The Teddy Bear Picnic

Book Three from the Series THE THREE LITTLE LIBRARIANS AND THE BIG BAD BROTHER
Copyright October 2008


[Part 1]

Soon the day came for the Teddy Bear Picnic.  The Fourth of July weekend was in full swing, and it included a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  While their parents worked in the Fellowship Hall on plans for Vacation Bible School the next week, the little librarians spread out quilts on the ground on a little hill overlooking the pond behind the church.  Nearby was the church gazebo, where Mrs. Cloar had moved some antique garden tables and covered them with fresh tablecloths.  The tablecloths had thousands of tiny pink, lavender, and yellow flowers printed all over them, something Mrs. Cloar always called mille fleurs (MEEL-FLUHR) in French.  She also had clear glass vases of pink roses on the tables, the ones she said had come from the “Birthday Rose,” because it always started blooming in her garden in late May, just in time for her birthday and her sister’s.

Mrs. Jane Murray, who was the church organist and the director of the girls’ mission groups, placed every plate, napkin, and piece of silverware just as Martha Stewart would have done them. Mrs. Murray believed that the etiquette that belonged with French cooking and the hospitality that belonged to the Old South should be passed on to the girls, who might serve as missionaries in any part of the world. Her husband, Jimmy, who was the church architect and cabinet builder, made many trips back and forth from their house next door, carrying precious pieces of silver and glass to accent the tables.

Megan and Emilee unpacked the basket of goodies prepared by their grandmother, Jennifer, while Abby unpacked the basket of goodies prepared by her grandmother, Iva Lee.  Soon another large basket appeared in the hands of smiling Allison, a nurse off duty today to bring her daughters, Taylor and Makayla, who were new library staffers.  Talley arrived next, with her mother Donna, who said she had stayed out of the kitchen so that Talley could bake cupcakes all by herself.  They looked delicious.

“Oh, no!” said Abby.  “I forgot my big, bad brother would be here today.”

Avery had appeared out of nowhere with his friend Jordan, and the two boys helped Donna get a large, heavy box out of her RV.  Talley’s grandmother had sent a present for the library, lots of books, including her favorite Christian romance stories by Al and Joanna Lacy.   

(The Three Little Librarians and the Big, Bad Brother is a fictional book based on true events and real characters.)