The following is an attempt to write a children's story
Once, a long time ago, there was a teddy bear named Blueberry. Blueberry sat on the shelf next to his brothers and sisters hoping that someone would pick him up and take him home to be loved. But, child after child passed him by. “You are too big and too expensive,” his brother Gooseberry would say, “you should make yourself smaller and cheaper, like me and Raspberry. Then you would be more attractive.” But even if he wanted to make himself smaller Blueberry knew he couldn’t. It would mean ripping himself open and removing part of what made Blueberry Blueberry.
His sister Strawberry who was just as expensive laughed at Blueberry. She would say things like, “You are a silly bear. You are too blue, and too soft. Little boys liked hard toys like cars and bats, and little girls liked pink toys like me and Raspberry. There is no place for a blue teddy bear.” But Blueberry knew that wasn’t entirely true. Someone had to like blue teddy bears otherwise he never would have been made. The shiny price-tag reminded Blueberry that he wasn’t a mistake.
Blueberry would start to feel better but, then his sister Raspberry would start talking to him. “They are right you know,” she would say, “You are just a mistake. Look at me, I’m perfect. How can you hope to compare. I am small and enexpensive so parents love me and I am pink so little girls love me. You are fat and you are blue so no one is going to love you.” And then she would make a rude noise at Blueberry, and make him feel sad. He knew in his heart that Raspberry was wrong but, it was hard to wait. Someday someone would love him.
Day after day passed, and Blueberry grew sadder and sadder but, then one day he saw a little girl will serious eyes staring at him. She wasn’t staring at his less expensive brother Gooseberry, or his pink sister Strawberry, she wasn’t even staring at Raspberry. The little girl was staring at him. She gave a shy smile and ran off. Blueberry hoped she would return. In a few seconds she did with another littler girl with blonde hair. “Look,” the serious girl whispered to her little sister pointing at the bears.
“Oooooo” said the littlest girl starring at Strawberry with a greedy smile.
“Maybe if we are good we can have one of the little ones,” the serious girl whispered to her little sister and Blueberry’s heart fell. In just a few seconds he had fallen in love with the little girl with serious eyes. But he wanted her to be happy and Blueberry knew that the girl would be far happier with a little teddy bear than with no teddy bear at all.
Soon the girls’ mom, dad and grandma walked down the aisle. “You girls have been good so you each can pick out a teddy bear,” the dad said. “But remember only a little one,” the mom added. Right away the girl with the serious eyes picked up Gooseberry and gave him a hug. But the littler girl with the blonde hair did something strange, she picked up Strawberry who was a big bear. “No Baby,” the dad said, “get a little one.
“I don’t want a little one,” the blonde girl whined.
“A little teddy bear or no teddy bear.” The mom said.
“I WANT THE BIG ONE, I WANT THE BIG ONE!” the curly haired girl cried and screamed.
“If you are going to act like that neither of you get a bear.” The dad said. “Ok,” said the quiet girl with the serious eyes and she put back Gooseberry and followed her parents and screaming sister out of the store.
Blueberry was sadder now than he had ever been in his entire life. He wanted the quiet girl to be happy even if it wasn’t with him. But now she didn’t even get to be with Gooseberry. “Don’t be sad teddy bear,” A voice whispered to him, “things will work out better than you know.” The grandma had not followed the two little girls out of the store. She was looking at Blueberry and Strawberry. The grandma quickly grabbed them off the shelf and headed to the cash register. Blueberry was surprised. Little old ladies normally don’t go around buying teddy bears. The two teddy bears where bought, paid for, and placed in the trunk. “Where are we going?” Strawberry whispered, “I’m scared, this isn’t normal.”
“I don’t know. But, I think things are going to be ok.” Blueberry whispered back.
They heard movement outside the car after it stopped. The trunk popped open and the Grandma yelled, “Surprise!”
“MY BEAR!” screamed the blonde girl as she grabbed Strawberry and ran off. The girl with the serious eyes picked up Blueberry and hugged him tight. Blueberry felt something wet fall on his head.
