Nicholas Bear (barrister by trade) and his lovely wife, Maude, lived in a frilly little stone cottage down by the stream in the wild berry thickets of Foggy Hollow gulch.
Velevty roses and lacy lobelia neatly lined their brick curving walkway to their home in the woods.
Window boxes beneath leaded windows dribbled fanciful pink verbena to the dancing snapdragons nipping happily at them just below.
Leaping salmon topiaries flanked their arched entry.
During the days, Nicholas tirelessly fought for justice in the courts in the land of beardom.
In the evenings, Nicholas returned home to his sweet little bride of 30 years, Maude.
After dinner, he would retreat to his den, sinking deeply into his barracuda lounge chair.
Always Maude joined him, his silent and faithful companion.
She quietly immersed herself in the kindly art of making pine needle baskets.
"Honey Bear...
" said the barrister bear.
"We'll soon be fifty years old.
Do you suppose anyone will notice we've gotten older?" Just then their phone rang.
"Nicholas, how would you and Maude like to join Leo and I for a lovely dinner at Periwinkles to celebrate your birthdays this weekend?" asked Mindy, Maude's favorite cousin.
"Periwinkles?" thought Nicholas out loud to himself, "I haven't heard of that place.
" "Well...
" said Mindy, "It's a newest place in town.
You see, the Periwinkle family decided to restore their old family home in Foggy Hollow.
Now it's an exquisite dining establishment.
They only serve dinner and Mary Frances Periwinkle sets her table using her grandmother's old Quaker lace table cloth.
She uses her mother's, Mary Hall's,family china and sterling flatware.
Each evening she dresses her table with fresh dahlias from her cutting garden.
They have their own herb garden and personal bee hive which Mary Frances uses to flavor her dishes.
Everything is made from scratch in their old servants kitchen.
James D.
Periwinkle helps serve and their grandchildren, Carlitos and Heather, help clear the table.
"Oh, that sounds wonderful!!!" said Nicholas Bear.
How about on Saturday night, at 7:00?" "It's a date!"replied Mindy Bear.
Late Saturday afternoon Nicholas and Maude Bear decided to get ready for their birthday dinner with Mindy and Leo Bear.
Nicholas searched deep in his closet for his favorite herringbone suit, then topped it off with a jaunty paisley tie with his favorite Napoleon's bee tie tack.
Maude poured her rounded bear body into her favorite sexy black dress with slinky satin spaghetti strapsShe finished her look by pinning a rosehip low on the front, in the middle, just above her very lovely, voluptious but curly furry bear cleavage.
Nicholas Bear extended his long furry paw for Maude, pulling her close.
He gave her an affectionate but very long nuzzle on her shiny bear cheek, then followed it with a long lick across her shining white teeth, then kissed her shimmering red lips.
Maude returned his affection with an extended slobbered tongue swipe across his sleek black nose and finished with a kiss in his ear.
"Bing.
Bing.
Dong.
Dong.
"Someone was ringing the doorbell.
"Good evening.
"said W.
T.
, himself a fine specimen of bear in his dapper black and gold tuxedo.
"Mrs.
Periwinkle sent me to bring you to dinner.
" In an elegant flourish, he swung open the long shiny rear door of his polished and fully restored Silver Streak.
Nicholas didn't know this would be part of the evening, but he didn't want to seem like he still had seeds in his pant cuffs from foraging in the grasses.
He directed Maude to slide across the seat first.
Waiting for them was a small handmade basket, lined with a red gingham napkin filled to the brim with plump fresh Vashon Island strawberries, accompanied with a small wheel of brie in flaky puff pastry.
W.
T.
quickly corked the French champagne and poured each a full glass, in lovely long cut crystal flutes with honey bees etched on the sides.
With their arms sweetly woven, Nicholas and Maude toasted the evening's ambience and looked forward to the rest of their adventure.
"Varoom-shack-a-doodle--wacka" roared the engine as the Silver Streak blazed away along the narrow dirt road to Periwinkles on the west side of town in Foggy Hollow.
"It's a little early to pick up my other fare," said W.
T.
"Would you like to make a short trip through the park by the lake?" "Oh, why not?" said Nicholas Bear, as he placed another plump strawberry at the tip of Lucille's long scratchy tongue.
Lucille's eyes shimmered in her delight.
The Silver Streak lumbered along slowly down Lamb's Ear Drive, hugging the shore of Catnip Lake.
Warm summer evening breezes gracefully bent fields of lupine and orange poppies, bringing smiles to Maude's glowing face.
"W.
T.
?" asked Nicholas.
"Would you mind stopping briefly so I might fetch a bouquet for my darling wife, Maude?" Affectionately he dashed into the field and ripped off several stemmed blossums, then handed the bouquet to Maude while softly whispering, "Darling..
