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Chapter 1: On The Shelf
Zip looked down at the room from his position on the bookshelf. This was a new angle on things, he thought. He was as high now as he ever had been when carried around the room, if not quite as high as when he'd been tossed in the air. He could see the top of the bureau and the desk, which were not normally in his view from the bed.
And the bed. Wow! It looked smaller in some ways, from here, not stretching out before him like a plain. There was Belle and Pug. And on the pillow, in the place of honor, was a stranger, an unknown bear, brightly colored in all purple plush. Zip sighed as he wondered if he would know the place of honor again. He doubted it, because while he had never been here before, he knew the place well. This is the stopping place where stuffed animals went before they left altogether.
As far as Zip could tell, after moving here life slowly left you until finally, lifeless, you left the room once and for all. It was not like sleepovers or trips. You left and were never seen again. This idea did not appeal to him at all.
What was she thinking, to put him over here? He still had life and lots of love to give! He loved her, didn't she know that? Didn't she love him? Pug called over to him.
"Zip, it'll be okay, really it will!" Pug was older than Zip, quite a bit older. While Zip had been with their mistress for as long as he could remember, Pug was old when Zip first arrived.
"Why am I up here, then? It can't be that I am too old - you are older than me! What will happen to me? What happens to us when we leave the room?" He started crying to himself.
"Oh, Zip. I'm so sorry. It will be okay. I'm sorry I am not there to give you a hug. Do you remember the story I told Piglet last year when he went on the shelf? Or the Velveteen Rabbit, the year before?"
This was all too depressing for Zip. He remembered them and remembered them fondly. He had been sad when they left and worried about them, still. But, "Every time you started to tell that story, I fell asleep, Pug! I tried to listen, but I just couldn't stay awake."
Pug thought for a moment. "I forgot that part. You are so young that this won't be a reminder for you, but your first time. Hmmm... I think you may be ready to hear it now."
Through his tears and in spite of himself, Zip was curious. What was this story that he was too young to even know about? He was 15 years old, not a young stuffed animal at all! With a quaver to his voice, he asked "Would you please tell me the story?"
And Pug began, "I learned this story when I was a young stuffed animal almost 100 years ago..."
Zip looked down at the room from his position on the bookshelf. This was a new angle on things, he thought. He was as high now as he ever had been when carried around the room, if not quite as high as when he'd been tossed in the air. He could see the top of the bureau and the desk, which were not normally in his view from the bed.
And the bed. Wow! It looked smaller in some ways, from here, not stretching out before him like a plain. There was Belle and Pug. And on the pillow, in the place of honor, was a stranger, an unknown bear, brightly colored in all purple plush. Zip sighed as he wondered if he would know the place of honor again. He doubted it, because while he had never been here before, he knew the place well. This is the stopping place where stuffed animals went before they left altogether.
As far as Zip could tell, after moving here life slowly left you until finally, lifeless, you left the room once and for all. It was not like sleepovers or trips. You left and were never seen again. This idea did not appeal to him at all.
What was she thinking, to put him over here? He still had life and lots of love to give! He loved her, didn't she know that? Didn't she love him? Pug called over to him.
"Zip, it'll be okay, really it will!" Pug was older than Zip, quite a bit older. While Zip had been with their mistress for as long as he could remember, Pug was old when Zip first arrived.
"Why am I up here, then? It can't be that I am too old - you are older than me! What will happen to me? What happens to us when we leave the room?" He started crying to himself.
"Oh, Zip. I'm so sorry. It will be okay. I'm sorry I am not there to give you a hug. Do you remember the story I told Piglet last year when he went on the shelf? Or the Velveteen Rabbit, the year before?"
This was all too depressing for Zip. He remembered them and remembered them fondly. He had been sad when they left and worried about them, still. But, "Every time you started to tell that story, I fell asleep, Pug! I tried to listen, but I just couldn't stay awake."
Pug thought for a moment. "I forgot that part. You are so young that this won't be a reminder for you, but your first time. Hmmm... I think you may be ready to hear it now."
Through his tears and in spite of himself, Zip was curious. What was this story that he was too young to even know about? He was 15 years old, not a young stuffed animal at all! With a quaver to his voice, he asked "Would you please tell me the story?"
And Pug began, "I learned this story when I was a young stuffed animal almost 100 years ago..."
