You can do childrens' stuff with great ease, and not just by making a parody. This is a story that exposes stuffed animals to be like toys, and yet is different than just another "Toy Story." It also comes out of an actual episode of "Full House." If you liked “Toy Story,” you’ll love this look at a day - including one episode - in the life of Stephanie’s best friend. And, you’ll never look at stuffed animals the same way again. :-) BEAR STORY The stuffed bear dared to blink once. Out of the corner of his eye, he could tell the little girl was asleep. He paused, unsure of whether or not to get out of her grip. It was so much easier for the toys. They could wander around much more easily. “Unnhh. Ergh. Okay, come on, I need my other foot,” whispered Pillow Person as he crawled out from under Stephanie’s mattress. A leg was caught under it still, and he tumbled backwards several times when he finally pulled it out. “Phew, Stephanie’s getting heavy for a seven year old.” He looked up at Mr. Bear. “You comin’ out?” Mr. Bear squirmed out and adjusted his hat. The dark brown bear wore a spiffy detective’s outfit, and spoke in a light British accent. It was cordial, sensitive, yet with an air of authority that reminded Pillow Person a little of Star Trek’s Captain Picard. “Hmmm, I might spare a few minutes. It’s tougher, of course, with they sleep with you.” “Hey, you don’t have to tell me about that. D.J. used to sleep with me all the time when she was little. Stephanie got you when Michelle was born less than three years ago.” The pillow’s eyes twirled, and he flailed his arms. “Tell me something I don’t know, Number One,” Mr. Bear remarked wryly. Pillow Person harumphed. He was much more direct that the whimsical Mr. Bear, and sounded a little like Woody on Toy Story, but not totally. “Must you call me that? Just because my initials happen to be P.P.,” he groused, but with a grin. “Ah, well, it figures. It sounds like one of Stephanie’s jokes. I don’t know whether she rubs off on you or you rub off on her.” Mr. Bear shrugged. “She’s got an imagination. Maybe not quite like Calvin’s, but still, there are qualities of her that I’ve gained over the years. You know, D.J.’s just about given up looking for you. Care to be one of the toys going to charity tomorrow?” Pillow Person rolled his eyes. “Every toy gets lost for a while. She’ll find me soon enough.” “Well, spring cleaning will be the time. If not, I suggest you plan to stay in Michelle’s room for a few years.” He turned to several rhinos. He considered himself lucky - how many houses had stuffed rhinos with whom he could pal around? Especially where the little girls didn’t think they were unicorns? But his owner, Stephanie Tanner, was one smart, witty, adorable little girl. And, she knew her animals. The pillow waved an arm. “Come on, let’s not argue about that now. We’ve got work to do.” He called all the animals to attention. Numerous toys also stood up and took notice. “Face it, Pillow, you’re the toy of a girl who’ll be a teen in a year,” Mr. Bear analyzed thoughtfully. “And according to Peter Pan, she’s already at the age when she’d move out of the nursery and be considered grown up. She’d stop playing with us.” He grinned. He could never imagine Stephanie not playing with him. He knew D.J. had never had as close an attachment to that pillow. “In fact,” he added, “D.J.’s never referred to you as ‘friend.’ At one point, she preferred an invisible duck named Norton to you. Now that really quacks me up.” Pillow gazed at Mr. Bear with a look of amusement. Mr. Bear had quickly risen in the ranks of stuffed animals there for one reason. After Pam Tanner - the mother of Stephanie, D.J., and the toddler Michelle - died just about two year ago, he and Stephanie cried together all the time. Of course, an outsider couldn’t tell, but to a child, there was something special about a stuffed animal. If D.J. were bugging her, or if Stephanie just needed to talk, he’d be there. And, unlike many toys, children could tell when a stuffed animal had a sort of life to it. D.J. had had her best friend, Kimmy Gibbler. So, she hadn’t need Pillow Person quite as much. Still, he’d been there, too, for her. And, Pillow Person tried to defend his owner’s small attempts to maintain that little girl attitude while getting older. “You and your pointless ramblings. You’ve been good for Stephanie. But I am a sophisticated toy; D.J. says so herself. She’s growing into a fine young woman. And I’m proud to say that she used to drool on me when she was little.” Mr. Bear gave a whimsical grin. He knew D.J. wouldn’t part with Pillow Person. Besides, with Michelle in the house, he could always get handed down. So could any of the other stuffed animals during tomorrow’s spring cleaning. In fact, he hoped one in particular would stay. One of Stephanie’s stuffed bunnies looked up from a calculator. “Hey, are we gonna start the meeting? ‘Cause if not, we’ve got some multiplying to do.” Mr. Bear cleared his throat, and brought the meeting to order, standing on a chair at the little table Stephanie and D.J. shared. First, he checked to ensure Stephanie was still sleeping. It would really be a mad scramble if she awakened now. “All right, now as we all know, tomorrow is spring cleaning day. Which means it’s also the day when some of you will be going to help more needy boys and girls.” “It’d be a shame to leave this place,” Rollie the Rhino uttered in a deep voice. Mr. Bear grinned. “Well, Stephanie’s told me about a few of you who I know made the cut. However, I’d advise you all to remember that this isn’t about you, it’s about helping other kids.” He paused. He thought he heard footsteps in the hall. Pillow Person creeked open the door and peeked out with the corner of his...well, his