..
you're my heat in the winter and shade in the summer.
" "Oh, honey bear, let's dance!"cried Maude.
So the two smitten bears danced their waltz at the side of the road, by the parked Silver Streak along Lamb's Ear Drive.
Having completed their quadrille, they got back in their chaffeur driven limo and were rounding the bend at Huckleberry Creek, when suddenly the Silver Streak sputtered and died, a sorrowful set of fenders left by the side of the road in a hulk and a heap.
W.
T.
muttered something (I am afraid is unprintable), and then got out and raised its hood.
"Looks like trouble!" said W.
T.
as he raced to get his tool kit out of the trunk.
He jiggled some wires, opened some caps, tapped some valves before returning to the drivers seat.
Click.
Snap.
"Varoom-flap-whack-a-noodle-phrap!..
...
Shack-a-doodle-nack-nack...
and a loud venerable whack!!!"W.
T.
quickly slammed down the hood with a audible clang.
He got behind the wheel and put the petal to the metal.
He boldly guided that Silver Streak, sending rocks flying in every which imagineable direction in a poof of smoke.
The Silver Streak was once again rumbling its lyrical song down the long winding road down by Huckleberry Creek.
"Mrs.
Periwinkle is going to be worried about us!" lamented W.
T.
"I must get to Leo and Mindy Bear's house right away!!!" "Mindy and Leo Bear?" asked Nicholas and Maude.
"They are our cousins.
They just live up at Green Meadows Farm nearthe top of Meadow Lark Hill.
We know how to get you there, directly.
" So, they did.
Once at their door, W.
T.
bolted from the parked Silver Streak and loudly banged upon their woodpecker door knocker.
Peeking nervously at first through the door peephole, their housekeeper very gingerly opened the door.
W.
T.
exclaimed, "Hello.
My name is W.
T.
, William Truman, and I am here to take Leo and Mindy with us to Periwinkles for dinner.
" "Ohhhhhh...
" said the housekeeper with a full facial frown, "They left in a huff.
They went to have some fresh made wine at a place on Blackberry Creek where the salmon spawn.
" W.
T.
went back to his fine old car, reflected upon his dire predicament for just a quick minute, then grabbed the bottle of champagne from Nicholas Bear for one very long swig.
"Oh don't worry about Mindy and Leo, let's just go to Periwinkles without them!" said Nicholas Bear.
"I'm afraid Mrs.
Periwinkle wouldn't hear of that!" said W.
T.
"We must go and find them!" So off they roared down to where the salmon spawn on Blackberry Creek.
Nicholas Bear began to suspect something was amiss because it just wasn't like Leo and Mindy Bear to take such offense to such a minor little mistake.
W.
T.
made his first stop at The Blackberry Creek Raw Fish and Roots Grill, but Leo and Mindy weren't there.
He tasted their rainbow trout appetizers which were skeweredand grilled on a stick along with marinated chanterelle mushrooms.
Next stop was The Porcupine Bar and Table Top Cafe, known for their spicy roasted chicken toes cooked with pickled bosc pears over an open cedar fire pit.
But Mindy and Leo weren't there.
Next door was The August Moon Cafe, a pleasant little haunt specializing in chestnut encrusted cedar planked salmon, but Mindy and Leo weren't there.
W.
T.
grabbed some roasted parsnip roots from their bowl, but had to move on.
The very last restaurant along Blackberry Creek was The Bearly Muven Bisto, whose famous "Stuff-it" buffet was popular with all the local bears, where any bear who is any bear can be seen over there, but never...
ever...
bare.
W.
T.
escorted Mindy and Leo into their banquet room, where all of Nicholas and Maude Bear's friends had gathered.
Nicholas and Maude didn't recognize anyone because they all had disguised their faces, making themselves look much older.
Long waxed snout whiskers looked like Battenburg lace.
Hats with flowers, bees and birds topped the ladies furry faces.
Above the table was a long banner that read, "How to look young, hang out with OLD bears!"Mindy and Leo Bear seized the moment with a loud round of applause, and every bear in the room let out a big "SURPRISE!!!!" "Daniel and Caroline", said Nicholas Bear, "Is that YOU behind those fine handlebar whisker moustaches?" Nicholas Bear stood in disbelief.
And then, one by one, Nicholas and Maude realized who was surrounding them in that big splashy birthday banquet room.
At the end of the evenings festivities, when all the food-fur-all calmed down, Maude paused briefly , then politely asked Mindy, "Is there still time to go to Periwinkles?" Nicholas Bear and Maude apparently didn't get it was all a very big joke.
End of story.