Endearing Stories For Children

Greedy Bear

If there is one thing in this whole world that a teddy bear likes more than anything then that would be buns – big sticky currant buns with sugary tops, and squishy middles. A teddy bear will do anything for a bun. But for one greedy little teddy bear called Clarence, sticky buns were to be his favorite food.

Glacy Doll baked the most wonderful buns in the little toy cooker. She baked big buns and small buns, iced buns and currant buns, jam buns and cream buns, and even hot-cross buns! She shared them out amongst the toys in the playroom, and everybody loved them. But no one loved them as much as Clarence.

"If you will give me your bun, I'll polish your boots!" he'd say to Tin Soldier.

And sometimes, if Tin Soldier was not feeling hungry, then he'd agree. There was always someone who would give Clarence their bun in return for a favor, and sometimes Clarence would eat five or six buns in one day!

Then he'd be busy washing the dolls' dresses, brushing Spotty Dog's fur, or cleaning the toy policeman's car. He would even stand still and let the clown throw custard pies at him!

So you see, Clarence was not a lazy bear, but he was a greedy bear, and in spite of all his busyness, he was rather becoming plump little teddy greedy bear. All those buns were starting to show around his stomach, and his fur was beginning to strain at the seams!

Then one day Clarence rushed into a playroom full of excitement. His owner, Penny, had told him that next week she was taking him on a teddy bears' picnic.

"She says there will be honey sandwiches and ice-cream and cookies- and lots and lots of buns!" Clarence told the others, rubbing his paws together. "I can hardly wait! In fact, all this excitement has made me hungry, so I think I'll have a bun." And he took a big sticky bun out from under a cushion where he had hidden it earlier.

"Oh Clarence!" said Rabbit. "One of these days you will simply go pop!"

"Just be happy that I don't like carrots!" said Clarence, with a smile.

Well, that week Clarence was busier than ever. Every time he thought about the picnic he felt hungry, and then he'd have to find someone who'd let him have their bun. He ate bun after bun, and would not listen when Glacy Doll warned him that his back seam was starting to come undone.

The day of the teddy bears' picnic dawned, and Clarence yawned and stretched, smiling with excitement. But as he stretched, he felt a popping sensation all down his stomach. He tried to sit up on the bed, but to his alarm, he found he could not move. He looked down to see that the seams around his tummy had popped open, and his stuffing was spilling out all over the bed!

"Help!" he cried. "I'm exploding!" Just then, Penny woke up. "Oh Clarence!" she cried when she saw him. "I can't take you to the teddy bears' picnic like that!"

Penny showed Clarence to her mommy, who said he would have to go to the toy hospital.

Clarence was away from the playroom for a whole week, but when he came back he was as good as a new toy. Some of his stuffing had been taken out, and he was all sewn up again.

He had lots of time to think in the hospital about what a silly greedy bear he had been. He also got sad by thinking that how he wished he had not missed the picnic. The other teddies said it was the best day out they had ever had. Penny had taken Rabbit instead.

"It was terrible," moaned Rabbit. "Not a carrot in sight. I did save you a bun though." And he pulled a big sticky bun out of his packet.

"No, thank you, Rabbit," said Clarence. "I've gone off buns!"

Of course, Clarence did not stop eating buns for long, but from that time he stuck to one bun per day. And he still did favors for the others, only now he did them for free!