Love's Silent Sweet Secret - Audio

Chapter One:

Once upon a time there lived a husband and wife who were excellent friends. Their names were Agatha and Winston.

Agatha was a small, very round, gray bear who loved to amble through flower gardens, smelling the flowers and petting the bees. Winston was a tall, rather saggy and unstuffed brown bear. This unstuffedness caused him to look a little shaky, but once one got to know him, they would find that he was quite dignified and precise.

Some of their friends could not understand how Agatha and Winston became such good friends or why they were married.

After all, it seemed as if they were nothing alike and had nothing in common. Besides, it was clear that Agatha was much sillier than Winston. The gossip was that Winston only kept Agatha around to have a good laugh when he was alone.

These people were foolish friends—if one could call them friends. They didn’t understand the silent, sweet, secret shared by Agatha and Winston. Their shared secret kept them awake at night with delight and made them laugh out loud during the day.

This wonderful secret kept them such sound friends that they never once argued.

They loved each other for exactly who and what they were. Winston loved Agatha’s round, slow plumpness and how she could stand so firm even if the wind was blowing hard enough to bend sturdy trees.

Agatha loved Winston’s unstuffedness as it made it easy for her to put her short, pudgy arms around him. She loved how gentle and dignified he was, even as he put on his robe and slippers at night and brushed his teeth.

All in all, they were happy with each other and with themselves. One day, a visitor rang their doorbell, and everything changed.

The night before she arrived, they both had an uneasy feeling. Neither of them mentioned it to the other. Agatha decided it was just a slight reaction to trying out the new nasturtium jam recipe she had just made. She thought that she might have added a touch too much mint.

Winston thought it was due to his disappointment in a new book by his favorite author that wasn’t quite as good as he had expected.

Later, they decided that it would have been a good idea to discuss their uneasy feelings with each other, rather than coming up with reasons to explain them away. Perhaps in this way, they could have prevented the events that were to come.

The visitor arrived just before teatime, Winston’s favorite time of day. He loved setting the tea table while Agatha prepared delicate round butter cookies.

When the doorbell rang, Agatha asked Winston in her smooth, soft voice, “Are you expecting anyone?” He answered with his slight English accent that he was not.

Cautiously, they went to the door and peeped through the keyhole.