Short Fiction

The Teddy Pig
by Daniel P. Ward for Ages 6 thru 9.

"I want a teddy bear," said Preston. "But I don't want a bear."
Mother stopped knitting. "It can be any kind of bear," she said. "Are you sure?"
"Yes mother," said Preston.
"Don't you want a Grizzly Bear?"
"No. The're big and scary."
"Wouldn't you like a Panda Bear?"
"Panda's are funny looking. I don't want one."
"Maybe a Koala Bear?"
"They're too small and too slow!"
"I don't want any kind of bear," said Preston. "But let me think about it for a while."

And so, Preston went outside to play, and to decide what sort of of teddy he wanted. He watched as the neighbors dog, Sparky, sniffed at Mothers cat.
"I don't want a dog," he thought. "One woof is enough." The cat hissed and ran away. "And I don't think Scruffy would like it if my teddy was a Cat."
"What are you doing?" asked a voice behind him. Preston turned around and there was Karen, his next-door neighbor.
"Mother wants to make a Teddy Bear for me," Preston told her. "But I don't want it to be a bear."
Karen giggled. "What sort of teddy would it be if it wasn't a bear?"
"But I don't want a bear!"

This went on and on, and Preston still didn't know what he wanted. The thought so hard, when Karen had him over for dinner, he forgot his manners and made a mess.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"You should be," Karen told him. "You were acting like a little pig."
Preston stopped and thought, "A Pig!" He laughed very loud. It was perfect.
And so, Mother made him a Teddy Pig. It was blue big big eyes, white feet, pointy white ears, and a big, flat nose. In fact, it looked a lot like one of the bears mother had made for Baby Sister.
But it was a Teddy Pig, through and through. Preston loved it. He took it to bed with him, and carried it with him everywhere. His school friends thought it was strange to have a Teppy Pig, but everyone liked it just the same. No one had seen one before.

But it wasn't long before Karen asked, "But what is it's name?"
Of course, Preston was so happy to have a Teddy Pig, that he'd never thought to name it. "I don't know what I should name it," he said.
"Well, I can held you, if you like." She offered.
"Alright," Preston answered.
"Is it a boy pig or a girl pig?" Karen asked.
"I guess it's a boy."
"Well, then. We're already halfway there," Karen told him. "Does he get a People-name?"
"What do you mean?"
"A name like Stephen, or Jeffery, or Bob, or..."
"No," said Preston. "He has to have a strange name. Everyone thinks he's weird anyhow."
"He is weird,"agreed Karen. "But everyone likes him. Since he is so unusual, he could use a name that is stranger than him."
Preston agreed, and in a moment, found himself laughing harder than he'd ever laughed before. "I'm going to name him for an animal," he said.
"Does that mean you are calling him 'Pig'?" Karen asked.
"No," said Preston. "My Teddy Pig's name is Bear!"
And Bear was the best Teddy Pig in the World.

The End