As soon as the bear stepped out of the plant, his life became a whirlwind of new experiences and exploration. He made a mental list of things that needed done:
1. Find a suitable name.
2. Find a hat that fit.
3. Travel the world.
The bear liked the name Teddy Bear, but he wanted his name to be unique. Strolling past a movie theater, he was stopped by a poster showing a map of the country. It read “Across the Continent Starring Wallace Reid”. I wish I could be that guy. I want to travel the continent, the bear thought. The name Wallace intrigued him but it seemed too formal. What about Wally? Wally…Bear. Wally Bear. Now Wally only had two things left to do on his list.
The autumn wind was brisk and this urged Wally on to search for a hat to cover his cold head. He found a hatter and tried on lots and lots of hats. It wasn’t a hard decision. The hatter even personalized it for him.
1. Find a suitable name.
2. Find a hat that fit.
3. Travel the world.
The bear liked the name Teddy Bear, but he wanted his name to be unique. Strolling past a movie theater, he was stopped by a poster showing a map of the country. It read “Across the Continent Starring Wallace Reid”. I wish I could be that guy. I want to travel the continent, the bear thought. The name Wallace intrigued him but it seemed too formal. What about Wally? Wally…Bear. Wally Bear. Now Wally only had two things left to do on his list.
The autumn wind was brisk and this urged Wally on to search for a hat to cover his cold head. He found a hatter and tried on lots and lots of hats. It wasn’t a hard decision. The hatter even personalized it for him.
There was only one item left on Wally’s to-do list: Travel the world. And that’s what Wally did. Because he was one of a kind, surprisingly, people treated Wally extra special and gave him opportunities most people can only imagine.
1919: Attends the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I.
1927: Witnesses Babe Ruth break the homerun record.
1936: Helps build the Hoover Dam until its completion.
1944: Advertises the newly invented ballpoint pen.
1957: Reads Dr. Seuss’s new book, “The Cat in the Hat.”
1963: Hears Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
1977: Attends opening night of “Star Wars.”
1985: Scuba dives to see the sunken Titanic.
1993: Visits Waldameer for the first time.
That day, Wally Bear fell in love – with the park, that is. He adored it: the smiling kids, the delectable treats, the entire happy-go-lucky frame of mind. Wally asked us if he could stay, and we accepted. How could we turn down a smiling, singing, dancing giant teddy bear? It was an easy decision, to say the least.
And 16 years later, Wally still happily resides at Waldameer.
THE END
Does Wally earn his keep around Waldameer? I imagine he has a green thumb from all his years in that fertilizer factory. It would also explain all of the nice landscaping at the park. So when will you answer the question about Wendy Bear? I imagine that she didn't come from a fertilizer factory, too.
ReplyDeleteWhen he's not entertaining and greeting guests, Wally does help out our gardener on occasion. You're right - Wendy has a different story. It'll be told early August.
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