The A.G. Bear Series

The Adventures of A.G. Bear Book 1 CAT TALES  The Tea Party

Amanda Grey A.G.Bear's Friends Isadora LeChat Mrs. Duck

Prologue

Amanda Grey has three best friends;

her kitty, Isadora Le Chat, her teddy bear, A.G. Bear, ...and of course there's Mrs. Duck.

Well, of course she's a duck, what did you think she'd be, an alligator??.

Miss Amanda loves to entertain, and her friends are often invited to tea. To her parents amazement, Amanda's friends not only enjoy tea parties, they appear delighted to be invited to dress for the occasion. Mrs. Duck wears her best pearls, and Isadora LeChat often tucks a flower behind her ear. A.G. Bear?, well, teddy bears have always dressed nicely for tea parties.

Miss Amanda sets a beautiful table. She and her Mommy have spent hours rummaging through the attic, looking through bags and boxes and trunks to find just the right things.

They've found odds and ends, and bits and pieces of silverware and china. They even found an old tea service. Although badly tarnished, and a good part of the silver plating long since worn away, Miss Amanda has polished and polished until the silver fairly gleams!. As for the table's centerpiece, well, it was a bit of a struggle getting the label off that old blue bottle, but it looks ever so nice, doesn't it?

During one particular tea party, Miss Amanda and her friends had just seated themselves, when Miss Amanda heard a voice calling her back to the house. She arose, and politely excused herself, asking Mrs. Duck to assume the role of hostess during her absence.

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The Tea Party

Isadora Le Chat, A.G. Bear, and Mrs. Duck sat sociably around a small table in the shaded garden.

More milk for your tea, Isadora? asked Mrs. Duck, holding a shiny little silver pitcher aloft. 

Why, yes... thank you, said Isadora, Don't mind if I do. 

A.G.?, offered Mrs. Duck.

No thank you, said A.G. Bear, I prefer honey in mine.

Quite right, Mrs. Duck corrected herself. Do forgive me, she said, apologetically, and politely passed the cut crystal honey bowl.

Mrs. Duck nibbled happily, but ever so mannerly, on one of the wonderful little sandwiches cut in the shape of stars and quarter moons and diamonds. The sandwiches, framed by a paper lace doily, were heaped on an antique flowered porcelain platter.

To the right of the sandwiches, was a small silver serving tray, and the elegant centerpiece for the little tea table was a sapphire blue vase of freshly cut daisies.  Mrs. Duck refilled Isadora's pretty little flowered cup from a silver pot which contained catnip tea.

Isadora sighed and stretched ever so delicately, reaching politely for a star-shaped watercress and sardine sandwich.

Isadora dearly loved tea parties, but one simply cannot live by catnip alone.

I've work to do, she scolded herself, And here I am lollygagging over lunch.

Isadora discretely raised her tiny mother-of-pearl inlaid field glasses and gazed longingly towards the nearby orchid tree. 

Oh dear, she mused. So many birds, so little time. Isadora Le Chat's fondest wish is to someday survey the entire yard and learn the name of every single type of bird that visits.

Isadora,said Mrs. Duck pointedly. What do you think?

Pardon me?, inquired Isadora, whose attention had momentarily wandered to the brilliantly plumed songbird perched high in the orchid tree.

The vacation, dear, said Mrs. Duck, cocking her head to one side inquiringly. What do you think?

Having missed the entire first part of the conversation, Isadora was momentarily embarrassed. She turned to A.G. Bear and raised a questioning eyewhisker, shrugging her shoulders ever so slightly.

A.G., thinking nobody was watching, had stuck out his tongue and was trying to retrieve a tiny little dribble of honey from his chin. This accomplished satisfactorily, he was happy to explain.

Miss Amanda's Daddy got a promotion, and to celebrate, he's decided to take the family on a vacation. Maybe we'll go camping, Isadora!, A.G. Bear said excitedly. We could go to the national forest!. And have a picnic in the woods!.

True to his species (and like most Teddy Bears), A.G. Bear was absolutely passionate about picnics.

Or maybe Miss Amanda's Daddy will decide to take us to the lake!, Mrs. Duck chimed in, And we could go swimming and water-skiing, and...... she paused, out of breath. Mrs. Duck was wild about watersports.

Oh my!, Isadora enthused, her imagination afire. Maybe we'll go to the city. Think of it! We could get all dressed up and go to the theater. We might even get to see a Broadway musical ! How thrilling!.

WHICH musical?, inquired A.G. Bear.

Why CATS! of course!, Isadora replied.

A.G. Bear groaned. For goodness sakes, Isadora, you've seen that thing six times.

Well, some of us consider it a classic, Isadora sniffed, mildly insulted.

Now, now, said Mrs. Duck. I'm afraid we've forgotten the most important question. Will we three be invited?

A.G. and Isadora looked at Mrs. Duck in surprise. We'll have to be invited, said A.G. Bear, Why, who would guard Miss Amanda while she slept if not me? 

And who would purr her to sleep and keep her toes warm at night if not for me?, asked Isadora Le Chat. 

True enough, said Mrs. Duck, thoughtfully, Why, if not for me, how could anyone know which was the right direction to go?, she mused.

Well, that settles it, said Isadora, Naturally we'll all go. The family needs us.

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Adventures of A.G. Bear - Cat Tales, Book 1 - The Tea Party
By Cynthia Gurin - Copyright 1994 - 2009