"Molly," Mary Stevens called. "Get back here." She started to cross the street.
Chris shook his big, fuzzy new head. He was talking with someone, but he didn't see them. He still sat, or more accurately, leaned on his car. He didn't know exactly how he felt, but the word bumfuzzled came to his plush mind. He never had been the brightest bulb in the pack.
He felt someone tugging on his arm. "C'mmoooon, Mr. Bear." He heard a girl's voice say, and he finally looked down to see a child about eight in pigtails and a romper pulling on his large overstuffed arm.
That confused the bear, and he didn't know why.
"Molly, leave that toy alone. He's not yours." Molly's mother gently pulled her away from Chris. That made the bear slightly sad. He turned his head to the pair.
"Hello there," he said, and his slightly raspy voice caused Mary Stevens to jump.
"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were in a costume." She looked warily at Chris, "Why are you wearing a teddy bear costume?"
Christopher Bear scratched his head with a big paw. "I don't think this is a costume." He used his other paw to investigate, pushing it deep into his stuffed belly. "No. This isn't a costume. I really am a Pooh Bear."
That was the moment Christopher Bear realized what had happened to him. He should have been very scared and worried that he had just turned into a big stuffed teddy, but all he could muster to say was:
"Oh, bother."
Molly Stevens looked up to her mother with pleading eyes "Can I keep him?"
