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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Kids
- Theme: Action & Adventure
- Subject: Drama
- Published: 04/09/2019
Hercules, Bubblegum & the Swimming Pool
Born 1947, M, from Zurich, SwitzerlandThe hotel owners had decided. The new swimming pool would be half inside and half outside the building. The architect promised that the guests could even use the pool in winter. You might not think that a swimming pool would be of interest to toy bears, but Hercules and Bubblegum were secretly great swimmers.
The toy bears had not had much chance in recent years to show their underwater talents. In the distant past they had been superstars among the ‘young teddy bears’. The two were also expert knot tiers, especially of the ‘bear knot’ from their days in the ‘seabears’. Of course they kept this knowledge quiet, as they did everything else. Toy bears, as we all know, can’t do anything apart from just sit and stare!
It took several months of building until the pool was finished. They were dusty, dirty, noisy, and tedious months -- but the toy bears survived. Each night when everybody was sleeping, the toy bears got down from their window seat and went to inspect the progress of the builders. The toy bears probably knew more about the structure of the swimming pool than any of the builders.
The grand opening of the pool was set for the beginning of the summer holidays – when all of the guests would like to refresh after hot summer days! Hercules and Bubblegum were looking forward to the visit of some of their favorite children – Jenny and Jerry were coming for the summer. Bubblegum pointed out to Hercules one evening when the two toy bears were reading the ‘upcoming announcements’, that some less-loved guests were expected – Tammy and Tommy, the Terrible Twins, were also expected! Oh! Oh!
It was very interesting, that the parents of Tammy and Tommy threatened after each visit that the Terrible Twins would not visit the Hotel again. Yet they turned up repeatedly as if nothing had ever happened! Hercules and Bubblegum had great sympathy for the parents of the Terrible Twins, and thought that the parents came back here because they felt welcome here. Perhaps the parents were glad that Tammy and Tommy got lost from time to time in all of the rooms of the Hotel. Hercules and Bubblegum knew that they must help the poor parents - while the Terrible Twins got up to their predictable mischief.
It began with the goldfish one day after lunch. Without any explanation, the goldfish instead of swimming peacefully in their two glass tanks in the lounge were observed swimming around in the new swimming pool. Hercules and Bubblegum had seen Tammy and Tommy transporting the fish in buckets from tank to pool when everybody else was lunching. The Terrible Twins had no doubt chosen this day to transfer the fish when their parents were walking all day up in the mountains. The toy bears had not been able to intervene in the fish transport without revealing their secret abilities. As the fish were not actually being harmed, the toy bears decided to watch.
It was Jerry and Jenny who first observed the transported fish. Perhaps it was the plan of Tammy and Tommy to lay blame on Jerry and Jenny. The Terrible Twins mumbled about seeing two ‘other kids’ wearing Je and Jo on their T-shirts and carrying buckets of goldfish. However the parents of Jerry and Jenny said that their children had been with them the whole lunchtime! Those who knew the previous antics of the Terrible Twins, suspected of course who was responsible for this mischief. The goldfish were safely transported back to their glass tanks, which were then installed with locked grids on the top.
Over the next days there were continuous mischievous events around the swimming pools -- involving wooden ducks from the garden, floating poolside furniture, then water temperatures - too cold then too hot. That evening the hotel boat from the lake was found floating in the middle of the swimming pool with all of the toys from the hotel lounge marooned in the boat. Tommy and Tammy were the only persons who were roaring with laughter at the poor toys abandoned in the wooden boat in the middle of the pool. As usual the Terrible Twins mumbled about seeing two ‘other kids’ wearing Je and Jo on their T-shirts, rowing about in the boat. Once again the parents of Jerry and Jenny could say that their children had been with them -- the whole evening!
Hercules and Bubblegum were not among the marooned toys in the boat, because they were not in the lounge when the ‘great toy theft’ by Tommy and Tammy took place. The hotel staff rescued the marooned toys and placed the boat on the poolside, with the plan to return the wooden boat to the lake tomorrow morning.
Later that evening after dinner, there was a huge uproar at the swimming pool. Two older ladies wanting to have a quiet swim at ‘Oldies Hour at the pool’ called the hotel staff with loud shrieks and shouts. All the staff and guests rushed to the pool. There was a sight to behold! The wooden boat was back in the middle of the pool and held in the middle by ropes from all sides. Unusually, the ropes were tied with the famous, but little known, ‘bear knot’. The Terrible Twins were sitting in the middle of the boat shaking, both looking dazed and upset. They could not explain how they came to be in the boat, nor why Hercules and Bubblegum were sitting quietly in the boat beside them. The two toy bears were quite wet, were wearing swimsuits, and clutching snorkels!
The parents of Tammy and Tommy had returned from a peaceful day in the mountains to the chaos and turmoil -- which always surrounded their Terrible Twins. The hotel staff could not blame any particular persons for this strange disaster, and no one could suspect that our famous two toy bears could have had anything to do with it. Jerry and Jenny were the only ones who noticed the light smiles on the lips of Hercules and Bubblegum. Jerry and Jenny also noticed the piece of rope tied with a ‘bear knot’ tucked inside the backpack of Bubblegum!
Everyone settled down to another quiet night where everyone was happy, and were pleased to be in the hotel with Hercules and Bubblegum! Even the Terrible Twins, and their poor parents, felt happy!
