Pinky and the Sacred Quest
By the Wizard of Woy
For all of my grandchildren … May your adventures spread love and peace in the world. … with special thanks to Grayson, August and Sid, who encouraged me to write of these adventures.
Preface
“Pinky and the Sacred Quest” is a tale of travel and adventure of a little pink teddy and his companion. But it is more. It tells us that, throughout history, people have been faced with ethical, moral and social dilemmas ... where conscience battles self-interest. Each story is intended to shed light on the issues of conscience that must have confronted people known to us through history (or in some cases, through legend). Pinky is associated with the desire to do good, while the drop bears are associated with greed, pride and self-interest.
“Pinky and the Sacred Quest” is not a religious work and is not intended to explore theology. However, it would be negligent to ignore the role of religion in shaping conscience, and thus changing history. For this reason, I have included some narratives which touch on religiously significant incidents. In such stories (unlike Pinky’s other adventures), he is just an observer ... he plays no active role and there are no drop bears. These narratives consist only of quotations from the relevant scripture, with a little added contextual explanation.
“Pinky and the Sacred Quest” is a work of fiction, and its modern characters are fictitious. However, fictitious Ren and fictitious Pinky are inspired by, and very loosely based on, real Ren and real Pinky, who travelled widely together before being separated in Paris.
As your adventures take you out of your own comfort-zone and into the homelands of others, may I urge you to always exude quiet respect, kindness and compassion. Try to understand the battles of conscience that shaped our ancestors, and recognise that we (like others) face the same dilemmas.
My fervent hope is that “your adventures spread love and peace in the world”.
Pinky’s Preparation
Tarry … I tell a tale of a tiny teddy’s time travels. Pinky’s adventure starts in England, or perhaps a little earlier in Australia. Pinky was born somewhere in Sydney, but he does not know where. As a very young bear, he was adopted by little Ren, who loved him dearly. As Ren grew older, Pinky would go everywhere with her … kindy, primary and high school … parties and picnics … beaches and bushwalks. He even climbed Mount Kosciuszko with Ren, and held the record as the highest bear in Australia. They were inseparable.
Then came the time for Ren to leave home, for her great overseas adventure. Mum and Dad, her sisters and all her friends came down to the airport to wave good-bye. Pinky was heart-broken. How could he be parted from his beloved Ren? But then came unexpected help. Dad and Ro helped Pinky into the suitcase, and he too was off – but for a much bigger adventure than he could possibly imagine.
Pinky and the Round Table
Ren and Pinky settled down to quiet English life. Ren made new friends in the school where she worked and Pinky spent his leisure reading history. In fact, he became quite an expert. They both developed a great love of medieval English literature; Ren would sprawl on the lounge reading late into the night with Pinky looking over her shoulder.
Pinky’s favorite was the Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d'Arthur. The epic adventures of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere and his Knights of the Round Table filled the little bear with awe and excitement. Never had he imagined such adventure and chivalry, such passion and intrigue, such betrayal and redemption, such anger and forgiveness. But even a little bear cannot avoid sleep, and sometime during the “search for the holy grail”, exhaustion took hold.
“Pinky … Pinky ... Wake up. Pinky, please help us!” There in front of him was the most beautiful bear he had ever beheld. Never before had his dark little eyes gazed on such radiant beauty, never before had he felt so alive, and never before had his little bear heart beat so fast. His little legs were jelly and his tongue tied itself in knots tighter than his bow tie.
“Who are you?”
“I am Gwennybear ... companion of my beautiful Queen Guinevere. Oh Pinky ... It has all gone so wrong” she sobbed. “I am sure that you have read much of what has happened, but let me tell you the background to this great tragedy. Roman armies invaded Britain about 2,000 years ago and occupied the land as part of the greater Roman Empire, for about 400 years. Sometimes they were cruel to the native British population, but it was mostly a time of peace. However, increasing invasions and rebellions by Germanic tribes (notably the Saxons and Angles) from across the channel, undermined the rule of Roman government, and the land descended into chaos and warfare. Smaller kingdoms took the place of central government, and it was a time of great confusion. Legend says that a kingdom called Camelot emerged in the west. And that is where my lovely Queen Guinevere lived happily with her husband King Arthur Pendragon. But when the handsome and dashing Sir Lancelot joined the Knights of the Round Table, she was infatuated. And now King Arthur is consumed by jealousy, and vowing to take his revenge on both Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere. Lancelot has escaped to France but Arthur is pursuing him closely. Oh Pinky, please help Guinevere bring this feud to an end.”
