The UGLY Teddy
Once upon a time in a far-off place, beyond the snow clad mountains, within a mesmerizing landscape, where nature was in its purest form, where the freezing streams originated there was a picturesque land known as ‘Teddyland’.
In Teddyland everyone was a teddy bear. From adults to children, from stout to tall, from brown to pink to red to orange, everyone was a personification of a teddy.
In teddy land there lived J, the most jovial of all of them, a teddy that was the center of everyone’s attention. Wherever he was he would always be surrounded by other teddies that would be laughing out at his tales of witticism, puns, and gags. Female teddies drooled over him.
Anyone who got an opportunity of his cuddles never forgot his feel.
What made him unique was his appearance to go along with his nature to make everyone laugh at all times. He was surely different than any other teddy of the Teddyland. He had no fur on his head…he was bald.
To make matters worse he had misplaced teeth and no jawline. With humor came a lot of sarcasm, which won him a lot of accolades, but the fate seemed to differ when it came to love.
One day a female teddy, S, from the neighboring village came. She was in the market when she heard a loud laughter erupt. She got curious to know what it was. The moment she laid her eyes on J, she was in love with his imperfect smile. Somehow none of J’s imperfections mattered to her.
She confessed her love to J. They started seeing each other. Met, ate and danced together. The moment she cuddled J, her love for him deepened. They became inseparable.
They decided to take a step forward in their relationship and get married. S was very skeptical of her parent’s response. Her mother knew of J, she had seen him perform many of his gigs. She liked his performances but never approved of his looks.
When S discussed about J to her mom, she outrightly rejected him. Her mom told her that she belonged to a royal family with grace and splendor and possessed beauty for which others are ready to kill. How can she stoop down to this ‘Ugly Teddy’?
S never wanted to disappoint her mother, as she was the sole reason for her existence. She knew all the hardships her mother had faced to raise her. But she was in too much love to let go off J either.
She tried to convince her mom but their love was defeated.
In the end, the respect for a mother won over the love for an Ugly Teddy.
Many years later, S was visiting Teddyland with her husband and children. They were taking a stroll by the stream. She heard an eruption of laughter. All of them went to see what the commotion was all about. There was J, right in the center of the action, a little balder and fatter with wrinkles beginning to sketch out, doing the only thing he knew – to make others laugh.
He instantly recognized S. He brought a couple of cotton candies, handed them to the kids, hugged them one by one, wished and blessed the couple and disappeared into the crowd of teddies.
For all those who want to live in Teddyland,
For all those who believe love is beyond looks,
For all those who want cuddles
and
For all those who love Teddy Bears…
It’s not a Goodbye,
but it’s a GOOD BYE.
Manas ‘Sameer’ Mukul

Wow Prompt
‘This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.’
Nice storyline. I felt like I was transported to your teddy land till the time I was reading your story
Thank you so much Suhasini. Your words are really kind and Motivating 🙂
Nice story and nice doodle. Only a few can taken rejection and yet laugh heartily. Does that mean they don’t feel pain or they laugh loud to hide their pain? Life moves on. It is better to laugh off cruel hands that life deals and move on. As someone said, we cannot control the hands that are dealt to us, but we can control how we deal with what is dealt.
Thank you so much Abhijit ji. Really thoughtful words. I believe there are only two things in life…controllable n uncontrollable…we can only control n work on the earlier 🙂
Keep visiting sir!
Ouch! I feel for J. Great imagination. Loved your teddy land 😁
Hahaha… Thank you… Hope there is one out there… N then Mr. J can go there 😊
I have a created a Chocolate World for my kid and we visit there often during bed time stories 😜
Hmmmm great one… Hope you aren’t consuming from there at bed time 😀😀….
I will also bring Mr J there some morning
Can’t help! In Chocolate World everything is made up of chocolate 🤩 J will have fun 😁
Loved the sketch of the teddy behind the tree and the message of your story.
Seema – Artist & Writer
Lonely Canopy
Thank you so much Seema. I am glad that you loved the sketch…that was the imp bit in this one. Keep visiting, reading and commenting 🙂
There are way too many ‘S’ s and too few ‘J’ ‘s around. Loved how you presented this tale that happens way to often. Loved J’s attitude.
Thank you so much, Mayuri. You have been a constant motivation. Yeah that was the inspiration behind this one 🙂
Lovely story! It reminded me of Enid Blyton and the La la Land on top of a very tall tree, hidden by clouds.
Great imagination and a good storyline.
Thank you so much Sona. Your words are a constant motivation. My sister has read a lot of Enid Blyton so she would know better. I wanted to place a heartbreak in a beautiful place 🙂
Why looks, status always take the front seat? Past never leaves us but those who accept it and move on are the real heroes. J was the hero.
Nice story, to make people laugh is a talent. I hope Teddy J would keep on making us laugh despite the hardships he’s facing
Thank you so much Richa… Please keep visiting and motivating
This has been written so wonderfully that I thought that I am living in Teddyland..such stories teach big lessons of life…cheers
Thank you so much Ritu. Really glad that you liked it.
You always come up with something interesting and this imagination of the storyline also I too like. And your doodle 👌
Thank you so much Priyal for liking my content most of the times. Hope to continue getting your blessings.
Pleasure
What an imaginative power! Your creativity is your identity and this amazing write-up is the living proof. Kudos!
Thank you so much for such lovely words. Really appreciate it. Keep visiting and encouraging.
Teddy-land and the doodle teddy both are super cute. I’m sure there are many such J’s bringing smiles on other’s faces. Your creativity is rocking in this piece. Loved it truly, specially the peeping Teddy from T is sure gonna stay long in my head. Wish there was such teddy-land to travel.
Awwww. Thank you so much for the appreciation. Glad that you liked the fantasy land 😊👍