Hercules, Bubblegum & the Swimming Pool(Alan Bruce)
The hotel owners had decided. The new swimming pool would be half inside and half outside the building. The architect promised that the guests could even use the pool in winter. You might not think that a swimming pool would be of interest to toy bears, but Hercules and Bubblegum were secretly great swimmers.
The toy bears had not had much chance in recent years to show their underwater talents. In the distant past they had been superstars among the ‘young teddy bears’. The two were also expert knot tiers, especially of the ‘bear knot’ from their days in the ‘seabears’. Of course they kept this knowledge quiet, as they did everything else. Toy bears, as we all know, can’t do anything apart from just sit and stare!
It took several months of building until the pool was finished. They were dusty, dirty, noisy, and tedious months -- but the toy bears survived. Each night when everybody was sleeping, the toy bears got down from their window seat and went to inspect the progress of the builders. The toy bears probably knew more about the structure of the swimming pool than any of the builders.
The grand opening of the pool was set for the beginning of the summer holidays – when all of the guests would like to refresh after hot summer days! Hercules and Bubblegum were looking forward to the visit of some of their favorite children – Jenny and Jerry were coming for the summer. Bubblegum pointed out to Hercules one evening when the two toy bears were reading the ‘upcoming announcements’, that some less-loved guests were expected – Tammy and Tommy, the Terrible Twins, were also expected! Oh! Oh!
It was very interesting, that the parents of Tammy and Tommy threatened after each visit that the Terrible Twins would not visit the Hotel again. Yet they turned up repeatedly as if nothing had ever happened! Hercules and Bubblegum had great sympathy for the parents of the Terrible Twins, and thought that the parents came back here because they felt welcome here. Perhaps the parents were glad that Tammy and Tommy got lost from time to time in all of the rooms of the Hotel. Hercules and Bubblegum knew that they must help the poor parents - while the Terrible Twins got up to their predictable mischief.
It began with the goldfish one day after lunch. Without any explanation, the goldfish instead of swimming peacefully in their two glass tanks in the lounge were observed swimming around in the new swimming pool. Hercules and Bubblegum had seen Tammy and Tommy transporting the fish in buckets from tank to pool when everybody else was lunching. The Terrible Twins had no doubt chosen this day to transfer the fish when their parents were walking all day up in the mountains. The toy bears had not been able to intervene in the fish transport without revealing their secret abilities. As the fish were not actually being harmed, the toy bears decided to watch.
It was Jerry and Jenny who first observed the transported fish. Perhaps it was the plan of Tammy and Tommy to lay blame on Jerry and Jenny. The Terrible Twins mumbled about seeing two ‘other kids’ wearing Je and Jo on their T-shirts and carrying buckets of goldfish. However the parents of Jerry and Jenny said that their children had been with them the whole lunchtime! Those who knew the previous antics of the Terrible Twins, suspected of course who was responsible for this mischief. The goldfish were safely transported back to their glass tanks, which were then installed with locked grids on the top.
Over the next days there were continuous mischievous events around the swimming pools -- involving wooden ducks from the garden, floating poolside furniture, then water temperatures - too cold then too hot. That evening the hotel boat from the lake was found floating in the middle of the swimming pool with all of the toys from the hotel lounge marooned in the boat. Tommy and Tammy were the only persons who were roaring with laughter at the poor toys abandoned in the wooden boat in the middle of the pool. As usual the Terrible Twins mumbled about seeing two ‘other kids’ wearing Je and Jo on their T-shirts, rowing about in the boat. Once again the parents of Jerry and Jenny could say that their children had been with them -- the whole evening!
Hercules and Bubblegum were not among the marooned toys in the boat, because they were not in the lounge when the ‘great toy theft’ by Tommy and Tammy took place. The hotel staff rescued the marooned toys and placed the boat on the poolside, with the plan to return the wooden boat to the lake tomorrow morning.
Later that evening after dinner, there was a huge uproar at the swimming pool. Two older ladies wanting to have a quiet swim at ‘Oldies Hour at the pool’ called the hotel staff with loud shrieks and shouts. All the staff and guests rushed to the pool. There was a sight to behold! The wooden boat was back in the middle of the pool and held in the middle by ropes from all sides. Unusually, the ropes were tied with the famous, but little known, ‘bear knot’. The Terrible Twins were sitting in the middle of the boat shaking, both looking dazed and upset. They could not explain how they came to be in the boat, nor why Hercules and Bubblegum were sitting quietly in the boat beside them. The two toy bears were quite wet, were wearing swimsuits, and clutching snorkels!
The parents of Tammy and Tommy had returned from a peaceful day in the mountains to the chaos and turmoil -- which always surrounded their Terrible Twins. The hotel staff could not blame any particular persons for this strange disaster, and no one could suspect that our famous two toy bears could have had anything to do with it. Jerry and Jenny were the only ones who noticed the light smiles on the lips of Hercules and Bubblegum. Jerry and Jenny also noticed the piece of rope tied with a ‘bear knot’ tucked inside the backpack of Bubblegum!
Everyone settled down to another quiet night where everyone was happy, and were pleased to be in the hotel with Hercules and Bubblegum! Even the Terrible Twins, and their poor parents, felt happy!
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Kevin Hughes
04/11/2019Alan,
How could anyone not get a big smile on their face reading this? I sure have one.
Smiles, Kevin
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