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67 pages

English

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The Verdi Bears Picnic is the first in Aileen Boyd-Otley's series of six books for children about the famous green bears of the Lake District. The books have a conservation message written into their plots and are about rural life in Cumbria.The Verdi Bears live in a small Lakeland village among human beings, in a house of their own and have human friends. The Verdi Bears have to eat green yogurt each day as well as the ordinary food eaten by human beings in order to keep a good green colour in their fur.The five Verdi Bears take their names from the beautiful lakes of the district. Old Man Coniston and Lady Windermere are the parents. The three young Verdi Bears are Grassmere, Buttermere and Bassy.

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Children's

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Publié par	eBook Versions
Date de parution	10 octobre 2016
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781843964278
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0200€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

This ebook edition published 2016
by The Green Lady of Europe

Copyright © 1967 Aileen Boyd-Otley

All rights reserved

Author s website
www.aileenboyd-otley.co.uk

Illustrations copyright © 1979
Damian Boyd-Otley

The Estate of Aileen Boyd-Otley has
asserted her right under the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be
identified as the author of this work.

ISBN 978-1-84396-427-8

No part of this book may be reproduced
in any material or electronic form,
including photocopying, without written
permission from the publisher.

eBook production
eBook Versions
27 Old Gloucester Street
London WC2N 3AX
www.ebookversions.com
Contents

Cover
Copyright Credits

Title Page
About the Author
About this Book

Chapter 1
Names and Nest

Chapter 2
White Clover

Chapter 3
Green Grass

Chapter 4
Tennis

Chapter 5
Wild Flower Picture Gallery

Chapter 6
Brambles Baby Trees

Chapter 7
Lakeside Picnic

Chapter 8
Christmas!
About the author

Aileen Boyd-Otley was born on 19th December 1931 and lived in the Lake District for most of her life. She was married to Desmond Boyd-Otley. She became one of Cumbria s best-known poets and also wrote books for children.
Her poetry books include Lake District Yellow Bonnets and How the Lake District was Made .
Aileen was known as the Green Lady of Europe - a title given to her by the late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman in recognition of the ecological theme of her poems.
About this book

Aileen Boyd-Otley s Verdi Bear series comprises six books about the Verdi family of bears - the famous green bears of the Lake District. The six books have a conservation message written into the plots and are about rural life in Cumbria.

The Verdi Bears live in a small Lakeland village among human beings in a house of their own and they have human friends. The Verdi Bears have to eat green yogurt each day as well as ordinary food as eaten by human beings in order to keep a good green colour in their fur.

The Verdi Bears take their names from five of the beautiful lakes: Old Man Coniston and Lady Windermere are the parents. The three young Verdi Bears are Grassmere, Buttermere and Bassy.
THE
VERDI BEARS
PICNIC

Aileen Boyd-Otley

THE GREEN LADY OF EUROPE
Chapter 1
Names and Nests

Old Man Coniston and Lady Windermere were proud Verdi Bear parents, and loved their green cubs dearly.
Today was a very special day, for their green bears were to be given their names and begin their lessons.
Your name is Bassenthwaite announced Old Man Coniston as he placed a green slate name tag, suspended from a silk green cord, around the first young green fluffy neck, that of the she bear.
Bassenthwaite shuddered as she heard her name, a name she didn t want.
The Verdi Bear cub next to her giggled, but stopped as Old Man Coniston placed a green silk cord around his young green fluffy neck too, saying and your name is Buttermere.
Bassenthwaite giggled now, because she knew he had wanted a foreign and exciting name.
And your name is Grasmere said Old Man Coniston, placing yet another green silk cord around another young green fluffy neck, but this little Verdi Bear smiled, he liked his name.
You young Veri Bears have some very hard work in the coming months…
His voice trailed away as he looked down at pretty little Bassenthwaite, she didn t look too happy, and he rather suspected he saw a little tear trickling down her cheek.
Anything wrong? he asked.
I don t like my name, she said quietly. I wanted to be called Juliet.
Old Man Coniston took the monocle from his eye, and smiled, saying, Verdi Bears can t have human names. We are the Green Guardians of the Lake District and we take our names from hereabouts, therefore, we cannot have a Verdi Bear called Juliet climbing about in our trees!
Well then, can I be called Alice asked Bassenthwaite. She lived in Wonderland, and she talked to animals, and grew smaller and went to an exciting tea party. I read all about her in a book.
Old Man Coniston shook his head, You read too many books. Verdi Bears don t usually read books, we write them, not read them. We write in note books and the like, we haven t time to read story books!
There was a silence for a moment, and another tear trickled down her face.
Tell you what said Old Man Coniston kindly, as he wiped away her tears, why not call yourself Bassy. It would be a nice way to shorten the name Bassenthwaite. Would that help?
Bassy smiled, and Old Man Coniston sighed with relief!
What a good idea said Lady Windermere to herself, Bassy for short.
She smiled a little as she wondered just what Bassy would think of the forthcoming lesson …. perhaps she should stay and watch.
Lady Windermere was sitting under the damson tree on her wicker armchair. It was rather cool, so she was wearing her green velvet cape.
She felt sorry for the three young Verdi Bears, just a little. It would be hard work for them at first, but they would soon learn their lessons of one kind or another.
But just in case this, their first day, proved too hard, she would sit under the damson tree, and pretend to sketch, so that she could help sort out any little problems should they occur!
Lady Windermere smiled as she thought how excited Bassy had been when she had been given her green school satchel for the very first time, that morning. She had checked through the contents over and over again.
Here, in the garden, Bassy was looking once more into her satchel, and looking at her yogurt carton, part of the contents, and part of the daily diet of a Verdi Bear.
When can I eat my yogurt? she asked for the second time in just one minute.
When I tell you replied Old Man Coniston, as he handed them a piece of squared paper which was clipped firmly onto a small green board. One board and one piece of paper for each of you he added.
Stand in line, and face me he said, as he polished his monocle, and replaced it smartly.

