Wolstencroft the bear sat on a store shelf waiting to be bought. Though his name was long, he was comforted by rabbits Rita, Roger, and Ronnie. Rita suggested he go by "Woolly" to seem more friendly. When a boy named Sten (short for Wolstencroft) found the bear, they realized they shared a name. Sten took Woolly home, realizing their name wasn't so bad after all.

1. Wolstencroft the Bear
by Karen Lewis - Illustrated by
Michael S. Weber .

2. Not long ago and not far away there was a beautiful, big teddy bear
who sat on a shelf in a drug store waiting for someone to buy him and
give him a home.
His name was Wolstencroft. And he was no ordinary bear.

3. His fur was a lovely shade of light grey, and he had honey colored ears, nose and feet. His
eyes were warm and kind and he had a wonderfully wise look on his face.
Wolstencroft looked very smart in a brown plaid waistcoat with a gold satin bow tie at his
neck.
Attached to the tie was a tag with his name written in bold, black letters: Wolstencroft
He had arrived in the store just before Christmas when there had been a lovely big tree in
the window, all decorated with fairy lights. Yards and yards of sparkling tinsel had been
draped over everything, and holiday music had been playing all the time. Wolstencroft was
especially fond of Jingle Bells. He liked its light, tinkling sounds. It always made him feel
merry.

4. At that time there had been lots of other bears to keep him company. In fact, there had been
so many teddy bears crowded onto that one narrow shelf that he had scarcely had room to
move. But, one by one they had all gone. Gleefully waving goodbye as they were carried off to
their new homes. Until finally, he was the only teddy bear left in the entire store. He had
hoped that Santa Claus would drop by on Christmas Eve and deliver him to a good home. But
he hadn't. Santa had been too busy that year, delivering even more presents than usual.
Wolstencroft felt sad and lonely sitting there all by himself on the shelf that was high above the
Christmas cards. He longed to have a child take him home and love him and play with him.
But, most of all, to hug him. For no hug is ever too big for a teddy bear.
He was trying hard not to cry because he knew that tears would make his eyes all puffy and
red and then he would have even less chance of finding a home. But why oh why didn't
someone choose him?
Why, he wondered, was he passed over so many times for other less beautiful bears? Then
one day, shortly before Easter, three bunny rabbits were placed on the shelf beside him. They
all had very big ears and feet and long legs. All three were wearing woolen sweaters.

5. Then one day, shortly before Easter, three bunny rabbits were placed on the shelf beside
him. They all had very big ears and feet and long legs. All three were wearing woolen
sweaters. Rita Rabbit wore a pink sweater. Roger Rabbit a green one. And Ronnie wore blue.
Roger and Ronnie were twins, and Rita was their sister.
"My you are a handsome bear," Rita told Wolstencroft after the store had closed for the night.
"I'm surprised that no one has bought you and taken you home." "So am I," replied
Wolstencroft and, although he tried very hard to stop it, a tear rolled down his furry cheek.
Ronnie and Roger had jumped down off the shelf and were playing tag up and down the aisles.

6. "Be careful and don't knock anything over," Rita called to them.
Rita looked closely at Wolstencroft from every angle. She peered into his face and circled
around him, her nose twitching. He had noticed that bunnies' noses twitch a lot. Then she
sat down and remained deep in thought for a very long time.
"Well," he asked her, unable to stand the suspense any longer. "What do you think is
wrong with me? Why doesn't anyone want to buy me?"
"It must be your name," Rita answered.
"My name!" exclaimed Wolstencroft. "Why, what's wrong with my name?"
"Oh, there's nothing wrong with your name," Rita replied. "Wolstencroft is a wonderful
name, but it's too long for some people to say. Not everyone can pronounce it properly."
Now Wolstencroft had always been able to say his name correctly. But then, it was his
very own name and everyone can say his or her own name. At least he thought that they
could. Not when they are very little, of course. He couldn't say his name when he was a tiny
baby bear. But after he had started going to school he knew it very well.
"Wolstencroft," the teacher would call out. "Will you recite the alphabet for us today?"

7. And he would name all the letters from A to Z. All 26 of them. He was a very smart bear. On
Easter Sunday, very early just after the store had opened, a Mommy and Daddy bought Roger
and Ronnie for their twin boys.
"They look nice," Rita said. She was happy that her brothers had found a good home but felt
sad, too, because she was beginning to miss them already. At the front of the store a table had
been set up with chocolate Easter eggs. And as it was now Easter Sunday, they had been
marked down to half price. After everyone had gone home for the day,Wolstencroft picked
the nicest egg he could find and gave it to Rita, to cheer her up. They shared the egg, sucking
on the sweet creamy chocolate and making sure it didn't get onto their clothes.

