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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: South America (02/05/09)
Aunt Lucy had taken care of Pastuso since he was orphaned by an earthquake when just a few weeks old. Now she was old, and no longer able to care for him or herself, so arrangements were being put in place for her to live in a retirement home in Lima. Lovingly she had thought ahead to this day; teaching Pastuso English, she arranged for him to stow away in a lifeboat on a ship bound for England. She carefully instructed him to wait at Paddington station, where he sat with his label “Please take care of this bear”.

BBC Camerman Michael Bond felt sorry for the bear sitting alone in Selfridges' window. On an impulse he bought him for his wife and took him to their home near Paddington Station. He had soon written the first of many well-loved Paddington Bear stories. Since that day in 1958, this bear from Peru became famous throughout the world. In 1965 Bond gave up his work as a cameraman to become a full-time writer. Television series and merchandising followed, with TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson's mother making the first toy bears.

Dressed in the felt hat given to him by his Uncle, and a new duffle coat and wellington boots, with his battered suitcase, Paddington Bear became known for his love of Marmalade. In the stories Paddington Bear went to live with the Brown family who had found him at the station whilst meeting their daughter.

Aunt Lucy had told him “You'll be loved by the nation”; and so he was. Such was the case, that when engineers finally broke through the completed tunnel between England and France, one of the first symbolic items to be exchanged deep under the sea was Paddington Bear.

The beautiful country of Peru is still occasionally dogged by earthquakes, creating orphans, not of bears but precious children. In 1970, 66,000 lives were lost in Yangay when an earthquake in the Peruvian Andes started a landslide. With one third of her population living in the city of Lima, Peru continues to be vulnerable to this seismic instability, and will on occasion need the generosity of the global community as has China and the Indian sub-continent in recent years.
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This article has been read 1213 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Marlene Austin
02/12/09
The shifts from the story of the bear to the literary works about Paddington Bear to the devastation of the Peruvian populace were difficult to follow. Allowing more writing room to focus on one aspect in a story will help the reader stay clear as to the intended purpose of the piece. :)
Jan Ackerson
02/14/09
I love the title of this piece--it drew me right in.

I had a hard time following the jumps in the story, and wasn't always sure of how the paragraphs were connected.

I was in Paddington Station last summer (and I kept looking for that bear...)!
Dee Yoder
02/16/09
I like the title, too. I was also a little confused about the bear in the beginning and was thinking: "Was it a REAL bear that was found in Paddington station?" Since I'm not that familiar with the story behind the Paddington bear, I couldn't quite follow the plot from there. I think with a few more sentences of explanation on each section of your story, the reader will better understand and follow this lovely "bear" tale! It really is intriguing to think that a real live bear was able to follow commands to stow away and wait in a station. I'd like to know the rest of the story.
Lesley-Anne Evans
06/11/09
Yes, you had me at the title too, Anne. I also struggled a bit with following the story, but I don't think you have to change very much to make it work… simply add a few words of explanation here and there - fill it out into the lovely story it might be - for example, if there was a different leading paragraph that explained a wee bit more, then I think most other things will fall into place naturally. I KNOW you've got it in you to 'fix' this one. And, thanks for your comments regarding Store Clerk. It's fiction :)

LA