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The Adventures of A.G. Bear
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The Adventures of A.G. Bear
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Strawberry Fields, Wherever
Amanda Grey and her family, and her three best friends, (A.G. Bear, Isadora LeChat and Mrs. Duck) were on their way to visit Amanda's Grandma. It was the second day of their journey.
| Amanda's parents had decided to drive. They decided they would make it a leisurely journey, stopping anyplace along the way that might interest them. Yesterday, for instance, they had stopped to explore a combination Antique Store and Flea Market. |  |
The day had dawned bright and beautiful and they were all in the car, off to an early start. Everyone had gotten a good night’s sleep at a very nice roadside motel with a swimming pool.
Miss Amanda’s Daddy and Mrs. Duck had both swum laps for a full hour after they checked in, because it was still daylight and the water felt absolutely wonderful. Miss Amanda and her Mommy had splashed around the shallow end for a while and then practiced swimming with their new masks and snorkels.
| Isadora Le Chat and A.G. Bear had been content to stretch out on the poolside lounge chairs and watch the others swim. Truth be known, while Isadora could swim, (and quite well at that), she tended to view the sport as mildly undignified. |  |
As for A.G.Bear, well... as a rule, Teddy Bears generally don’t swim, (although they probably could, if they felt like it).
By late morning they’d already been on the road for five hours and everybody in the back seat was beginning to feel the tiniest bit bored. They were also becoming moderately quarrelsome.
Please may I have all of your SEVENS? asked Mrs. Duck.
| GO FISH! hollered A.G. Bear gleefully. |  |
It was just at that point when Miss Amanda, who had loosened her seatbelt somewhat and was bouncing up and down to relieve her boredom, accidentally sat on Isadora’s tail.
Meeeooowwwwcccchh! yelped Isadora, shooting straight up into the air and landing Kerplunk! on Mrs. Ducks tailfeathers.
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QuuuuuAAAAAAAACK! shouted Mrs. Duck, now minus two perfectly good tailfeathers. |
Mrs. Duck was so startled that she had fluttered all the way up in the front seat, landing smack on top of the steering wheel, energetically quacking and flapping her wings, right in Miss Amanda’s Daddy’s face.
| Miss Amanda’s Daddy, who had been peacefully driving down the highway, taking a sip of orange juice from his traveling cup, was so surprised at suddenly finding himself face-to-face with a large, very cranky duck, that he hollered |  |
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Hoooogggaaaahhh! and his traveling cup went flying end over end, sending an ice cold shower of orange juice splashing all over Miss Amanda’s Mommy and A.G. Bear, (who had been quietly napping on Miss Amanda’s Mommy’s lap). |
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Whooooeeee! yelped Miss Amanda’s Mommy, throwing her arms up in the air, and accidentally propelling A.G. Bear right out the open window! |
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Whereupon everybody screamed and Miss Amanda’s Daddy pulled off to the side of the road, and sat there for a one whole minute, with his mouth wide open, his heart pounding, and his eyes as big as saucers. |
Miss Amanda’s Mommy quickly jumped out of the car and ran back to pick up A.G.Bear, who was somewhat dazed and a little bit damp, but otherwise mostly unharmed.
Miss Amanda’s Daddy said he thought it might be a really good idea to take the rest of the day off.
When A.G. Bear went flying out the car window, he landed head first, just inside a great big field with a sign which said U-PICK-EM--STRAWBERRIES. Fortunately, Teddy Bears are remarkably resilient and there was no permanent damage.
He was rather looking forward to sporting a tiny Band Aid on his head, though it was mostly going to be a badge of courage for the one weensy little stitch he had required. Fortunately, Miss Amanda’s Mommy always carried needle and thread inside the family’s first aid kit .
What did that sign mean, Mrs. Duck? A.G. Bear had asked, as Miss Amanda’s Mommy stitched up the almost invisible hole in his furry little head. A.G. Bear was referring to the sign which had gone whizzing past his nose as he sailed out the window. The one which said U-PICK-EM-STRAWBERRIES.
I expect it means that if you give the farmer a little bit of money, said Mrs. Duck after a moment’s consideration, he’ll let you go out into his fields and take your pick of his strawberries.
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A.G. Bear, now safely ensconced in Miss Amanda’s arms, thought about this for a little bit. I rather like strawberries, he said softly. |
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Miss Amanda’s Daddy said we were going to have a picnic lunch, said Mrs. Duck, gently patting A.G. Bear’s cheek. I’m sure he knows how much you like picnics, dear. And we’ve all kinds of sandwiches in the cooler, even peanut butter and honey.
| Honey? inquired A.G. Bear, suddenly beginning to feel much better. | |
After A.G. Bear had been rescued, Miss Amanda’s Daddy had stopped the car again at a second U-PICK-EM--STRAWBERRIES sign. He was out of the car for a few minutes, talking to the man inside the farmhouse, and then they were driving again, shifting carefully into four wheel drive and proceeding slowly down a narrow dirt road, the edges of which were lined with tall green trees.