8. Then they started to talk about the name Wolstencroft again."I wouldn't want to change it,"
Wolstencroft declared. " I mean it's me. I've had it all my life."But if it's stopping you from
getting a home," Rita insisted. "You may have to." She hopped
over to the book department and returned with a book called What to Name Baby .
Then she began reading out the names she thought might suit Wolstencroft."What about
Adrian?" she suggested. "It's a lovely name, very dignified." But Wolstencroft shook his head.
"Well, what do you think of Bernard? It actually means brave as a bear."But Wolstencroft was
not impressed. So Rita left the B's and began flipping
through the pages of the book, reading out a name for each letter of the alphabet starting with
C.

9. "Clive, David, Edwin, Francis, Graham, Howard, Ivan, Jeremy, Keith, Leonard, Miles,
Nathan, Oliver, Percy, Quentin, Rodney, Selwyn, Timothy, Ulysses, Vincent, Winston." And
here she stopped because the names beginning with X, Y and Z: Xavier, Yves and Zachary,
were too difficult to pronounce. There was no sense in taking a name that was even harder
to say than the one he already had. But
Wolstencroft didn't like any of the names she suggested. At least not for himself.
"They're all fine names," he said, popping a piece of chocolate into his mouth then dabbing
his mouth with a napkin. "But, they're just not me." Rita stayed lost in thought for a very
long time, tapping her cheek with her finger. And it wasn't until the big clock behind the
pharmacy counter struck ten that she finally spoke.
"I think I have the answer," she said. "You could have a name that's easy to say and keep
your name at the same time." Wolstencroft looked puzzled. "That doesn't make sense," he
replied. "Oh, but it does," Rita insisted. "You only have to shorten the name you have."
Wolstencroft began to look interested. "You mean I would still be Wolstencroft, but I'd
have a shorter, easier to pronounce name for those who preferred it." "That's right," she
cried excitedly. "And you have such a long name that there are several choices." And she
began ticking them off on her fingers.

10. "Woolly, Wolsten, Sten or Croft. Which one do you like best? "Wolstencroft thought very
carefully, mulling over each name in his mind "I like Croft," he decided at
last. It's very dignified. Rita looked disappointed. "I like Woolly best," she said. "It's so cuddly
and friendly. And you are woolly, you have a lovely thick coat." Wolstencroft looked
uncertain. "You would still be Wolstencroft," Rita reminded him. "And that's a very dignified
name indeed. Woolly would be a nice contrast." They talked it over for well into the night as
this was a very important decision. There are very few things as important as one's name. But
finally, just before the dawn rose in the eastern sky, Rita had convinced him that Woolly was
the best choice.
Wolstencroft said as he closed his eyes and prepared to sleep. "It's nice to be dignified, but
not to be stuff. And so it was that Wolstencroft became known as Woolly for short. "I bet
someone will come along and buy you tomorrow," Rita predicted as she fetched a black felt
pen from the stationery department and underneath Wolstencroft, wrote Woolly for
short. But Rita was wrong. It was she, and not Wolstencroft, who went to a new home the
next day. Nobody bought Wolstencroft that day. Or the next day. Or the day after that.

11. In fact, all through that entire year, which felt very long indeed to Wolstencroft, nobody
took him home to love and to hug him. And by this time he longed to be hugged so badly
that sometimes he thought he just couldn't stand it any longer. Because, of course, no hug
is too big for a teddy bear.
Soon it was almost Christmas time again. And the tinsel and the holly were decorating
the drug store. And the shoppers were all very merry and wearing gaily colored scarves and
mittens. But still no one bought Wolstencroft, who was feeling extra sad and lonely sitting
there all by himself high above the Christmas cards and wrapping paper.

12. It's my name he decided sadly, as a tear rolled down his furry cheek. I hate it. And so does
everyone else. I wish I were called anything but Wolstencroft. Even though it's now Woolly
for short . Then one frosty evening when the stars were sparkling in the night sky and
snowflakes were dancing past the windows, a little boy and his daddy came into the store.
"Hey look at this," said the daddy when he noticed Wolstencroft's name tag. "This teddy
bear has the same name as you! Only you're called Sten for short and he's called Woolly."
"What?" The boy called out in surprise.
"I didn't think anyone else in the whole great big world was called Wolstencroft." And just
like Wolstencroft the bear, he was beginning to hate his name. "Why don't you two get to
know each other?" the daddy suggested as he lifted Wolstencroft down from the shelf. And
the little boy wrapped his arms around his namesake, which means someone who has the
same name as yourself, and stroked his soft fur. And they both loved each other from that
moment on. "I love him daddy, can I have him for Christmas?" he asked hopefully. And
when his daddy said yes, danced around the store with Wolstencroft, almost colliding with
other shoppers as he did so.

13. Wolstencroft really wasn't such a bad name after all they both decided as they whirled
around the Christmas tree at the front of the store. In fact, it was starting to sound better
all the time now that they had found each other in this wonderful way.
Wolstencroft the bear had never remembered feeling this happy before. Indeed, he felt
so chock-full of joy that he thought he just might burst. He was going to a new home at last.
And he knew that this little boy, who was called Sten, would be his very best friend forever.
Then Sten gave him a hug so big that his tummy was squished. But, of course,
Wolstencroft didn't care. Because no hug is too big for a teddy bear.