The Travelling Plush

Benny, the small, adventurous blue plush bear, had always been stuck on his owner’s bed. Sure, he enjoyed the occasional tumble onto the floor, but what he really dreamed of was traveling the world. One evening, his owner, Lily, stuffed him into a backpack with the words, “It’s time, Benny!” as if Benny had any idea what that meant.

Several hours and a lot of turbulence later (Benny was certain the bag was on a roller coaster), the backpack opened to reveal the sparkling lights of Paris. Lily placed Benny on a table at a little café, where he stared up at the Eiffel Tower in amazement. Naturally, he pretended to sip her coffee—Benny had always fancied himself a coffee snob. As they walked through the city, Benny kept “poking” out of the bag, stealing glances of the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and, most importantly, the bakery where Lily bought him a croissant.

The next morning, Benny woke up to find himself sitting on a windowsill, overlooking the Seine River. He had traveled the world, or at least part of it. “Next stop, Rome,” Benny thought. But for now, he was happy being Paris’ smallest, fluffiest tourist.