It’s the end of The Bear Nobody Wanted: the bear has found his final home. A boy named Trevor has rescued him from the horrors of a bombed-out building, cleaned him up and made a present of him to his little sister.
Sophie snuggled down with the bear in her arms and the rabbit on her pillow. She began to talk: ‘It’s Sunday School tomorrow … My daddy is a sailor.’
After a while, Trevor put his head round the door. He came over to the bed and crouched beside it. Sophie held the bear up for them to see each other. Trevor shook him by the paw.
‘What will you call him?’ he whispered.
‘I will call him … Teddy,’ Sophie said.
Trevor left, and slowly Sophie drifted off to sleep. Her arm remained around the bear and her warm breath touched his fur. With only the slightest movement of his paw, the bear returned her cuddle. He would not sleep for ages yet. His heart and mind were just too full. He was, of course, the happiest of toys: an altogether wanted bear.
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING
Find us online and join the conversation
Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/penguinukbooks
Like us on Facebook facebook.com/penguinbooks
Share the love on Instagram instagram.com/penguinukbooks
Watch our authors on YouTube youtube.com/penguinbooks
Pin Penguin books to your Pinterest pinterest.com/penguinukbooks
Listen to audiobook clips at soundcloud.com/penguin-books
Find out more about the author and discover
your next read at penguin.co.uk
PENGUIN BOOKS
UK | USA | Canada | Ireland | Australia
India | New Zealand | South Africa
Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.
First published by Viking 2013
Published in Penguin Books 2014
Text copyright © Allan Ahlberg, 2013
Original illustrations copyright © Jessica Ahlberg, 2013
All rights reserved
The acknowledgements on p. xi constitute an extension of this copyright page
The moral right of the author has been asserted
Cover illustrations by Jessica Ahlberg
ISBN: 978-0-241-96904-5
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
Beginnings
1 ‘Having a Baby’, Collected Poems (2008).
The Clothes Horse
1 The Clothes Horse and Other Stories (1987).
Treading the Boilers
1 The Boyhood of Burglar Bill (2006).
Child Watching
1 Heard it in the Playground (1989).
Fear of Eggshells
1 ‘The Boy Without a Name’, Heard it in the Playground, extract (1989).
Seasons
1 The Mighty Slide, extract (1988).
Poor Old Soul
1 The Clothes Horse and Other Stories (1987).
Reading and Writing
1 The Bear Nobody Wanted (1992), £9.99.
Ends
1 In Friendly Matches (2001).
The Bucket Page 7