After a little ways, they came to a fork in the road. Miss Amanda’s Daddy followed the fork to the right and pulled the car off the road into a little clearing.
Lo, and behold, right in front of them on a wide expanse of green, green grass, there was a picnic table. And it was right at the edge of the very same strawberry field in which A.G. Bear had landed on his head!
Isadora peered out the window and then nudged Mrs. Duck, excitedly. She pointed towards the branch of a nearby tree and smiled.
Why it’s a swing! said Mrs. Duck, approvingly.
Hooray!, Miss Amanda shouted, as she and A.G. Bear jumped out of the car, and rushed over to try it out. A shallow icy stream ran along the edge of the picnic grounds. Water splashed and gurgled, busily rushing over moss covered rocks, chilling the strawberry scented air. Miss Amanda’s Mommy thought this was the most beautiful place for a picnic that she had ever, ever seen.
Before lunch, they all washed their hands at a big old fashioned water pump. Miss Amanda’s Mommy, who, like A.G. Bear, was still a little bit sticky from the orange juice, was pretty happy to see the pump!
Miss Amanda’s Mommy had lots of good things in her cooler, a Thermos of freshly squeezed lemonade, three kinds of sandwiches, slices of Granny Smith apples, and wedges of some really good tasting cheese. After lunch they all went into the nearby field with the little baskets the farmer had given them, and picked fresh strawberries, which they washed and then ate for their dessert.
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Then, while Miss Amanda’s Mommy took her turn on the swing, Miss Amanda’s Daddy spread out a blanket and took a nap on the grass, making little snoring and whistling sounds as he slept. Everybody else spent the afternoon chasing butterflies, and climbing trees, and playing tag. It was truly a wonderful way to end the day. |
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When they were finally ready to leave, they all pitched in and carefully cleaned up the picnic site, putting their trash in the farmer’s big barrel. They stopped to thank the farmer for the use of his picnic grounds and even brought him some strawberries for his own dessert. The farmer was surprised and said that he thought that was a very nice thing for somebody to do for him. He smiled and waved, as Miss Amanda’s family drove away.
Miss Amanda fell fast asleep in the back seat, as did Isadora and Mrs. Duck.
A.G. Bear was back up in front on Miss Amanda’s Mommy’s lap. Miss Amanda’s Mommy absentmindedly stroked A.G.Bear’s little bandaged head as she admired the acres and acres of fruit-filled fields from her car window .
| And just before A.G. Bear fell asleep in Miss Amanda’s
Mommy’s arms, A.G. whispered something ever so softly. Miss Amanda’s Mommy would tell her husband later that evening, with her eyes full of wonder, she was ever so certain Amanda’s Teddy Bear had actually spoken, because she had heard a wee little voice from the direction of her lap say quite distinctly, I rather like strawberries. |
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Here are the A.G.Bear Books in order. Simply click on the name to go to that story.
| Book I
- Cat
Tales, The Tea Party Book -2- No Matter Where You Go, There You Are Book -3- Chapter Flea Book -4- Strawberry Fields, Wherever Book -5- Night-Time Is The Time To Sleep Book -6- Things That Go Snnaarrrrkk In The Night |
Book -7-
Politically Correct SeaCows
Book -8- Manners & Misdemeanors Book -9- Foreign Language Lessons Book 10-To The Zoo Book 11- Thirty Days Hath September Book 12- Frills & Curls, Buttons & Bows |
Background: The Making of The Adventures of A.G. Bear
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cynthia Gurin lives in South Florida with her husband Bob, a quartet of cats, two dogs, a remarkably wise duck, and a teddy bear or two. She has achieved recognition in both the Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal for innovative marketing techniques. She considers the Personal Ad, through which she met her husband, to be her most rewarding literary endeavor. She holds a senior corporate position in the real world. Send Mail to Cynthia Gurin
This author has other tales online at Bedtime-Story. See the Author/Illustrator Directory |
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invited for lunch, |
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ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR: Jeff Meyers is a talented writer and a talented illustrator. Jeff makes his home in Ohio. He enjoys writing fiction for all ages and has been drawing and painting all his life. His artwork includes cartoons, illustrations, computer graphics, and still life drawings. When he's not working at his computer, Jeff enjoys spending time with his wife and three children. Jeff has wonderful examples of both his artistic as well as his writing talent on display throughout Bedtime-Story. Check the Author/Illustrator directory for a complete listing of Jeff Meyers work. Contact Jeff at Jeff@thejeffworks.com or visit his new website: The JEFFWORKS for Creative solutions to your communication needs. |
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