“But why me?” gasped Pinky.
“Pinky, I will share with you the “Great Truths of the Teddies”, revealed to me by the ancient Wizard. But you must vow never to reveal it. No matter what happens, all that I now tell must remain a secret.” And so Pinky promised. “Pinky, teddies are a very special breed of bear. Your role throughout all ages is to watch over and care for humans … to quietly comfort them when they are sad and to put things right when they have problems. But now Pinky, a great evil is about in the world. Many centuries ago, the wicked Society of Drop Bears was formed, intent on creating misery and havoc amongst humans. Behind all of the great tragedies of history, you can see the paw of the Drop Bears. For the sake of humans, they must be stopped. Pinky, you have been chosen for this sacred quest … to travel the world, back and forward through time fighting the evil Drop Bears, and spreading the word of peace and love. It will be lonely dangerous work, but you must do it … Pinky, there is no other.”
He could not resist ... the loungeroom blurred, a blinding FLASH, and Pinky (with beautiful Gwennybear at his side) was transported back 1,700 years to the bleak wind-blown cliffs of southern England. And there, crouching precariously on a rocky precipice rising steeply out of the crashing surf, was a young woman.
“Oh ... My poor queen”, howled Gwennybear ... “Please !!! do not fall. Please !!! be careful. I have brought Pinky. He will know what to do.”
“Come with me Queen Guinevere,” Pinky commanded. “Come away from the edge. Come with me and find peace from your torments.” Pinky reached out his little pink paw, and very slowly she turned to face him. As she raised her trembling hand, her delicate fingers entwining in the teddy’s extended paw, she drew back cautiously from the cliff.
Soon the three were back in the warmth and safety of Camelot. Guinevere sat sobbing incessantly, Gwennybear gently stroking her golden hair, while Pinky listened intently to the confessions of the penitent queen.
Then he turned, gazed deeply into her swollen red eyes, and slowly pronounced, “Queen Guinevere, you have allowed your passion to overwhelm what you know is right ... what you know is good for everyone whom you love. You must confess this before God and vow to live righteously from this day forward.”
And with heartfelt sincerity, Guinevere did as Pinky had advised.
Now Pinky had another pressing mission. King Arthur and Sir Lancelot were engaged in life-and-death combat somewhere in France, and he must prevent disaster. Another brilliant FLASH, and Pinky and Gwennybear were instantly transported to a French field, shrouded in fog and flanked by a woodland on one side, with the River Seine on the other. To their left was Sir Lancelot, urged on by a cluster of ugly black bears and to their right was King Arthur, also attended by a troop of equally sinister beastly bears. Immediately Pinky recognised the evil influence that was driving both men to destruction.
Holding up both his front paws, he addressed Arthur and Lancelot together. “You have both allowed jealousy to consume you. You must instantly stop this violence. Your actions will destroy you both ... and will destroy Guinevere too!”
The threat to Guinevere slowly dawned on both men. They lowered their swords, and as they did so both groups of drop bears cowered and shrank away into the gloom of the mists. King Arthur and Sir Lancelot were reconciled.
It was over. History ... or is it legend? ... Who knows? ... But the story continues. King Arthur, forgave both Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere. He returned to England to uphold the honour of Camelot, but in the ensuing battles he was mortally wounded by his arch-enemy, Mordred. Stricken by grief, Arthur’s half-sister, Morgan, took his body to the sacred Isle of Avalon where he remained. His sword, the magical Excalibur, was thrown into the enchanted lake where it was caught and secreted away by the mysterious Lady of the Lake. Guinevere remained true to her vow of penitence and dedicated her life to the service of God in a convent. Lancelot, chastened by the death of his friend, Arthur, and his separation from Guinevere, followed her example of penitence devoting himself also to the service of God.
Pinky and Gwennybear sat paw-in-paw in the twilight of the deserted battlefield considering all that had happened, the poignancy of the moment invoking a mutual tenderness. Choking back the tears, the little pink teddy stammered, “I must return to Ren. Will I ever see you again?”
