British Outrage As Paddington Bear Tries New Food
The British reportedly have their knickers in a twist because the beloved Paddington Bear has *gasp* tried something other than marmalade for a sandwich filling. Oh, what drama.
Paddington appears in a television advertisement which shows the curious bear for once trying Marmite instead of his usual breakfast spread.
Michael Bond insists he did not know about the decision to use his creation until "the point of no return".
He dismissed suggestions that he had been paid a "vast sum of money" for writing the Marmite advert.
"I should be so lucky - particularly since I didn't write it," he said in a letter to The Times.
He also dismissed suggestions that Paddington could be lured away from marmalade.
"It would require a good deal more than the combined current withdrawals from Northern Rock to wean him off marmalade, if then," he added.
Marmite, which does not contain any marmots, despite the similarity in names, is apparently very similar to Vegemite. (We here at Blue Crab Boulevard do not take kindly to people trying to horn in on our smuggling racket.) On the other hand, the Brits should count their blessings. Our bears try other treats. Like Boy Scouts.
ALBRIGHTSVILLE, Pa. - The state Game Commission is setting traps in Hickory Run State Park after a bear bit a 12-year-old camping with his Boy Scout troop.
The bear entered the boy's tent Sunday night and bit down on his sleeping bag, probably trying to get candy bars and cereal hidden there, but bit the boy instead, Tim Conway, a game commission spokesman, said Tuesday.
The boy was treated at Blue Mountain Health Systems' Gnaden Huetten campus in Lehighton and released.
"The bear took off when the boy screamed," Conway said.
(Lucky for him.) Well, off to buy some bread from a man in Brussels.
(And if you have no idea what "Chunder" means, here's an interesting take on the etymology.)
Animals, World news | Gaius Wednesday, 19 September , 2007
By Stephen Fleming, Thursday, 20 September , 2007 @ 1:23 am
It should be said that Michael Bond’s daughter, who runs the company that controls Paddington’s image rights, did approve the ad.
But it’s just not credible. Paddington would never eat Marmite!