Ben and Tony Bear. Book 1. Ben meets Tony.

Ben and Tony Bear. Book 33. Christmas is not coming this year.

     This story starts two days before Christmas.   Ben's Daddy had been very busy as usual, leaving early and coming home late.  And in the evening when he came home, he would have dinner and start to nod off.  That is when Mummy always put Ben to bed.  and she would go up herself.   Daddy would pop up and kiss him goodnight, and then disappear back down stairs again.   Come morning, when Ben awoke,  Daddy would be gone again.  

      Ben Did not mind though, for he knew that Daddy had a very important and vital job to do.  

       On the 22nd the weather people on telly were putting out weather warnings,  a bad storm was coming.  Ninety mile an hour winds were expected and heavy squally rain.  Ben had put his hand on Daddy's.

     " It is alright Ben, that is not going to hit us.  It will be the midlands and the north that gets the worst of it.  I just hope it does not do too much damage though.  A storm like this right before christmas is a bad thing."  

     Ben had gone to bed that night a little worried.  He could not sleep.  He kept listening out for the wind to come,  and it did.   At 5 a.m. on the 23rd Tony Bear, Toni Girl and T.B.  all sat up as they heard the wind whistle round the house.    Daddy had been wrong.   The storm would not miss them. 

     The wind picked up during the day,  lorries were blown off the road.   Walls were blown down.  Trees that had seemed like they would stand forever, fell over and blocked roads.  Rain tore down and flooded towns and villages.   

     Where Ben and the bears were, the power went down.  The telephones were knocked out.    People's chimneys were blown down into living rooms, fences toppled over.   A tree fell and demolished part of someone's new house.  And cars got blown into walls and drains. 

     Ben and the bears sat at the table and watched out the window.    Mummy was trying to keep up with things on her tablet but it would not last long.  Reports on the village community site were coming thick and fast.  People had phoned the electric and landline phone people,  but because of the storm,  it was going to take days, maybe weeks to get the power and phones back.   Everywhere over the whole country had been affected,  Storm Barbara had a lot to answer for.  And still it went on. 

      The wind was still raging come the time Daddy came home,  he looked very worn out and tired.   Mummy had managed to heat some hot water on the camping gas stove so at least Daddy could have a wash down.  When he came down stairs  wrapped warmly in his pajamas and dressing gown and several jumpers, he found a lovely steaming bowl of hot oxtail soup waiting for him.

     Daddy told Mummy all about how bad it was on the roads.  And Mummy told Daddy about the power and phones, and when they might be fixed by.  

     " Looks like there will be no Christmas dinner this year."  Said Daddy sadly.  " A lot of people are going to be too busy cleaning up to celebrate Christmas too."  

     Ben's head drooped when he heard this.   This year he was actually really excited about Christmas,  he had looked it all up on his tablet.  He had learnt about present giving, carols the nativity.  Everything that went with christmas, he finally was starting to understand.   And now, it was over before it had even started.   The Christmas tree stood in darkness.   People would not be able to get out to join their families.   There would be no music, no feasting.  No laughter for a lot of children.   Christmas was ruined.   " Looks like Christmas is just not going to come this year."  Said Daddy.  "  There is just to much too clean up, and repair. "   

       That night when Ben went to bed, he was cold and sad.   The village lay in darkness, only faint little lights here and there lit a few houses.  Everyone felt the same way as Ben.