With a sweet little smile, the lovely Gwennybear, answered, “Pinky, you are destined to wander the world across the ages caring for humans. But ... yes ... I am sure that we will be together again”. And ... FLASH … Pinky was again in Ren’s lounge room, this time sprawled on the floor. Was it all a dream? … surely not.
Pinky in Jerusalem
It was summer ... The English summer was not quite up to the standard of an Australian summer, but at least it was warmer than the winter ... and the daylight lasted longer too. In the summer Ren and Pinky travelled … back-packing all over Europe, and finally a trip to Israel and Egypt. Ren trusted in God and followed Jesus, so she was deeply moved as she reflected on the events of 2,000 years ago. Pinky too loved accompanying her, and he was looking forward to visiting all of the historic sites and seeking to understand the transformative process of Christianity.
And then it happened ... FLASH ... and Pinky was back there in the dead of night witnessing a conversation between two men. “Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing, if God were not with him.’ ….
In reply, Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ….
‘How can a man be born when he is old?’, Nicodemus said to him.
Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God ... Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? ...”
Nicodemus had been impressed by the works of Jesus, but was confused by the words that had been spoken that night. However, he was an intelligent man, with power and influence, and he must have been genuinely seeking the truth. He also must have been troubled by events that were swirling around him, and chastened by the hardening of the murderous attitude of his fellow Pharisees. Jesus had made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and had been teaching of love and mercy in the temple. The Pharisees and other religious leaders, were clearly furious at the loss of their power. There had been an abortive attempt to arrest Jesus, and now the chief Pharisees, outraged at its failure, were making their plans to arrest Jesus.
But … “Nicodemas, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their number, asked, ‘Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?’
They replied, ‘Are you from Galilee too?’ …”
Nicodemus risked all to speak up in defense of Jesus, and now he had suffered the ignominious derision of his peers as a result. Nicodemus had taken the irrevocable step of moving from questioning to commitment. But the support by Nicodemus was in vain. In a mock trial, the Jewish leaders demanded that Jesus die. They secured the acquiescence the Roman governor, Pilate, who condemned Jesus to death by crucifixion.
“Later Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now, Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemas, the man who had earlier visited Jesus at night. Nicodemas brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes …”
And so, Nicodemus had been moved from commitment to action ... no longer a questioner, no longer simply committed, but now acting out his faith.
FLASH ... And Pinky was back in modern times. Pinky knew that the basis of the Christian faith was much more profound than what he had witnessed on those three brief occasions, so many centuries earlier. But he also knew that he had witnessed the process of conversion, when an intelligent, caring (but misguided) man was brave enough to question his own beliefs and to seek enlightenment, in the process becoming committed, and then emboldened to put those beliefs into action. There were no drop bears this time, just the simple working of a growing faith. Perhaps Pinky now better understood his beloved Ren.
Pinky at Amarna
As their summer holiday continued, Ren and Pinky went by coach out of Israel, across the top of the Sinai Peninsula, crossing the Suez Canal into Egypt ... the ancient land of the pharaohs. A trip to Luxor … Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, the gigantic Ramses II, tombs of Tut Ankh Amun, Tuthmosis III and others, the Deir el-Bahar temple complex of Hatshepsut and many other temples, tombs and museums. Up the river by boat to Aswan, and on to the mighty temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel. And then back to Cairo for the pyramids, the sphinx and the museum. It was here, in the Cairo Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, that Pinky’s next adventure started. As Ren, Pinky in hand, sat gazing at the stunning bust of the beautiful ancient Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, she became very sleepy – so sleepy that her eyelids were too heavy to stay open. She fell into a deep slumber, letting Pinky fall from her grasp.
As Pinky impacted the hard-stone floor, he was instantly awake. He had never felt like this before. Teddies are usually sleepy little bears, who normally sit quietly in the bedroom during the day, and only move around in the darkness of night, when everyone else is asleep. Have you ever noticed when you wake in the morning, that your teddy is not where you left him the night before? That is because your teddy has been out on the town, enjoying himself a bit too much, and can’t quite remember where he is supposed to be. But I have wandered from our story – Pinky was wide awake, while Ren was fast asleep.
And then he saw her – Nefertiti talking to him from the bust. “Pinky ... Pinky”, she called in a soft low melodic voice. “Pinky, come to me”. Now even Pinky was struck by de ja vue ... This all seemed very familiar.
