Page 18 - Sophie's Christmas With Teddy & Mouse

With a pounding heart Teddy stopped. He held his breath and strangely felt warm and cold at the same time.
From Teddy's inner pocket, he left the top button of his dufe coat open where Mouse looked up with wide eyes. Mouse squeaked weakly, then started babbling.
"The human children live here."
Teddy looked down at Mouse in amazement and said, "You can talk?" Mouse nodded and asked Teddy not to tell anyone.
"But why shouldn't I tell anyone?"
Mouse became shy and said so softly that Teddy could barely understand, "I learned the human children language, because my family lives here hidden deep under the old apple tree."
Then it was Teddy's turn to open his eyes wide and frown, which gave him a comical cross-eyed look. Mouse giggled.
"Do you live with human children?" Teddy asked, hardly able to believe it. He felt a little nervous.
Mouse began to speak, stuttering and tripping over his words.
"The human children are feared by all the Bear families, they thought they liked to eat bear meat or make soup from bear bones.
But that wasn't a true story, although it has been mysteriously going around for years. This untrue story about human children was spread by your father and mother bear.
Teddy was confused and stammered ".. but.. w.. what.. what.. do you m..mean..by ..that?"
Mouse looked quietly into Teddy's big, sad eyes.
"Dear Teddy, my friend, you saved my life and I am grateful, but I am sad to tell you that it was your father and mother bear who spread the stories about human children. My family live close to them, deep under the ground, next to the old apple tree. We love it here."