head. Michelle was attempting to go potty; she’d called for her dad to get her. “Everything okay?” “Yeah. If Michelle spots us, she’s young enough we can make her think it’s a dream,” Pillow Person said confidently. He had experience that Mr. Bear didn’t with toddlers. “You’re good at that sort of thing, I imagine, being around D.J. when she was little.” Turning back to the crowd, he added that, “The key to this is sometimes just how a child thinks of you. It’s very rare that you become a real friend, not just a toy. Don’t think of being given away as the end of your career. It could be a great beginning.” As he rambled on, and then answered questions, Mr. Bear considered that even before Pam’s accident, Stephanie had enjoyed him. But, she’d had other animal friends, too. In fact, even a few months after her dad’s best friend Joey and her Uncle Jesse moved in to help raise the girls, she’d been carrying a stuffed dog with a yellow ribbon named Alphabet - whom she called Alphie. He turned to Alphie as he finished. Asking to speak to him privately, he told him “Alphie, Stephanie’s sort of forgotten about you.” “I know. But, it could just be my time to move on,” the dog said with a shrug. Mr. Bear smiled. He like this dog’s attitude. It was a humble, unassuming voice. The duty of an animal, as with a toy, was to facilitate enjoyment in children. Stephanie had had him since she turned five. And, Alphie knew it might just be time for a change. Still, Alphie had been important in helping Stephanie after her mom’s death. “Look, I know the toys really don’t get a chance. But the way Stephanie is with me, I might be able to mutter something, and remind her to keep you here...if you want to stay.” “Mr. Bear, you’re her best friend. Better than Harry, better than Allie, better than anyone.” He scratched behind an ear. “I’ve seen the way you work. You may not have a Hundred Acre Woods, but in some ways you’re better than Winnie the Pooh. And, I’d be proud to go to some other young kid who’s hurting, and say to myself ‘I served under the Master.’” Mr. Bear blushed - as much as that was possible for a stuffed animal. “Well, I’d hate to see you go. I relied more on you than you could realize after their Mom died.” Alphie raised his eyebrows as the others went back to their places. “Really?” “Dogs are naturally loyal and understanding. Bears can be. But, look at my outfit. I’m a mystery-solving bear. I could just as easily have been Sherlock Holmes to some child’s Watson. Instead...” He smiled wistfully. “Instead I got to swim in a current of tears. I got to go through the whole grieving process with that girl. Sure, I helped. But, I couldn’t have done it without you.” “Thanks.” They embraced. “Look at us, Mr. Bear. Over time, we become just like our owners, don’t we?” “We certainly do.” Mr. Bear checked on the toys in Michelle’s room, then crawled back up into Stephanie’s clutches as she lay sleeping. Spring cleaning day dawned as usual, with Mr. Bear sizing up the piles of toys which were being put in the corner. Stephanie informed him of what they were doing. As if we haven’t known for weeks, he thought to himself. Suddenly, Michelle wandered into the girls’ room. He grinned. Maybe Michelle would take Alphie. He certainly hoped so. He hated to see that dog leave. “Yikes,” he thought to himself. “Michelle wants me! She’s been after me ever since she could crawl.” He wasn’t used to children younger than about five at all. It was ironic that - even before Pam’s death - he was the target of affection for not one, but two children. That wasn’t what he’d expected when he flashed that big grin, and Pam had picked him up for Stephanie. “Stephanie’s so curious, always asking questions like a little detective. Always talking about anything, really,” Pam had muttered to him - though most people would have thought it was to herself - at the hospital gift shop. “D.J.’s getting big, she’s gonna get a bracelet, but you look like you’re made just for Stephanie.” When he arrived at his new home, he found just what he expected. A bright, witty, charming child. Stephanie was a little younger than he’d pictured, but she was beyond her years in some ways. At age four, she could already read, for instance. Those first few months with Stephanie had been so much fun. He sighed as he watched Michelle pick up a few little toys and animals. Alphie was not one of them. He hated to see that little dog go. But, he himself had come from a hospital gift shop. He knew there were many hurting kids. Maybe Alphie would go to one of them. And, he would move on without him. Indeed, Stephanie herself could help him. He failed to notice Michelle until it was too late. The toddler was carrying him away, unseen by anyone else. He watched as she went downstairs with him. Michelle stopped for a moment and examined the bear’s outfit, making Mr. Bear very thankful. A toy’s job was to provide entertainment, and allow children to use their imagination. He wasn’t sure what he’d have done if she’d carried him off while going somewhere she shouldn’t. He supposed at her age he could have come alive for just an instant. It hadn’t happened often, but he’d heard stories, legends, really, from around the world. And, if he had to... Someone was coming. Good, soon he would be back on Stephanie’s bed...oh no! He fretted as he went into a very dark piano bench. He could just hear someone saying “there you are, Michelle” as she closed the lid and began pounding on the keys. He was thankful it wasn’t the oven. Michelle had put her shoes there several months before, according to Stephanie. But, still, it would be a very dull time. And, who knew how long he’d be there. Mr. Bear shook his head. He sincerely hoped Alphie wouldn’t suffer the same fate. Lost and ignored for years.