Scout Helps Peter not be Scared

SCOUT: "Daddy? Daddy?"

 

DADDY: "Yes, little Scout?"

 

SCOUT: "Daddy, may I please borrow your bearphone?"

 

DADDY: "Scout, why do you need to borrow my mobile phone?"

 

SCOUT: "Oh! Well you see it's really quite awful, Daddy! Peter, you know, mijn beste vriend?"

 

DADDY: "Yes, I know your best friend Peter. Is there something wrong with him?" *Puts hand to mouth in concern.* "He hasn't fallen off his stilts again has he?"

 

SCOUT: "Oh no Daddy! It's much worse than that!"

 

DADDY: "Goodness! Whatever has happened?"

 

SCOUT: "Well you see, Mummy Marian brought home some delicious sweet doughnuts for Peter and Oleg."

 

DADDY: "Well, I don't see what is so terrible about that, Scout."

 

SCOUT: "The treats are in the shape of the Cookie Monster! They have big scary eyes and a big angry mouth, just like the Big Bad Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood!"

 

DADDY: "Oh! I see! Peter is scared by the Cookie Monster doughnuts. Is that right?"

 

SCOUT: "Yes Daddy! You are so clever to work that out."

 

DADDY: "I've had lots of practice understanding how bears feel, what they like and what can scare them."

 

SCOUT: "So that's why I need to borrow your bearphone, so I can ring Peter to console him and tell him that things will be alright. I love Peter sooo much and he is mijn beste vriend! I must help him!"

 

DADDY: "Oh of course you must! I will put the kettle on to make some tea and then I will give you my phone so you can speak to Peter."

 

SCOUT: "Oh thank you Daddy!"

 

DADDY: *Makes tea and sets out tea things for Scout. He gives Scout his mobile phone.*

 

SCOUT: *Dials Mummy Marian's number in Holland.* "Hullo? Hullo is that Mummy Marian?" *Waits for reply.* "Hullo Mummy Marian, it's me, Scout from Australia. You know, Peter's beste vriend? May I please speak to Peter right now?" *Waits for reply.* "Oh thank you Mummy Marian!"

 

MUMMY MARIAN: *Puts Peter onto the bearphone.*

 

SCOUT: "Hullo Peter, mijn beste vriend! Please don't cry! Ik hou zoooo veel van je, mijn beste vriend! I see that the big googly eyes and big mouth of the Cookie Monster have scared you, like the Big Bad Wolf does in Little Red Riding Hood. Now, it's quite alright to be scared, but the doughnut is just food and it is safe to eat it. Now, I know that you will still be scared. Don't worry, I would be scared too. So, I have a way that you can eat the doughnut, forget that you are scared and really enjoy the treat that Mummy Marian brought home for you. Would you like to know what it is?" *Waits for a response.* "Well, when I have to eat something I don't like, like prunes! Yuck!" *Sticks out cute little pink bear tongue.* "Or when I have to eat the head of the chocolate bunny, which makes me sad, I just close my eyes very tightly and take a bite, and then another bite and I think of wonderful things like rainbows and unicorns and you and I playing hide-and-seek in the garden and Little Red Riding Hood being rescued by the Woodsman." *Smiles at these thoughts.* "Then I can taste the sweet and delicious chocolate and I don't feel sad! It's like eating happily ever after faerie tales. It isn't quite as good when I close my eyes and eat prunes, because they still taste a bit yucky." *Sticks out cute little pink bear tongue.* "But those doughnuts will be sweet, and you will taste the sweetness and then you won't be scared! Try it and see!" *Waits for a reply.* "See mijn beste vriend! I told you! You are smiling, and that makes me soooo happy! Now you can enjoy your treat from Mummy Marian! And whilst you close your eyes and eat it, you can think of me and all the berenkusjes en knuffels that I am sending just for you! Ik hou zoveel van je mijn beste vriend Peter! Veel berenkusjes en knuffels voor mijn beste vriend Peter, van Scout!"

 

My bears Paddy and Scout have made very good friends with two bears in Holland called Peter and Oleg (www.flickr.com/photos/40262251@N03/galleries/721577154558...) and their Mummy (www.flickr.com/photos/66094586@N06/) . Peter and Scout are very similar and have become best friends. Peter is scared by the Cookie Monster themed doughnuts that Mummy Marian bought he and Oleg as a treat, poor little bear. (You can see the picture here www.flickr.com/photos/66094586@N06/51130756600/in/datepos..., or in the first comment below). So Scout is being Peter's best friend as he should, and is making Peter feel better!

 

This beautiful nursery tea set is made by the Shell China company in the 1920s. It features six cups, saucers and plates (not all the set is being used today) as well as a teapot, milk jug and sugar bowl, gravy boat, serving dishes and lidded tureens all gilt and featuring different nursery rhymes including: "The Queen of Hearts", "Ride a Cock-Horse to Banbury Cross", "Goosey-Goosey Gander", "Sing a Song of Sixpence", "Jack and Jill", "There was a Little Man who had a Little Gun" and "To Market to Market to Buy a Fat Pig". The set was a gift to me from a close friend. There are also doll (bear) sized tea spoons which are sterling silver salt spoons, and the spoon in the "Ride a Cock-Horse to Banbury Cross" sugar bowl is an Eighteenth Century sterling silver mustard spoon. There is also a doll (bear) sized tea spoon which is a sterling silver salt spoon.

 

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.

Done