I want you to draw a large square on your paper, then mark on it the number of bushes in these hedges surrounding this garden. All four sides. One side of a hedge to one side of your square.
He paused now, and watched four sided squares being drawn on paper. So far, so good, he thought.
After you have completed marking on it the number of bushes, I would like you to count the number of old bird nests in the hedges. Then make a list of the various types of bushes which make up the hedges. You will find for instance hawthorne, and one or two wild gooseberry etcetera, etcetera, and etcetera.
Oh deary me said Bassy sadly. What a lot of words, and what a hard task. I don t think I can manage all of that work today. Not even in a week!
Course you can said Old Man Coniston grumpily. Nothing to it, just watch me.
He knelt by the hedge, and with his walking stick crook-side first, gave part of the hedge a good examination, explaining as he did so.
See Bassy. Pull the old twigs clear, and you see one bush. It is only the branches and twigs which have grown together. Easy. Here, use my walking stick!
But she wasn t looking at Old Man Coniston, or the hedge. Instead, she was looking inside her green satchel again.
Actually, she was making sure the silver foil was still on her yogurt carton, and while doing so, accidentally said aloud Can t we have pink pieces of strawberry in it for a change! I m so bored with green!
What in the world are you talking about now? said Old Man Coniston crossly, polishing his monocle and replacing it with a flourish. Pink with pieces of strawberry in it? Upon my word. What kind of hedge is that pray?
Yogurt said Bassy, having lost interest in the bushes and the old nests.
Buttermere and Grasmere sniggered, and said rather unkindly. Pink yogurt - imagine Verdi Bears eating pink yogurt!
Enough of that said old Man Coniston. Keep your minds on your tasks, and forget pink yogurt. Green is full of vitamins, and keeps out coats a good green colour! Pink is for people, or something of that order!
Grasmere stepped forward, and said, Leave me in charge of her, Old Man Coniston, she doesn t mean any harm. She doesn t know very much yet.
Lady Windermere laughed aloud. What a fuss. Get on with your counting the bushes and the old nests, Grasmere. Bring all your satchels over to me, please do.
Grasmere brought the green satchels over quickly, and as he laid them at her feet, she whispered in his ear, Yes, you help little Bassy, there s a good little Verdi Bear. She will soon learn. She popped a piece of vanilla fudge into his mouth.
It was difficult to reply with a mouth containing vanilla fudge, but nevertheless, he managed, Just leave it all to me Lady Windermere. You know I will help her. I promise faithfully.
He turned away from Lady Windermere, and walked back to where Bassy was standing, and held her paw.
You and I will work as a team, that way we will work must faster he said to her, and their voices faded away into the distance as they walked to one of the corners of the large garden.
Lady Windermere sighed with relief, and put another piece of vanilla fudge into her mouth. Bassy could be very trying when she tried. Thankfully, Grasmere was now in charge.
It was such a lovely day, the birds were singing, and she could hear in the distance the sound of human voices, and laughter, and the sound of a tennis ball hitting a racquet, or a racquet hitting a tennis ball, but she couldn t play tennis at all and was never quite sure about the correct words to use when even thinking about tennis!
She knew about the weather needed for playing tennis in, and knew it was a lovely day for tennis. She knew perfectly well who was playing tennis too, it was Museum Sandy and his wife, who were both keen tennis players, and such a nice family to have as neighbours.
Through the high section of the hedges, the part which separated their garden from that of Museum Sandy and his tennis court,