Paddington Abroad

Paddington Abroad
Michael Bond

Peggy Fortnum

The Browns are going abroad, and Paddington considers a holiday in France is not to be taken lightly, So he packs a disguise outfit, his magic set and a map of France printed on a tea towel.Paddington is in charge of the “EYETINNERY” and, as Mrs Bird mutters darkly, “There’s no knowing where we might end up.” But he’s planning some very good holiday ‘doings’ indeed for the Browns. And Paddington himself becomes the only bear ever to ride in the famous Tour de France bicycle race – and win a prize!

Copyright (#ulink_5485e70d-6072-5a17-9711-78cc69dbc734)

First published in Great Britain by William Collins Sons and Co. Ltd. in 1961 This edition first published by Collins in 1997

This edition published in 2018

Collins is an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF

Visit our HarperCollins Children’s Books website at: www.harpercollinschildrensbooks.co.uk

Text copyright © Michael Bond 1961 Illustrations copyright © Peggy Fortnum and William Collins Sons and Co. Ltd. 1961

The author and illustrator assert the moral right to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work.

Cover illustration adapted and coloured by Mark Burgess from the original by Peggy Fortnum

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Source ISBN: 9780006753452

Ebook Edition © OCTOBER 2011 ISBN: 9780007402571

Version: 2018-05-23

Contents

Cover (#u30fa9e98-41fb-517a-b867-d71b12e681e2)

Title Page (#u8690d51b-fd39-5e4b-938f-e5f30153a8a4)

Copyright (#u88b99c5d-ddf3-56f2-ba05-e97eaac81a26)

1. Paddington Prepares (#u77af4587-19e8-5e94-8b53-135dcd67c06d)

2. A Visit to the Bank (#u494bb5d0-c74a-543a-88d2-b22c84716937)

3. Trouble at the Airport (#litres_trial_promo)

4. Paddington Saves the Day (#litres_trial_promo)

5. Paddington and the ‘Pardon’ (#litres_trial_promo)

6. A Spot of Fishing (#litres_trial_promo)

7. Paddington Takes to the Road (#litres_trial_promo)

Keep Reading … (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Other Books by Michael Bond (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One (#ulink_4c97053b-ac34-58eb-9102-c94ddc73264f)PADDINGTON PREPARES (#ulink_4c97053b-ac34-58eb-9102-c94ddc73264f)

Paddington was in a mess. As he was the sort of bear who often got himself into trouble he wasn’t really surprised – but as he stood up and looked round his bedroom even he had to admit that it was worse than usual.

There were maps and pieces of paper everywhere, not to mention several nasty-looking marmalade stains and a long trail of paw prints. The paw prints started on a map which was spread across the eiderdown on his bed. It was a large map of London and in the middle, by the first paw mark, there was a circle which marked the position of the Browns’ house at number thirty-two Windsor Gardens.

The trail led from the Browns’ house across the map in a southerly direction, over the end of the bed and on to another map which lay on the floor at the foot. From there it carried on, still going south, until it reached the English Channel, and yet a third map by the window which showed the north coast of France. There the trail ended in a soggy mess made up of old cake crumbs, a small pile of marmalade and a blob of red ink.

Paddington gave a deep sigh as he dipped his paw absentmindedly into the concoction. He tried kneeling on the floor and peering at his room through half-closed eyes, but if anything, the mess looked even worse because from so low down all he could see were the bumps and ridges.

Just as he was about to lie back and consider the matter he was suddenly brought back to life by the sound of clinking plates and footsteps on the stairs.

Jumping up with a guilty expression on his face, Paddington hurriedly began sweeping everything under the bed. Although he had some very good explanations for the mess he was in he felt sure neither Mrs Brown nor Mrs Bird would be very keen on hearing them – especially at breakfast time when everyone was usually in a great hurry.

“Are you awake, Paddington?” called Mrs Brown as she knocked on the door.

“No – not yet, Mrs Brown,” cried Paddington in a muffled voice, as he tried to push his marmalade jar under the wardrobe. “I think my lids are stuck.”

Being a truthful bear at heart, Paddington closed his eyelids and snored several times while he gathered up the rest of his belongings. Feeling around for the pen and ink, he hastily put them into his old hat which he pulled down over his head, and then, gathering up the last of the maps, he groped his way across the room.

“Whatever’s going on, Paddington?” exclaimed Mrs Brown, as the door suddenly opened and Paddington appeared.

Paddington nearly fell over backwards with surprise when he saw Mrs Brown standing there with his breakfast tray.

“I thought you were a cupboard, Mrs Brown,” he exclaimed, as he hurriedly put a pawful of maps behind him and backed towards the bed. “I must have gone the wrong way by mistake.”

“I should think you did,” said Mrs Brown as she followed him into the room. “I’ve never heard so much banging and crashing.”

Mrs Brown looked suspiciously round the room but everything appeared to be in its place so she turned her attention back to Paddington who was now sitting up in bed with a very odd expression on his face.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” she asked anxiously, as she placed the tray in front of him. For one nasty moment Mrs Brown thought she saw a trickle of red running down Paddington’s left ear, but before she could look into the matter he had pulled his old hat even further down over his head. All the same she didn’t like the look of it at all, and she hesitated at the door in case something was wrong.

Paddington, in his turn, rather wished Mrs Brown would hurry up and go. In his haste to clear up the mess he had forgotten to put the stopper back on the bottle of ink and the top of his head was beginning to feel quite soggy.

Mrs Brown sighed as she closed the door. She knew from past experience that it was hopeless trying to get an explanation out of Paddington when he was in one of his difficult moods.

“If you ask me,” said Mrs Bird, when Mrs Brown joined her in the kitchen and told her all about Paddington’s strange behaviour, “that young bear isn’t the only one in this house who’s acting in a funny manner. It’s all to do with you know what!”

With that Mrs Brown had to agree. Things had been very much upside down in the Brown household ever since the previous evening.