JAGO: *Reading aloud to Scout, Bogart, Paddy and Cousin Paddington.* " When Cinderella arrived at the palace, it was the king’s son who offered her his hand as she alighted from her golden coach. He led her into the palace to join the glittering company gathered there. Upon her entry to the ballroom there was an immediate and profound silence. Everyone stopped dancing, the musicians ceased to play, and all heads turned, so entranced was everyone with the singular beauty of the unknown newcomer..."
BOGART: "Cinderella is going to be the belle of the ball, Jago!"
COUSIN PADDINGTON: "She certainly is, Bogart! It’s so wonderful!"
SCOUT: *Sighs.*
PADDY: "Scout! Are you paying attention to the story?"
SCOUT: "Oh yes, Paddy! Of course! I was just wondering when the woodcutter was going to arrive."
PADDY: "What woodcutter, Scout?"
SCOUT: "Why the woodcutter who is going to save Cinderella from the Big Bad Wolf to is attending the ball."
JAGO: *Looks perplexed.* "I think you might have your faerie tales confused, Scout."
BOGART: "There is no woodcutter in Cinderella, Scout."
COUSIN PADDINGTON: "Not a big bad wolf. They are both in your favourite faerie tale, Little Red Riding Hood, not Cinderella!"
SCOUT: "Well, we’ll see! This time the story might be different! Cinderella and the Prince might be dancing when suddenly the Big Bad Wolf bounds in from the garden through the French doors, scattering ball guests left and right and then they wood need a woodcutter to save them all!"
PADDY: "I’m sorry Scout, but what would be the purpose of that happening? How would that help Cinderella escape her life of drudgery and live happily ever after with the Prince?"
SCOUT: "Well, the way I see it Paddy, everyone would be in such a commotion running away from the Big Bad Wolf, that Cinderella wouldn’t notice that it was midnight."
JAGO: "But Cinderella does that already! She loses her glass slipper on the palace steps so that the Prince can find her again."
SCOUT: "Well, if that is true, Jago, but if she and the Prince were chased by the wolf and she forgot the time, her dress would get changed back to rags, but the Prince would love her so much that he wouldn’t care about her rags, and she wouldn’t have to go home to her mean old stepmother and nasty stepsisters and wait for him to rescue her!"
BOGART: "Scout does make a good argument for the introduction of the Big Bad Wolf, Paddy and Jago! "
COUSIN PADDINGTON: "I have to agree."
SCOUT: "Thank you Bogart and Cousin Paddington." *Proud.*
PADDY: "Persuasive or not, Scout, I don’t think it’s going to happen."
SCOUT: "Well, we haven’t read this version of Cinderella before, so it might be different. Please keep reading, Jago. "
JAGO: "Oh, yes, where was I? Oh yes, ‘Nothing was then heard but a confused noise of, ‘Who is she? Do we know her? How wonderful her gown! How elegant her hairstyle! How beautiful she is!’ The king himself, old as he was, could not help watching her, and telling the queen softly that it was a long time since he had seen so beautiful and lovely a creature’ Oh, hullo everyone! Paddy, Scout Cousin Paddington, Bogart and I are reading one of Daddy's very special copies of Cinderella from the 1902." *Looks up.* "Why you ask? Well, because today is International Tell a Faerie Tale Day."
BOGART: "What is International Tell a Faerie Tale Day?"
PADDY: "Well Bogart, International Tell a Faerie Tale Day is an informal observance held on the 26th of February every year. It provides a perfect opportunity to read faerie tales."
SCOUT: "But Paddy, we read faerie tales all the time, not just on the 26th of February."
PADDY: "I know Scout, but some adults need an excuse to reconnect with their inner child."
SCOUT: "Daddy doesn't! He reads as many faerie tales as we do."
PADDY: "More than us I think, Scout."
BOGART: "Oh that's sad that others don't read faerie tales as much as we do. They are missing out on so much! They are beautiful!"
SCOUT: "Except when that no good break-and-enter homewrecking Goldilocks breaks into the home of the Three Bears and makes a nuisance of herself, or when the Big Bad Wolf gobbles up Little Red Riding Hood and that was the end of the story, and when the Beast gets turned back into a crummy old prince when Beauty fell in love with him as the Beast."
PADDY: "Well, whether you think they are beautiful or not, Scout and Bogart, Daddy and I encourage you all, even if you don’t have children or your children are not at home or grown up, to not miss the opportunity to reacquaint yourself with faerie tales. It’s perfectly acceptable to read faerie tale books alone, although I prefer reading them with Daddy, Scout, Cousin Paddington, Bogart and Jago. Make a cup of yummy hot chocolate, curl up in a chair and immerse yourself in the world of princes and princesses, evil witches and mischievous faeries, dragons and unicorns, talking animals and magical plants."
SCOUT: "Hot chocolate Paddy? Oooooohhh! I'd love a hot chocolate. Grumby tummy Paddy! Grumbly tummy." *Rubs tummy vigorously.*
Paddy is right, he, Scout, Jago, Bogart and Cousin Paddington have much reading to do, as I have lent them my 1902 copy of "Cinderella or the Little Glass Slipper" published by E. P. Dutton and Company.
My Paddington Bear came to live with me in London when I was two years old (many, many years ago). He was hand made by my Great Aunt and he has a chocolate coloured felt hat, the brim of which had to be pinned up by a safety pin to stop it getting in his eyes. The collar of his mackintosh is made of the same felt. He wears wellington boots made from the same red leather used to make the toggles on his mackintosh.
He has travelled with me across the world and he and I have had many adventures together over the years. He is a very precious member of my small family.
Scout was a gift to Paddy from my friend. He is a Fair Trade Bear hand knitted in Africa. His name comes from the shop my friend found him in: Scout House. He tells me that life was very different where he came from, and Paddy is helping introduce him to many new experiences. Scout catches on quickly, and has proven to be a cheeky, but very lovable member of our closely knit family.
Travelling all the way from London, Cousin Paddington was caught in transit thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic. After so long here he has decided to stop with us permanently. That makes me happy, as the more I look into his happy, smiling face, the more attached I am becoming to him.
Jago is a recent addition to my ever-growing family. A gift from a dear friend in England, he is made of English mohair with suede paw pads and glass eyes. He is a gentle bear, kind and patient who carries an air of calm about him. He is already fitting in with everyone else very nicely.
Bogart has travelled all the way from Georgia, via Alabama as a gift to me from a friend. He has lovely Southern manners and seems to be a fun and gentle soul with an inquisitive nature.