More About Paddington
“Bears like Paddington are very rare,” says Mrs Bird, “and a good thing too, or it would cost us a small fortune in marmalade.”The Brown Family first met Paddington on a railway station – Paddington station, in fact – and now he is just another member of their family, if a slightly unusual one.As he says himself, “Things happen to me – I’m that sort of bear.” With his attempts at home decorating, detective work and photography, the Brown family soon find that Paddington causes his own particular brand of chaos.
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First published in Great Britain
by William Collins Sons and Co. Ltd. in 1959
This edition first published by Collins in 1997
This edition published in 2018
Collins is an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF
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Text copyright © Michael Bond 1959
Illustrations copyright © Peggy Fortnum
and William Collins Sons and Co. Ltd. 1959
The author and illustrator assert the moral right to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work.
Cover illustration adapted and coloured by Mark Burgess from the original by Peggy Fortnum
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Source ISBN: 9780006753438
Ebook Edition © OCTOBER 2011 ISBN: 9780007372850
Version: 2018-05-23
The Browns’ house at number thirty-two Windsor Gardens was unusually quiet. It was a warm summer day and all the family with the exception of Paddington, who had mysteriously disappeared shortly after lunch, were sitting on the veranda enjoying the afternoon sun.
Apart from the faint rustle of paper as Mr Brown turned the pages of an enormous book and the click of Mrs Brown’s knitting needles, the only sound came from Mrs Bird, their housekeeper, as she prepared the tea things.
Jonathan and Judy were both much too busy piecing together a huge jigsaw puzzle to utter a word.
It was Mr Brown who first broke the silence. “You know,” he began, taking a long draw at his pipe, “it’s a funny thing, but I’ve been through this encyclopedia a dozen times and there’s no mention of a bear like Paddington.”
“Ah, and there won’t be,” exclaimed Mrs Bird. “Bears like Paddington are very rare. And a good thing too, if you ask me, or it would cost us a small fortune in marmalade.” Mrs Bird was always going on about Paddington’s fondness for marmalade, but it was noticeable she was never without a spare jar in the larder in case of emergency.
“Anyway, Henry,” said Mrs Brown, as she put down her knitting, “why do you want to look up Paddington?”
Mr Brown twirled his moustache thoughtfully. “Oh, no reason in particular,” he answered vaguely. “I was interested – that’s all.”
Having a bear in the family was a heavy responsibility – especially a bear like Paddington – and Mr Brown took the matter very seriously.
“The point is,” he said, snapping the book shut, “if he’s staying with us for good…”
“If?” There was a chorus of alarm from the rest of the family, not to mention Mrs Bird.
“What on earth do you mean, Henry?” exclaimed Mrs Brown. “If Paddington is staying with us for good. Of course he is.”
“As he’s staying with us,” said Mr Brown, hastily, “there are one or two things I have in mind. First of all I’ve been thinking of decorating the spare room for him.”
There was general agreement at this. Ever since he had first arrived on the scene, Paddington had occupied the guest-room. Being a polite bear he had never said anything, even when he’d been turned out to make room for visitors, but it had long been thought he should have a room of his own.
“The second thing,” continued Mr Brown, “is a photograph. I think it would be nice if we could have a family group taken.”
“A photograph?” exclaimed Mrs Bird. “What a funny thing you should say that.”
“Oh?” said Mr Brown. “Why’s that?”
Mrs Bird busied herself with the teapot. “You’ll see – all in good time,” she said. And try as they might that was all the others could get from her.
Fortunately, she was saved any further questions, for at that moment there came a loud banging noise from the direction of the dining-room and Paddington himself appeared at the French windows. He was struggling with a large cardboard box, across the top of which lay a mysterious-looking metal object with long spikes on one end.
