“No one’s thinking of going back without him, Mrs Bird,” said Mr Brown. He looked helplessly out to sea. “It’s just…”
“P’raps he didn’t get swep’ out to sea,” said the lifesaving man, helpfully. “P’raps he’s just gone on the pier or something. There seems to be a big crowd heading that way. Must be something interesting going on.” He called out to a man who was just passing. “What’s going on at the pier, chum?”
Without stopping, the man looked back over his shoulder and shouted, “Chap just crossed the Atlantic all by ’isself on a raft. ’Undreds of days without food or water so they say!” He hurried on.
The lifesaving man looked disappointed. “Another of these publicity stunts,” he said. “We get ’em every year.”
Mr Brown looked thoughtful. “I wonder,” he said, looking in the direction of the pier.
“It would be just like him,” said Mrs Bird. “It’s the sort of thing that would happen to Paddington.”
“It’s got to be!” cried Jonathan. “It’s just got to be!”
They all looked at each other and then, picking up their belongings, joined the crowd hurrying in the direction of the pier. It took them a long time to force their way through the turnstile, for the news that ‘something was happening on the pier’ had spread and there was a great throng at the entrance. But eventually, after Mr Brown had spoken to a policeman, a way was made for them and they were escorted to the very end, where the paddle-steamers normally tied up.
A strange sight met their eyes. Paddington, who had just been pulled out of the water by a fisherman, was sitting on his upturned bucket talking to some reporters. Several of them were taking photographs while the rest fired questions at him.
“Have you come all the way from America?” asked one reporter.
The Browns, hardly knowing whether to laugh or cry, waited eagerly for Paddington’s reply.
“Well, no,” said Paddington, truthfully, after a moment’s pause. “Not America. But I’ve come a long way.” He waved a paw vaguely in the direction of the sea. “I got caught by the tide, you know.”
“And you sat in that bucket all the time?” asked another man, taking a picture.
“That’s right,” replied Paddington. “And I used my spade as a paddle. It was lucky I had it with me.”
“Did you live on plankton?” queried another voice.
Paddington looked puzzled. “No,” he said. “Marmalade.”
Mr Brown pushed his way through the crowd. Paddington jumped up and looked rather guilty.
“Now then,” said Mr Brown, taking his paw. “That’s enough questions for today. This bear’s been at sea for a long time and he’s tired. In fact,” he looked meaningfully at Paddington, “he’s been at sea all the afternoon!”
“Is it still only Tuesday?” asked Paddington, innocently. “I thought it was much later than that!”
“Tuesday,” said Mr Brown firmly. “And we’ve been worried to death over you!”
Paddington picked up his bucket and spade and jar of marmalade. “Well,” he said. “I bet not many bears have gone to sea in a bucket, all the same.”
It was dark when they drove along Brightsea front on their way home. The promenade was festooned with coloured lights and even the fountains in the gardens kept changing colour. It all looked very pretty. But Paddington, who was lying in the back of the car wrapped in a blanket, was thinking of his sand-castle.
“I bet mine was bigger than anyone else’s,” he said, sleepily.
“Bet you mine was the biggest,” said Jonathan.
“I think,” said Mr Brown, hastily, “you’d all better have a pound just to make sure.”
“Perhaps we can come again another day,” said Mrs Brown. “Then we can have another competition. How about that, Paddington?”
There was no reply from the back of the car. Sand-castles, paddling his bucket all across the harbour, and the sea air had proved too much for Paddington. He was fast asleep.
Chapter Eight
A Disappearing Trick
“OOOH,” SAID PADDINGTON, “is it really for me?” He stared hungrily at the cake. It really was a wonderful cake. One of Mrs Bird’s best. It was covered with sugar icing and it had a cream and marmalade filling. On the top there was one candle and the words: TO PADDINGTON. WITH BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY BIRTHDAY – FROM EVERYONE.