Read along to A Bear Called Paddington

Mr. Brown looked rather embarrassed. Well, um, no. Um, as matter of fact, we were wondering if we could help you. Mrs. Brown bent down. "You're a very small bear," she said. The bear puffed out its chest. "I'm a very rare sort of bear," he replied importantly. "There aren't many of us..."

left where I come from, and where is that? asked Mrs. Brown. The bear looked round carefully before replying. Darkest Peru, I'm not really supposed to be here at all. I'm a stowaway. A stowaway? Mr. Brown lowered his voice and looked anxiously over his shoulder. He almost expected to see a policeman standing behind him with notebook and pencil taking every...

thing down, yes, said the bear. "I emigrated, you know." A sad expression came into its eyes. I used to live with my aunt Lucy in Peru, but she had to go into a home for retired bears. "You don't mean to say you've come all the way from South America by yourself," exclaimed Mrs. Brown. The bear nodded. Aunt Lucy always said she wanted me to emigrate when I was old enough. That...

why she taught me to speak English. "But whatever did you do for food?" asked Mr. Brown. "You must be starving." Bending down, the bear unlocked the suitcase with a small key, which it also had round its neck, and brought out an almost empty glass jar. "I ate marmalade," he said rather proudly. "Bears like marmalade, and I lived in life boat." "But what are you going to do now?" said Mr.

brown, you can't just sit on Peddington station waiting for something to happen. Oh, I shall be all right, I expect. The bear bent down to do up its case again. As he did so, Mrs. Brown caught a glimpse of the writing on the label. It said, simply, Please look after this bear. Thank you. She turned appealingly to her husband. Oh...

Henry, what shall we do? We can't just leave him here. There's no knowing what might happen to him. London's such a big place when you've know where to go, can't he come and stay with us for few days? Mr. Brown hesitated. But, Mary, dear, we can't take him, not just like that. After all, after all, what? Mrs. Brown's voice had a firm note to it. She looked down at the bear. He is rather sweet, and he'd be...

such company for Jonathan and Judy, even if it's only for a little while, they'd never forgive us if they knew you'd left him here. "It all seems highly irregular," said Mr. Brown, doubtfully. "I'm sure there's a law about it." He bent down. "Would you like to come and stay with us?" he asked. "That is," he added hastily, not wishing to offend the bear, if you've nothing else planned. The bear jumped, and his hat nearly..."

fell off with excitement, oh, yes, please, I should like that very much. I've nowhere to go, and everyone seems in such a hurry. Well, that's settle then, said Mrs. Brown, before her husband could change his mind, and you can have marmalade for breakfast every morning, and she tried hard to think of something else that bears might like, every morning, the bear looked as if it could hardly believe...

its ears, I only had it on special occasions at home. Marmalades very expensive in darkest Peru. Then you shall have it every morning, starting tomorrow, continued Mrs. Brown, and honey on Sunday. A worried expression came over the bear's face. "Will it cost very much?" he asked. "You see, I haven't very much money." "Of course not. We wouldn't dream of charging you anything. That we should expect to..."

be one of the family, sharen't we, Henry? Mrs. Brown looked at her husband for support. "Of course," said Mr. Brown. "By the way," he added, "If you are coming home with us, you'd better know our names. This is Mrs. Brown, and I'm Mr. Brown." The bear raised its hat politely. Twice. "I haven't really got a name," he said. "Only a Peruvian one, which no one can understand."