One fine afternoon, while Oliver was enjoying a cheeky nap in his room, he realised his beloved stuffed leopard had vanished. Shocked and slightly offended, Oliver sprang out of bed and embarked on a full-scale search, rummaging through every nook and cranny of the house. Despite his finest detective efforts, there was no sign of the furry companion, so Oliver was forced to accept the tragic idea that his best friend had packed its bags and left town without so much as a goodbye.
He spent the next few weeks in mourning, sighing deeply and giving everyone his best forlorn puppy eyes. But then, fate decided to throw him a bone Oliver stumbled upon the leopard, cleverly hidden in the deepest corner of his wardrobe! Their reunion was the stuff of legends; Oliver and his toy immediately got back to their usual shenanigans, as if nothing had ever interrupted their adventures.
Oliver had christened his treasured toy Benny and now Benny goes everywhere from Sainsburys to Grandmas house (heaven forbid Oliver has to face the world without his trusty sidekick).
Emily, his sister, probably meant Grandma’s legendary sewing prowess when she announced, she fixed it for him.
Olivers grandmother had worked her magic on the stuffed animal, stitching Benny up so thoroughly and neatly that he looked better than before, almost too grand for Olivers everyday escapades. Oliver was over the moon he hugged Grandma and thanked her, a little tear slipping out but denying it bravely.
This lovely episode highlighted just how much Oliver adored his grandmother and really brought home the fact that family ties remain a bit like Grandmas sewing strong and impossible to break, no matter how many times you lose your favourite toy.