“Why are you crying, little one?” the Grandma asked.
“Because,” the girl explained quietly, “This is the bear I really wanted. I love my Blue Beary.” And Blueberry was happier than he had ever been in his life because he knew it was true. He was loved.
His sister Strawberry who was just as expensive laughed at Blueberry. She would say things like, “You are a silly bear. You are too blue, and too soft. Little boys liked hard toys like cars and bats, and little girls liked pink toys like me and Raspberry. There is no place for a blue teddy bear.” But Blueberry knew that wasn’t entirely true. Someone had to like blue teddy bears otherwise he never would have been made. The shiny price-tag reminded Blueberry that he wasn’t a mistake.
Blueberry would start to feel better but, then his sister Raspberry would start talking to him. “They are right you know,” she would say, “You are just a mistake. Look at me, I’m perfect. How can you hope to compare. I am small and enexpensive so parents love me and I am pink so little girls love me. You are fat and you are blue so no one is going to love you.” And then she would make a rude noise at Blueberry, and make him feel sad. He knew in his heart that Raspberry was wrong but, it was hard to wait. Someday someone would love him.
Day after day passed, and Blueberry grew sadder and sadder but, then one day he saw a little girl will serious eyes staring at him. She wasn’t staring at his less expensive brother Gooseberry, or his pink sister Strawberry, she wasn’t even staring at Raspberry. The little girl was staring at him. She gave a shy smile and ran off. Blueberry hoped she would return. In a few seconds she did with another littler girl with blonde hair. “Look,” the serious girl whispered to her little sister pointing at the bears.
“Oooooo” said the littlest girl starring at Strawberry with a greedy smile.
“Maybe if we are good we can have one of the little ones,” the serious girl whispered to her little sister and Blueberry’s heart fell. In just a few seconds he had fallen in love with the little girl with serious eyes. But he wanted her to be happy and Blueberry knew that the girl would be far happier with a little teddy bear than with no teddy bear at all.
Soon the girls’ mom, dad and grandma walked down the aisle. “You girls have been good so you each can pick out a teddy bear,” the dad said. “But remember only a little one,” the mom added. Right away the girl with the serious eyes picked up Gooseberry and gave him a hug. But the littler girl with the blonde hair did something strange, she picked up Strawberry who was a big bear. “No Baby,” the dad said, “get a little one.
“I don’t want a little one,” the blonde girl whined.
“A little teddy bear or no teddy bear.” The mom said.
“I WANT THE BIG ONE, I WANT THE BIG ONE!” the curly haired girl cried and screamed.
“If you are going to act like that neither of you get a bear.” The dad said. “Ok,” said the quiet girl with the serious eyes and she put back Gooseberry and followed her parents and screaming sister out of the store.
Blueberry was sadder now than he had ever been in his entire life. He wanted the quiet girl to be happy even if it wasn’t with him. But now she didn’t even get to be with Gooseberry. “Don’t be sad teddy bear,” A voice whispered to him, “things will work out better than you know.” The grandma had not followed the two little girls out of the store. She was looking at Blueberry and Strawberry. The grandma quickly grabbed them off the shelf and headed to the cash register. Blueberry was surprised. Little old ladies normally don’t go around buying teddy bears. The two teddy bears where bought, paid for, and placed in the trunk. “Where are we going?” Strawberry whispered, “I’m scared, this isn’t normal.”
“I don’t know. But, I think things are going to be ok.” Blueberry whispered back.
They heard movement outside the car after it stopped. The trunk popped open and the Grandma yelled, “Surprise!”
“MY BEAR!” screamed the blonde girl as she grabbed Strawberry and ran off. The girl with the serious eyes picked up Blueberry and hugged him tight. Blueberry felt something wet fall on his head.
“Why are you crying, little one?” the Grandma asked.
“Because,” the girl explained quietly, “This is the bear I really wanted. I love my Blue Beary.” And Blueberry was happier than he had ever been in his life because he knew it was true. He was loved.