CUTE BUT VICIOUS

by Barbara J. Olexer It is a lovely afternoon in Golden Gate Park. The sun is shiningso the morning mist has burned off and it is pleasantly warm. TheSeventh Fleet is home so there are lots of sailors everywhere inSan Francisco, including the park. This particular afternoon, four friends are strolling in the park, enjoying the flora and fauna,including the sailors. Of these four friends, one is sweet and verynice. One is rather dull but really very nice. One of them is verynice, albeit quite crazed. And the other one is cute, but vicious.Stella is a student at the San Francisco Academy of Art. Shehas a backpack slung over one shoulder and from it peers a teddy bear named Kulur. He is Stella’s mentor and constant companion.Stella is young, red-headed, and very pretty. Kulur is light brown

and very interested in everything that goes on around him,although he tends to be cynical about what he sees. Mim is Stella’smother; why she is called Mim instead of Mom has been lost in themists of antiquity. She answers to several other names, includingMargaret, Margie, Madge, Grandma, and Marge. She wouldanswer to Ms. Fitzgerald, too, only no one ever calls her that. Mimis round and carries a large handbag, open at the top, from which plush and perky Chipmunk Man peeks out at the world. Chipmunk Man is very curious and rather mischievous.“Stella, wait a minute,” puffs Mim.Stella turns and stops, looking at Mim to see what she wants.“Is this a foot race or a pleasure expedition?” demands Mim.“I’m sorry, Mim. I forgot about your bunions. Do you want tostop and rest somewhere?”“Sure. How about getting a cup of tea in the Japanese Garden?”“Good idea,” Stella agrees.The four friends go into the garden and sit down at a table.There are a number of others already seated. Two sailors are sittingat the next table and they smile at Stella and Mim, who smile back at them.Mim looks around at the garden, admiring the little red hump- backed bridge and the trees and bushes and streamlets. “This isnice,” she says. “It’s so cool and beautiful.”Stella sets her backpack on a bench so Kulur Bear is facing thetable. Mim sets her handbag on the bench beside her andChipmunk Man twitches his tail excitedly at all the new sights andsmells. The waitress brings tea and a plate of small cookies. Mimnotices that the two sailors are trying to entice a squirrel to their table by holding out bits of cooky.“We can walk through the garden, if you want to,” Stella says.Kulur Bear helps himself to a cooky.“I’d love to,” Mim says. “I haven’t seen anything this prettysince I left Oregon.”“Okay, good.”“Excuse me, may I have a drink, please?” asks Kulur politely.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Kulur,” exclaims Stella, handing him her teacup.“I don’t see why we have to share a cup always. Why can’t Ihave my own?” Kulur complains. No one notices that Chipmunk Man scampers out of Mim’shandbag and over to the two sailors. They delightedly feed himcookies.“Well, Kulur, it’s just that not many people understand about bears and they think it so odd when I order tea for my teddy bear.”“That’s stupid,” says Kulur scornfully.“I know but that’s the way people are,” says Mim, hoping tosoothe him down.“Well, I don’t like it. What if Stella has some disgusting humandisease and I catch it from her?”“You’re being very rude, Kulur Bear. Next time I don’t think I’ll bring you at all,” says Stella.“Can I have another cooky?” asks Kulur, ignoring Stella’scomments.Mim gives him a pink cooky.“Where’s Chipmunk Man, Mim?” asks Stella. “He’s probablyhungry and thirsty, too.”“Of course he is. I hadn’t forgotten him, I was waiting for thetea to cool so it wouldn’t burn him. Chipmunk Man? Are youhungry?”Mim picks up a cooky and holds it over her handbag. She seesthat Chipmunk Man is gone. “Oh, no, Stella, Chipmunk Man isgone.”Stella jumps up and looks around wildly.“Gone? I hope he hasn’t been kidnapped. Kidnapped?Chipmunknapped. Chipnapped?”“People,” says Kulur, shaking his head sorrowfully.“Chipmunk Man is fine,” he announces. “He’s conning those twosailors out of cookies.”Mim and Stella look around and see Chipmunk Man on thesailors’ table.