EXTRACT FOR
Faerindale Legends - Return of the Orb
(Alexandra Harding)

...Children went through the hedge back into the garden. They were looking into the brook, hoping to see some fish, when suddenly they heard a noise. When children turned around to have a look, they noticed someone emerging from the hedge. 

The mysterious visitor was dressed in a green mac with a big hood and carried a brown backpack with a burst zipper, full of half soaked boxes of frozen fish fingers.



"Good afternoon!" he said to the children politely removing the hood.



"What the hell...," Jamie slowly moved backwards. Then, suddenly, he took off and run, hiding behind the bushes.



Hannah and Katie followed their big brother. To children's astonishment the visitor was no more or less but... a bear. Not a stuffed bear that one would see in a toy shop and not a wild animal bear either. He was just about a foot and a half tall and had short dark brown fur, a pair of black inquisitive eyes that would not miss a thing and a big black nose. Bear was vigorously shaking a broken umbrella that he held in his paw.



"Ah, what a weather," he said. "I should have put my wellies on!"



Hannah was the first one to speak to Bear. She was not scared of him, but rather very intrigued. "Excuse me," she said. "I think your dinner got wet," she pointed at the Bear's wet backpack. "I think you should put it in the freezer quick. If you like, you could use our freezer if you do not have your own..."



Bear suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, I am sorry, where are my manners! You must be the Johnson family. We never met, but your Granddad Oscar told me so much about you! I am Bear. The full name is Mr Bear Grizzley-Junior, but you can call me Mr Bear or Bear for short."



"Oh, so you are the Granddad's friend who is looking after the cottage!" Jamie said with relief and the children came out from the bushes. "He mentioned someone in the letter, but he did not say it was a Bear! Where have you been this morning?"



"Well, I went up to the village to see my friend John, who is a fishmonger. He is a good man. He always makes sure that I've got something nice for supper. I was planning to return before your arrival and used the shortcut across the woods, but my paws got wet and the wind broke my umbrella. It is nice to finally meet you!" Bear replied...