Dreams Come True”.
Just like the line on the cover of the pop-up book, Paddington thought dreamily. If only I could find a way of getting enough money to buy it for Aunt Lucy – then her dreams would come true as well.
His thoughts were interrupted by Phoenix Buchanan’s voice ringing out from the stage.
“Thank you. Oh, please, stop it!” the actor was saying as the crowd continued to clap and cheer. He flapped his hands coyly, pretending to be embarrassed by the attention. The applause petered out and Phoenix cried, “No, no, please carry on … Oh, what am I like?” he simpered. “I’m at my absolute naughtiest tonight. I’m tickled to the deepest shade of shrimp to open this wonderful old steam fair.” The crowd cheered. “But let me tell you,” Phoenix went on, “when Madame Kozlova created it years ago she didn’t do it for the likes of me – ‘celebrity’, ‘star of stage and screen’ (I hate all that stuff, honest I do). ‘West End legend’ – there’s another one. Ha ha! No, she made it for the ordinary guys, like you lot.” He pointed at the audience. “And that’s why I’d like to ask one of you to come up here and help start things off. Any volunteers?” he asked, surveying the crowd.
Paddington’s paw shot up. “Bears are good at volunteering,” he said.
Phoenix looked out at the sea of hands. “Let me see … Eeny, meeny, miny – bear?” he said, looking puzzled as he spotted Paddington. “Yes, why not?” he said. “What about you, young ursine? Come on up.” He beckoned to Paddington to join him as the audience clapped.
“And you are …?” Phoenix asked.
“Paddington Brown,” said Paddington, raising his hat.
“Of course you are!” exclaimed Phoenix. “You’re my next-door neighbour.” He beamed. “You live with Henry and Mary and Mrs – er – Fuh-Nuh-Nuh,” he mumbled.
“You mean Mrs Bird,” said Paddington helpfully.
“That’s the one,” said Phoenix dismissively. “More importantly, do you know who I am?” He pointed to himself and winked at the crowd.
“You’re a very famous actor,” said Paddington.
“Oh, blah!” said Phoenix, fluttering his eyelashes with false modesty.
“Or used to be …” Paddington went on. “Now you do dog-food commercials.”
A snigger ran through the crowd and Phoenix’s smile faded. “Well, a man has to eat,” he said.
“What, dog food?” Paddington asked, puzzled.
The crowd erupted into laughter and Phoenix forced a laugh along with them. “Ha ha! Very funny.” He paused and became dramatically serious and mysterious. “Enough of me … They say that at Kozlova’s ‘all your dreams come true’. Did you know that, young bear? If you could have one wish come true tonight, what would it be?”
“That’s easy,” said Paddington. “I’d like to get Aunt Lucy a birthday present.”
“Aww!” Phoenix gushed, clutching his hands together. “How sweet!”
“Yes, I’ve had my eye on an old pop-up book of London,” Paddington explained. “Made by Madame Kozlova’s great-grandmother, as it happens.”
Phoenix’s eyes lit up at this bit of information. He quickly tried to hide his interest. “Really?” he said carelessly. “How … fascinating.”
“Yes, just as soon as I saw it I knew Aunt Lucy would love it,” said Paddington.
“Well, I’m not sure I could promise you that,” said Phoenix. “But …” He faced the crowd and raised his voice. “I can promise you will all have oodles of fun, darlings! So, if you’ll lend me a paw, Paddington, I’d like to declare Madame Kozlova’s Steam Fair OPEN!”
Paddington put his paw on top of Phoenix’s hand and together they pulled a lever. Immediately the old fairground organ sprang to life. Paddington stared in awe as thousands of light bulbs flicked on around the fair and the magnificent old steam rides started moving. The horses spun round and round and up and down on the carousel, the swingboats began swinging, and the ghost train let out a stream of spooky noises. Paddington couldn’t wait to go and explore.
He was about to set off to find the Browns again when Phoenix Buchanan took him to one side.
“Young bear! Young bear! A word in your ear. This pop-up book,” said the actor, looking around to check that no one was listening in.
“Do you know it?” asked Paddington.
“I know OF it,” said Phoenix, “but I was led to believe it was lost. Where on earth did you find it?”
Not picking up on the eagerness in Phoenix’s voice, Paddington replied, “I saw it in Mr Gruber’s antique shop on the Portobello Road. He’s keeping it to one side for me, but it’s very expensive. I don’t suppose YOU have any advice about making money, do you?” he asked hopefully.
“Not really, no,” said Phoenix. He was losing interest in talking to Paddington now and rather wanted to get rid of him, as a plan was forming in his mind. “I suppose you’ll just have to start at the bottom of the ladder and work your way up,” he added hurriedly, before turning away.
Paddington’s eyes lit up. “Do you know what, Mr Buchanan? You’ve given me a brilliant idea!”
PHOENIX’S COMMENT ABOUT starting “at the bottom of the ladder” had got Paddington thinking. The residents of Windsor Gardens had been saying for some time that they needed to find a new window cleaner. The morning after the steam fair, Paddington announced that he was the bear for the job.
“I have always fancied a job that involved heights,” he told them. “In Darkest Peru I was very good at climbing trees.”
He asked Mr Brown if he could use an old telescopic ladder he had found in the basement. “It will fit into my suitcase beautifully,” he explained. “I’ll have every window in the street cleaned by the end of the day.”
Surely this will earn me enough money to buy that book for Aunt Lucy, he thought as he went on his way.
Mr Brown watched Paddington go down the street with a bucket, some soap and cloths and the telescopic ladder folded into his suitcase. “Are we sure that bear knows what he is doing?” he said.
“Oh, darling, you worry too much,” said Mrs Brown, patting his arm.
Paddington had decided to start at Dr Jafri’s house. He extended his ladder and propped it up against the wall, then filled the bucket with water from an outside tap and squirted soap into it. He intended to climb the ladder with the bucket and start cleaning from the top floor down.
Конец
