Not Visiting the Queen

After all the excitement of the boat race, I carried on down the Thames on Uplander II with Polar and Grizzly.  That afternoon, we moored at a town called Marlow. 

My human friends went ashore to do some shopping and look around.  I used this time to explore the boat on my own, finding out where the food was kept, looking at the books and maps, and trying out the bed where Polar and Grizzly sleep.  It was very comfortable indeed, and I almost fell asleep there!

When I heard Polar and Grizzly coming back, I jumped down and ran back to my cushion on the back of the settee.  As it was quite comfortable, if not quite as cosy as the bed, I fell asleep up there. 

When I woke up, it was the next morning and we were on our way down the river again, through more pretty countryside, past lots of big houses and through more very big locks.  I could watch the scenery go by through the window next to my cushion and wave to the water birds and to human cubs on other boats.

I enjoyed looking out for different types of boat too.  Some were very old and beautiful; some were brightly-coloured and silly!  We spent almost all day on the move and, eventually, we moored by a pretty park late in the afternoon, in the last little space, which was just big enough for Uppie!

I saw from the map of the river that the town was called Windsor.  Reading the river guide book, I was very excited to discover that the big castle I could see from the boat was where the Queen lives, who is a very old and very important human lady.

'I don't expect the Queen gets many visits from bears,' I thought.  'I could go to see her!  As long as I get back here before Polar and Grizzly leave tomorrow morning, I won't be in any trouble.' 

When Polar and Grizzly got off the boat to look around, I sneaked out of the side hatch and set off after them.  Although I only have little legs, I can run quite fast and dodge through small spaces where humans can't fit, so I was soon up in the town and outside the big castle. 

'I don't expect I can just walk in to see her,' I said to myself.  I decided it might be best to find out more about visiting the Queen, so I found a shop with books in and started reading one about the Queen and her castles.  I had a terrible shock; the book said that the Queen's guards wore big black hats called 'bearskins'!

'I quite like my skin where it is - on me!' I gasped.  'Maybe visiting the Queen isn't such a good idea after all, in case any of her guards need new hats.'

I ran all the way back to Uppie, as fast as I could and, when Polar and Grizzly got home, I was sitting on my cushion, pretending not to be a real bear and hoping the Queen's guards wouldn't find me. 

When we left Windsor the next day, I was very relieved that we were on our way down river again and that I had escaped, without being turned into a hat.