:

Fred, Ned and an Aunt Called Ed

Once upon a time I had an Auntie Ed. We all loved Auntie Ed, though she lived far away and we didn't see her very often. To visit Auntie Ed you had to go on an aeroplane; and the first time we did this I was five years old.

I packed carefully. I knew the score. I'd studied the sunshine-filled brochures snaffled from the Travel Agents. Though everyone had been keen to impress upon me the fact that there weren't a lot of wild koalas in the greater Keynsham area. Shame, I'd liked the look of them in the poster. I watched my Mum load up the suitcase with my new t shirts and shorts and then I placed my trusty Teddy Bear gently on the top. Auntie Ed herself had brought me Ted Fred when I was only a baby and I never went anywhere without him.



Here I am with my Mum, my bear (in his cardigan) and my big hair bows



We had a good flight; and at the other end Auntie Ed's Spare Room looked like the kind of place I might be persuaded to stay, so I thought I'd settle in. I opened my case. I stared. I screamed. You know what I'm going to say, don't you? Ted Fred. Wasn't. There.

I was distraught. I was overcome. This was outrageous. This was epic-ally, Titanic-ally bad. I couldn't go to bed without Fred! It was impossible! My parents eyed each other nervously. They'd never had to deal with a no-Fred situation before. They weren't sure they knew what to do.

Ed knew. Because Ed had a dog. A Pekinese with a fierce bark and a red bow on the top of her head. I hadn't been impressed the first time I'd met Bonnie. She was too loud. But I did admire her red bow. I had a bit of a thing for hair bows myself. I was a hair bow aficionado. Anyway, more importantly, Bonnie was the owner of a  Teddy Bear. When Ed had bought my bear, she had bought one for Bonnie too.

Ed in her triumph was a wonderful sight. She produced the second bear with a flourish and I eyed him from the bed, where I had arranged myself as a small, tragic heroine.

"This is - aah, um, Ned," she said. "That's right - Ted Ned. Ted Fred's twin."

"I think he might be his brother," I sniffed. "Not actually his twin." Because it was clear to me that he hadn't been showered with love, affection and cardigans as a bear should. But the deal was done when my poor Mum offered to sit up into the night, knitting the cardigan Ned so obviously needed.

And Ned kept me company all week. I'd got to know him so well by the end it was agreed that he really needed to be reunited with his brother and so he flew home with us. Fred was waiting, though he seemed unable to explain his last minute bail out. Maybe he didn't like Bonnie either. The boys got along famously and they still enjoy each other's company today: they are living out their long and happy retirement in my t-shirt drawer. If you look very closely, you might find a couple of faded hair ribbons tucked away safely in there too..

And that is my story for today. If you'd like to join Storytelling Sunday, create your post with an introduction (so your readers know what's going on - simply "linking to" isn't going to cut it!) and a link back here and come on over! A short story, a longer story, just words, mainly pictures - we love them all. One photo and a few words is all you need to get started...

The small print - which I'm not making small because I would like you to read it. I firmly believe we are telling stories in the round here. One person starts and then turns to the next. You can't do it in isolation.So I'm asking everyone who adds a link to say hello to at least a couple of the other storytellers. To make this even easier, how about turning off word verification just for today? Please think about it! Now, let's read..