Sweet Dreams! Night-Time Is The Time To Sleep!

Sweet Dreams!
Night-Time Is The Time To Sleep!

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Amanda Grey and her family and her three best friends, (A.G. Bear, Isadora LeChat and Mrs. Duck) were on their way to visit Amanda's Grandma. It was the second day of their journey and everybody was feeling pretty tired.

After A.G. Bear accidentally getting tossed out the window that morning, Amanda's Daddy told his wife he'd had about all the excitement he needed for one day, so after their picnic he drove on until he found another nice motel, and then they stopped for the night.

As usual, Miss Amanda's Daddy arranged for two adjoining rooms. Miss Amanda’s room had two big double beds. Miss Amanda and A.G. Bear had one bed, while Isadora Le Chat and Mrs. Duck shared the other. Ordinarily, this was a perfectly comfortable arrangement .

Miss Amanda, who had already finished her bath, stood at the sink, brushing her teeth while Mrs. Duck fluttered away in the shower.

Isadora and A.G. Bear were both all ready for bed and together they were turning down the covers, when A.G. suddenly spied something shiny on the pillow.

GOLD!, he shouted. We’re rich, Isadora, I found a gold coin!. Just then, Isadora pulled down her side of the covers and a second shiny coin came into view.

Another gold coin!, A.G. Bear shouted, and jumped up on the bed to look for more.

Isadora picked up one of the shiny gold coins and sniffed it curiously as A.G. excitedly ripped the pillowcases off each of the pillows. Then Isadora picked up the second coin and sniffed it as well.

In the meantime, A.G. Bear had not only stripped the bed of it’s pillows and pillowcases, but by now, both sheets, the blanket and the bedspread lay in a heap on the carpet. A.G. was visible only as a small lump, crawling around under the mattress pad, hunting for gold coins.

This is wonderful !, said A.G.Bear, in a slightly muffled voice. We’re truly rich!. Why, we can buy Miss Amanda a dollhouse, and we can get Mrs. Duck her very own wading pool, and we can get Isadora ....let's see, what can we get for Isadora?...the small lump paused thoughtfully on it's journey under the mattress pad.

Isadora sniffed the gold coins again. Chocolate mint candy!, announced Isadora decidedly.

Certainly, Isadora!, A.G.Bear called out from under the mattress pad. If that's what you want, that's what you shall have!. A.G.Bear happily resumed his search.

Now then, he said to himself, That was a dollhouse for Miss Amanda, a wading pool for Mrs. Duck, and an entire wheelbarrow full of chocolate mint candy for Isadora.

You know, he said to nobody in particular, I had absolutely no idea that cats liked chocolate mint candy.

Isadora walked over to Miss Amanda's bed and turned down the covers. Sure enough, there were two more gold coins, one on each of the pillows. Just for good measure, and to make certain she hadn't missed anything, Isadora first pulled off the bedspread and then the blanket, followed by the sheets and then the pillows.

Then she carefully examined and sniffed the two new gold coins. A.G.?, called out Isadora. I don't think you had better buy anything quite yet.

Why not?, inquired A.G.Bear, peering out from beneath the rumpled bedclothes.

Because these gold coins have the words "Nighty-night" printed on them and they smell like chocolate mint candy, replied Isadora.

A.G.Bear crawled out from underneath a pile of sheets and padded over to the nightstand, where Isadora was beginning to unwrap the gold foil from around a brown and green wafer.

Here, said Isadora, holding it out to A.G. Bear. You try it.

A.G.Bear's little pink tongue took a swipe at the wafer. It's chocolate mint candy, all right, he said, giving the candy another lick. I thought we were rich, he said disappointedly, licking the last of the chocolate from the shiny gold paper. A.G. opened the second gold coin and gave that one an experimental lick as well.

Then A.G.Bear and Isadora looked at their beds and at the big pile of sheets and blankets and pillows and bedspreads on the floor. Isadora looked at A.G., who by now had a big smootch of chocolate on his nose.

You're going to get in trouble, A.G., Isadora said somewhat smugly.

ME?, squealed A.G.Bear, What about YOU?.

Just then, the bathroom light flicked off . Miss Amanda and Mrs. Duck came back into the bedroom.

Miss Amanda, her eyes big and round and her mouth forming a silent "Oh!", as she surveyed the mess, was absolutely speechless.

Goodness, gracious sakes!, said Mrs. Duck in amazement. Who made all this mess? Immediately, A.G.Bear pointed at Isadora and Isadora pointed at A.G.

Did NOT!, howled Isadora.

Did too!, shouted A.G., whereupon Isadora picked up a fluffy pillow and bashed A.G.Bear right over the head with it.

Momentarily stunned, A.G. first looked at the pillow, and then at Isadora. 

Giggling, he picked up the pillow and bashed Isadora right back, sending her tumbling head over heels into the pile of blankets.

WHOOOMP!

PILLOWFIGHT!, shouted Isadora, scrambling to her feet and hurling a pillow across the room towards A.G.Bear.

PHOOOP!, went the pillow, as it zipped past A.G.Bear's nose and caught Miss Amanda square in the face, knocking her right off her feet and onto the crumpled bedspread.

Laughing with surprise, Miss Amanda grabbed the pillow and sent it whirling back towards Isadora.

	Bears and girls!, scolded Mrs. Duck, This is hardly the type of behavior I would have expec...
QUAAAAACCK!!....Mrs. Duck jerked to the left just in time to avoid a return volley of pillows.

By now the air was filled with dozens of feathers.

Amanda?!, called a booming voice from the adjoining room. Uh-oh!, it's Miss Amanda's Daddy !, said Mrs. Duck.

Miss Amanda hurriedly brushed the feathers out of her hair and quickly rushed into her parents room. As she turned to pull the connecting door shut behind her, she looked towards the little group and put her finger to her lips.

Ssssshhhhhh!, she said.

Quick like bunnies, Mrs. Duck and Isadora Le Chat and A.G. Bear rushed around making beds and picking up feathers, so that by the time Miss Amanda returned from reassuring her parents that she was fine and had only been playing, the room was all put back in order.

Ten minutes later, Miss Amanda and A.G.Bear sat in bed with one of their new books propped up in front of them for a bedtime story. Miss Amanda reached over and turned off the lamp on the nightstand.

In the next bed, Isadora Le Chat and Mrs. Duck pulled up the covers and made themselves comfortable.

A.G.Bear cleared his throat and flicked on his little reading light. Ahem, A.G.Bear said, and then began to read. The Teddy Bear's Picnic, A.G. began. "If you go out in the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise....".

By the end of the story, Miss Amanda, Isadora and Mrs. Duck had all fallen fast asleep. A.G.Bear smiled happily as he gently closed the book and placed it ever so quietly on the nightstand. Then he switched off his reading light, snuggled contentedly down into his pillow and drifted off to sleep.

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Adventures of A.G. Bear
Cat Tales, Book 2- No Matter Where You Go....There You Are!
By Cynthia Gurin - Copyright 1994 - 2009