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When the playful breeze of autumn is chased away by the mischievous chill of winter, the leafy paths and shady branches of Cannock Chase forest are transformed into a place of wonder. The muddy trails that make your boots slip and slide are wiped clean with a thick blanket of sparkling white snow, ready and waiting for when Springtime comes around to colour it all in again with greens and browns, with ferns and flowers.
And with winter come the children. Excitement almost too much to bear, they bring their parents, their pets and, most importantly, their toys, for they too want to play. Most of all, the toys just want to be with their family and to never be apart.
But sometimes, though it is no one’s fault, people lose the things they love. This is the story of a little bear called Giles and the time that he became lost.
‘Mum. Mum! What’s that? Over there. No, there! By the tree!’
The sound of a young voice crept into Giles’ sleepy head and he thought he should wake up and get ready to play, but he was so enjoying dreaming about being warm and comfortable that he decided he would rather just relax for a bit longer.
‘Look,’ said the voice of a young girl, ‘it’s a bear!’
‘Of course I’m a bear,’ thought Giles sleepily, smiling to himself. He thought it was an odd thing to say, because his family already knew that he was a bear.
But then it occurred to Giles that he did not recognise this voice. As his dream of being warm slipped away, he realised he was not warm at all. In fact, he was the opposite, he was cold. Very cold! He opened his eyes and gasped – where was he? All around him were towering trees and paths of snow. Glistening brambles like twisting snakes and bushes of ice like sleeping polar bears. Where was the warm house he lived in? Who were these strangers? Where was his family? He was so very confused and began to feel afraid.
Suddenly he was lifted from the cold forest floor and into the air.
‘Oh, he’s lovely!’ declared the girl. ‘Can I keep him?’
‘Katie, you have so many teddy bears,’ said a man, ‘I don’t think that you need another!’
‘There’s always room for one more, daddy. Oh please, mummy!’
‘I think your daddy is right,’ said her mother. ‘Besides, someone has lost this little bear and will be sad. I think that we should try and find its owner, don’t you?’
‘I suppose so,’ said the girl, thoughtfully.
‘Maybe you could help me search?’
‘Yes!’ said the little girl. ‘I would love to help!’
‘Good, but first we need to get him home and clean him up!’
Giles was held in the little girl’s arms as they drove away from the forest. She had a very kindly face, but it was not one he new at all.
How have I become so lost, he thought? Was it my fault? Have I not loved my family enough?
He was sure that this was not true, but he could not help feeling that it was all because he had done something wrong.
‘Don’t worry,’ said the girl as if she could hear his thoughts, ‘we will make everything better again, you’ll see!’
Giles hoped so, because he had never felt so sad and just wanted everything to be normal again. And then, as the sky darkened outside the windows and Katie’s arms felt so warm, Giles’ eyes drooped until he could keep them open no longer, and he fell asleep.
‘And who might you be, eh?’
For the second time, Giles’ eyes sprang open in surprise. He had awoken somewhere different again. This time he was in a house, a small but very comfortable looking one at that. There were shelves and shelves of story books, little ornaments here and there, soft chairs with even softer cushions and, most welcome of all, a roaring log fire that was casting a flickering orange light into the otherwise dark room.
‘Are you staying, or is this just a visit?’ said the voice again.
Giles turned and to his surprise, saw a slightly scruffy-looking bear peering over at him with a smile as warm as the fire.
‘I…er…I don’t…’ mumbled Giles.
‘No need to decide now,’ said the bear, who looked and sounded like he had been loved for a very long time. ‘Maybe just get yourself warm and relax a little. How does that sound?’
‘Yes,’ replied Giles quietly. ‘That sounds nice.’
The bear climbed to his feet with a little sigh.
‘Not as young as I used to be!’ he explained and ambled over to where Giles was sat. ‘Come on, let’s go and warm up by the fire, eh?’
Giles nodded and let himself be led to the fireplace, where they both sat on the hearth together, the warmth spilling over them like bath water.
‘Oh yes,’ said the bear. ‘Yes, that’s much more pleasant. Everything seems better when you’re warm, don’t you think?’
‘Yes. My name is Giles.’
‘Scraggy Bear. That’s mine!’
‘Excuse me, but where I am I, Scraggy Bear?’
‘That’s just plain Scraggy to you,’ he said with a wink. ‘You are in my family’s house. I would suggest that by the look of you, you were rescued from the forest. Did you get lost?’
Giles looked down at himself; he was covered from head to paw in dirt and there were leaves and twigs caught up in his fur. He was wet through and there was a little bit of stuffing coming out of his arm. It was too much, and he began to cry.
‘There there, little one,’ said Scraggy, ‘don’t you worry about a thing. If it is help you need, then you are in exactly the right place.’ With that, Scraggy put his arm around Giles and gave him a squeeze.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Giles, sniffling and snuffling. ‘It’s just that I have lost someone and I am so very sad.’
‘You have lost someone, or someone has lost you?’
‘I don’t know. Is there a difference?’ asked Giles, looking into Scraggy’s kindly eyes.
‘Oh, there’s a whole world of difference, little bear; even if the outcome is the same.’
‘But it’s my fault, I didn’t take care of them, I didn’t show them enough that I loved them. I lost them!’
‘Now now,’ said Scraggy, squeezing Giles tighter. ‘We have to look after each other, to give and receive both love and help. That is how we make a difference. I suspect that your family took you out to play and you were left completely by accident. Not your fault. Not your fault at all, little bear.’
‘But how am I going to find my way back?’ pleaded Giles, his eyes as wet as the rest of him.
It was Scraggy’s turn to look a little sad.
‘It can be hard I admit. Sometimes you just need a little luck. A little bit of magic to help you on your way.’
Giles turned and stared into the fire as the wood snapped and crackled like the sparklers his family would wave on bonfire night.
‘Then I am truly lost.’
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