Sanguine Tenacious Tidings

A Soft Yellow Fluffy Story

Creation Saturday!

Did you have a favorite stuffed animal (or toy) when you were younger? Give it an interesting origin story- tell us what it did in its life before he/she met you and became your pal.

I don't remember a special favorite toy as a child. I had a string of dolls that sat on the end of my bed. I actually don't remember playing with them or cuddling them. I had a barn, toy animals and a toy ukelele. Now, I have a barn real animals and I play guitar.

However, about 15 years ago we were shopping in a Walmart.

I always go through the toy aisle because I like toys. I have a collection of Thomas trains that I started a few years ago and I add to it as often as I can. Anyway in the toy aisle I saw a Hugh Yellow Bear. It is about three feet long, fat, with huge eyes and paws. I just couldn't leave the store without it. It was suspended in a basket up high and a clerk had to retrieve it for me. I immediately named it Tundra and it sleeps at the head of the bed drooping it's foot long front legs by my pillow. Tundra is washable and big enough to use as a pillow.

Tundra's Story:

Tundra woke up and looked around. She did not remember anything about getting sewed together but, getting stuffed by that machine was a trick. No one was around. The machines had all stopped humming, The belts were not turning anymore. She shook herself then stood up. Well that was easy, I wonder where every one went?

The lights were low with just enough light to throw a soft grey shadowy brightness across the ceiling. Tundra sat back on her rump and looked at her paws. She had 4 tan toes on each front foot and her feet were a broad flat 6 inches across. She sat on a wide belt all alone. At the end of the belt were boxes full and sealed with other stuffed toys. But Tundra was bigger than all the others.

Well I guess I'll just walk around and see what I can see? That first night she padded across to the side of the belt. It did not look very far down so, she casually lowered herself over the edge onto the floor below. When she let go of the belt she hit the floor on her bottom. She was stuffed so heavy she bounced once on her short yellow tail. "Ommf" She spent the night walking around looking at her new world. When dawn came she had covered the whole floor a couple times so she just laid down and went to sleep.

"Hey! I left that big bear on the belt last night how did it get clear over here?"

"Don't look at me. I just pack them up and send them out."

"Well it doesn't look like it is hurt in anyway. Willa you need to pack this one by itself in a box. It is suppose to go out with the Wally World shipment this morning."

"OK Jane.That's the one they used the little bit of yellow left to make one big bear instead of 3 smaller ones."

Hey! Don't punch me in the belly like that. Why are you stuffing me in this little box. I need more room to move around. These people could use some education in listening. Yesterday, no one paid any attention when I was screaming as they stuffed me full of soft fluffy white material. That tag sewed to my bottom itches.

Willa set the newly sealed box onto a cart then loaded three others on top of it.

I feel crushed.

She wheeled the cart to the loading dock. "This is the last batch, Butch, will they fit in there somewhere?"

Butch stacked the boxes high as Willa threw them across the space between the dock and the back of the truck. the last box was bigger than the others and heavier. Butch fumbled and it crashed to the little bit of floor space left as the truck was being loaded.

Hey! Don't bounce me around that way!! As Butch retrieved the box and stuffed it on the top of one of the rows he called to Willa. "What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything. Have a good trip."

Butch slammed the door shut and locked up the doors. He checked the doors twice. Jumped into the truck and drove away.

Tundra was really crushed into the box so, she just napped the whole two day ride.

All of a sudden the ride was over. The truck door was opened and Tundra's box came tumbling down from it's place at the top of a pile.

"These stuffed toys are so cute. What's in this one it's bigger than the rest."

That was close. What ever that was that broke open my box was sharp. I could have been killed. Oh yeah, I remember I don't have any blood so I'm not dead or alive. Still they might have spilled my stuffing all over the place. Ohhhhh! Stop that! You:r shaking me by my poor big tan ear. Your shaking my stuffing all over. Erg! I wish they would listen, I don't need fluffed! How come you don 't hear me.

"This bear is too big for the display. Jill looked at the display. Let's put a net up attached to those wires above the display and fling the bear into the net."

Yeah. Probably no one is going to want a bear this big very soon anyway. Roy strung the net into place and Jill pushed Tundra over the side into the suspended net.

I won't be here very long. Watch This.

An older woman was walking down the toy aisle.

Tundra started sending out mental bear distress signals.

The older woman looked up and smiled. Yes. That one is going home with me.

Jill was nearby fluffing smaller stuffed toys.

Could you help me get that bear down?

Jill laughed the whole time she was getting Tundra out of the net.

The woman held Tundra the whole time she was in the store and wouldn't put her in a bag to leave, just walked out with the Hugh yellow head resting on her shoulder.

Tundra had a smug look on her fuzzy tan muzzle as the store receded into the distance. Her adventures were just beginning.