Paddington and the Bus Ride

More about Paddington and the Bus Ride

After his breakfast adventure with the Browns, Paddington was already feeling a little more confident in the big city. But that day, something completely new was planned: his first ride on a double-decker bus. Mr. Brown had pressed a ticket into his paw and explained that getting from A to B by bus was very convenient in London. Paddington nodded eagerly—after all, he had never seen a bus in Peru. So, full of energy, he stood at the bus stop, his hat neatly adjusted and his suitcase firmly in his hand. Soon, a red double-decker bus rolled up. Paddington was delighted: He thought it looked like a moving house. With a determined stride, he climbed inside, nodded politely to the conductor, and trudged straight up the narrow stairs. "If you're going to do it, do it right," he murmured. "You'll definitely get the best view from the top." Once at the top, he found a seat near the front. The bus jerked into motion, and Paddington was amazed: trams, bicycles, honking cars – everything glided beneath him as he curiously pressed his nose to the window. But the journey wasn't that simple. Paddington soon realized he had wedged his suitcase between his feet. As the bus rounded a sharp bend, he suddenly tipped over, skidded down the aisle, and only stopped at the shoes of a startled gentleman. "Oh, sorry!" cried Paddington, hurrying after the suitcase, but failing to notice that the bus was braking. He lurched forward, almost landing in the lap of a lady in a hat, and just managed to hang on to the seat. The lady chuckled amusedly as Paddington put his hat back on. "London buses are very lively," he observed matter-of-factly, as several passengers giggled. He had barely sat down again when the next incident occurred. The conductor stomped up the stairs and asked for his ticket. Paddington busily rummaged in his pockets – hat, sandwich wrapper, a jam spoon, but no ticket. The conductor was already frowning when Paddington remembered he had safely tucked it away in his suitcase. "Just a moment," he said, and lifted the lid. Unfortunately, the jam he had brought with him just in case wasn't tightly closed. With a "pop," the lid popped off, and a thick blob dripped right onto the conductor's clean uniform sleeve. A murmur went through the bus – but before things could get uncomfortable, a little girl started to laugh. "Look, Mummy, the bear has made the conductor all jammy!" The conductor wanted to look stern, but then he had to laugh too. "Well, you're certainly one of them. But make sure you have your ticket handy next time!" Paddington nodded obediently, finally handed him the crumpled ticket, and sat back down. As the bus continued on, he beamed. "That was exciting," he thought. "In Peru, a trip like that would have been much more peaceful. But in London, you learn something new around every bend." And so, despite the jam stain and the bumpy suitcase, he arrived at the end of his journey in a great mood – ready for the next adventure in the big city.