Most children know (but sadly most adults forget) that if you look into the eyes of a stuffed bear, and the bear’s eyes twinkle back at you, then you know you have a very special bear. You have a magimistical bear.
So before we get into the whole story of how Strumbold became the Mayor’s Bear (and saved the town from losing all hope), we need to know how he became the special magimistical bear that he is. It takes a very rare mix of things to create a such a bear. Here’s the story of what happened with Strumbold.
Strumbold was just an ordinary stuffed bear, with a couple of small gaps in his fur. He had been loved very much by one small child, so much so that his stuffing was coming out in a couple of places. And then one evening, very unfortunately, his owner left him behind in the town park.
The town park is a very lovely park with a wonderful playground, soft grass and a friendly, blue river burbling through it. So with all these distractions, it was not altogether surprising that Strumbold was accidentally left behind. He was left near where a millstream from the mill nearby runs into the river. Strumbold was left, resting against a large and very old horse chestnut tree.
It was midsummer’s eve. The night was warm but a little damp. By early morning a low mist was dancing gracefully above the millstream. Now everyone should know that midsummer millstream mist is magical. Highly and marvellously magical.
And you also need to know that fairy blacksmiths often set up shop in the roots of old horse chestnut trees. The old chestnut sap is just what they need to fuel their hot forges as they repair the tools and wands of their comrades. And very occasionally, they are called upon to shoe unicorns in their forges tucked away in their horseshoe chestnut trees
Now fairy blacksmiths also know how to weave midsummer millstream mist into magical threads. And so, on that midsummer’s morning, Strumbold was repaired by a fairy blacksmith called Puxley Biddlestone, F.F.R.O.B.M.W. She was happy and honoured to be a Fairy Fellow of the Royal Order of Blacksmiths and Mist Weavers.
Wearing her soft green apron made from willow bark and acorn husks, Puxley spun the mist into a fine and magical thread. She carefully fixed the holes in Strumbold where his stuffing was coming out. And because magical midsummer millstream mist thread was used, Strumbold himself became magimistical.
The child who loved Strumbold so much and her family came back in the morning to find him. And they did. But as it happened, the young child had grown up a little bit over that midsummer’s eve and never really played with Strumbold again. And so she never found out that he was now magimistical.
One day, not long after finding him again, she gave him up. He was donated along with some old clothes to a local charity shop. Strumbold was left at the back of the shop, high on a shelf, waiting for someone new. He had to wait quite a while but he wanted to be sure the right person picked him.
And that new person was to be the Town’s Mayor. So how did Strumbold become the Mayor’s Bear? How did they meet for the first time?
Go to part three
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