Turning over, Abigail pulled a towel up over her ears. What was that noise? It was still very early surely the shop hadn’t opened yet. It was very annoying, she’d been having a lovely nap.
‘She must be here somewhere,’ said Patrick worriedly, ‘look at all these things on the floor. Chocolate, cake and ….’ he picked up a tin. ‘Sardines… Abigail? Where are you?’
Pushing the sheets aside Abigail looked out into the aisle. How had they found her? Thank goodness, now she knew she could get home. Not that she was worried of course, she was a very clever bear. ‘I’m over here!’ she shouted in relief.
Both polars scampered towards her. ‘What were you thinking,’ said Preston crossly, waving his paws in the air. ‘There was no need to come to the supermarket, it’s much safer to order everything online. It was very dangerous, you were just thinking of yourself!’ Looking down at them, Abigail’s ears drooped.
Glancing at him, Patrick picked up the tin of sardines.
‘Yes, well..’ said Preston hesitantly, ‘I mean…’
‘I was just trying to get us all some nice things to eat,’ said Abigail hesitantly.
Patrick looked at all the things on the floor, the tiger had found one of the bars of chocolate and was eating it noisily. He looked at Preston. ‘Perhaps we shouldn’t be cross,’ he whispered. He cleared his throat. ‘Well let’s clear all this up then and then we can go home.’
‘But my trolley,’ said Abigail, climbing down the shelf, ‘we can’t leave that here.’
‘Trolley?’ said Patrick shaking his head, ‘oh of course. Where is it?’
Abigail scampered down the aisle. ‘Follow me!’
It took quite a while to put everything back on the shelves. Preston and Patrick sat beside the tins of sardines and fish, looking up at them.
‘So many,’ said Preston, holding the last one in his paw. ‘Perhaps we haven’t been very adventurous in our shopping.’
‘I agree,’ said Patrick, patting a tin of tuna. ‘This would be delicious in a sandwich.’ He glanced at the shop windows. ‘It’s getting light, we’d better find somewhere to hide and go home tonight.’
Abigail pointed to the towels. ‘I hid in there, it was very warm and comfy.’
Preston shook his head. ‘Too dangerous, what if someone wants to buy them and finds us.’ He peered under the shelves. ‘Look there’s a gap.’ Laying down he wriggled beneath them. ‘There’s a really big space here,’ his voice was muffled. ‘We can all get in.’
‘I’ll get some supplies,’ said Abigail happily, she disappeared around the corner.
‘Maybe just a tin or two of that tuna,’ said Patrick following her.
‘And some chocolate,’ said Grigs, bouncing after them.
Preston crawled out from under the shelf. Looking around he shook his head. Everyone had disappeared. He was covered in dust and he brushed at his fur in distaste. ‘Let’s make some sandwiches then,’ he called, ‘and see if you can find any orange juice to go with them.’
Abigail clambered through the cheese counter. How to choose? There was cheese everywhere and it smelt delicious! Putting up her paw she rested it on the glass. It was a funny place to put food, it was like a big shelf with a curved glass cover. There was a tapping noise and she looked up.
‘Abigail get out of there, you’re leaving paw marks all over the cheese!’ Patrick didn’t look very happy.
She looked down. Somehow she had trod in a white creamy round one and she shook her paw. Bits flew off and all over the glass. Patrick groaned.
‘I’m just getting some for a sandwich,’ she said, picking up a piece of cheddar, ‘we’re going to be here all day and we don’t want to get hungry.’ She picked up another piece.
‘Well hurry up and wipe everything off of the glass,’ said Patrick, ‘I’ve got some bread, so let’s get back quickly before the shop opens.’
It was a very tight fit under the shelf. First of all Abigail pushed a few towels under it, no use in being uncomfy. Then breathing in, she lay down and wriggled forward, her paws out in front of her. Suddenly she stopped. She wriggled some more. ‘I’m stuck!’
Preston took hold of one of her paws and pulled. Nothing happened. He pulled even harder.
‘Owww…’ suddenly Abigail shot forward. Tumbling over she sat up. She was inside a big triangular space, between two sets of shelves. It was a bit dark and very dusty. Preston was laying out the towels neatly.
‘Here, let’s sit on these.’ Two tins of tuna appeared under the shelf and a tin of sardines. Then a rather flat loaf of bread. ‘Don’t forget the butter,’ called Preston, ‘and the mayonnaise.’
Finally they were all sitting in their hidey hole. There was a small stack of cakes, some orange juice and some chocolate neatly piled on one side. Patrick was making cheese sandwiches and Abigails nose twitched. The tiger was napping, it had been quite hard to get him in under the shelf, they’d all had to pull really hard and then he’d insisted that some of his stripes had come off.
Abigail sighed happily. Everyone was here and tonight they’d all go home. Patrick and Preston would find a way to bring the trolley too she was sure of it. Reaching out a paw she picked up a cheese sandwich. Supermarkets really were fun.
Tales by a bear 