“Who ... Who are you?” Pinky stammered (which was equally strange, since these were the first words that Pinky had ever spoken to a statue).
“I am Nefertiti, Queen of Upper and Lower Egypt. My husband, the Pharaoh Akhenaten, needs your help.”
Why did she seem to have such confidence in his powers? And then he remembered the “Great Truths of the Teddies”, revealed to him by Gwennybear. “Teddies are a very special breed of bear. Their role throughout all ages is to watch over and care for humans – to quietly comfort them when they are sad and to put things right when they have problems – and to travel the world, back and forward through time fighting the evil Society of Drop Bears, and spreading the word of peace and love.” Perhaps many people of years past also knew and trusted the teddies. Perhaps they too were afflicted by the dastardly drop bears, and perhaps they too had heard of Pinky’s hand in fighting evil.
And so, in a FLASH, Pinky was transported back 3,350 years to the bank of the River Nile, to the shimmering new city of Amarna. But here in front of him on the burning bank, a band of ugly bears surrounded and tormented a broken and twisted man in royal robes. Without another thought, Pinky hurled himself into the midst of the evil drop bears. But to the surprise of all, he simply raised his paw in a sign of peace! One-by-one the drop bears backed away, unable to comprehend that their violence could be defeated by a single act of kindness.
As the band of bears beat a hasty retreat, a broken voice beckoned - “Pinky, I am Akhenaten. I have been Pharaoh for seventeen years, and I have brought my people into the light of a new religion of peace and love. But now, as I lie here dying, I must know what will become of my works”.
Pinky was aghast … how could he, a bumbling bear, advise one such as the great Pharaoh? Then he remembered the Sacred Quest, and with quiet determination he spoke these words. “Oh, mighty Pharaoh Akhenaten, you have lived a life of love … striving to bring peace and harmony to your people. Your religion will not last another generation, but your efforts are not in vain. Your commitment will shine as a shimmering example, like the Aten, as an inspiration to future generations, who will strive to bring peace and love to the world.”
“Pinky, I am deeply moved by your wisdom. May you continue your role of spreading love through the world.” And so, Akhenaten drew his last breath. A sudden blinding FLASH, and Pinky was thrown to the ground … a sharp pain in his head, and all went dark. When he awoke, he was once more in Ren’s hand. What had happened? … Was he dreaming again? What new adventures await Ren and Pinky?
Pinky at the Sydney Opera House
Ren and Pinky had flown home to Sydney for a quick Christmas visit. Mum and Dad, sisters and school friends … they were all there and they were all enthralled by the stories of their travels. Pinky loved travelling, but he was also glad to be home for a while. Once again, he was in the company of his childhood companions, the many other bears who had been adopted by Ren and her sisters. Koala was there, so too were blind Panda and Brownie (who Dad called Lamington Bear because he was chocolate coloured with speckled white fur), and a shaggy brown bear named Duke Donkey. No one knows why he was called such a strange name ... He just was.
The morning was crisp and clear. Pinky had been here before. He remembered now ... when Ren was in high school, she had brought her little pink teddy to her annual school speech day … a sea of pink uniforms as a thousand high school girls swarmed over the Sydney Opera House concourse, and into the concert hall.
Last night Koala had told him a strange story. “Tomorrow”, Koala had said, “Ren is taking you back down to the Sydney Opera House ... You know, where she took you before, when you were just a young teddy. Down there on Bennelong Point … a most historic part of Australia. Did I ever tell you about my ancestor, Benoala? No? Well, you young teddies should know a bit of your Australian history. Benoala was only a young koala in January 1788 when he was up there in a gum tree near the entrance to the harbour. Down below, two men were arguing. They were not friends, because they disagreed on a very important matter ... what to do about the boat people. The older man, Pemulwuy, wanted to stop the boats, to fight the white intruders ... ‘Stop the boats!’ would be his cry. But the younger man, Bennelong, had a deeper insight into how this situation would develop over time. There were too many of these white people, there would be more boats and their weapons were far too advanced for the local Eora people. The only way forward was to cooperate with them, to learn their ways, and to survive. After a while a great sickness, smallpox the white people called it, came over the Eroa people, and many died. A young Eroa boy, Arabanoo, had been captured by the white people, and was living with them, but he also died of the smallpox. Soon afterwards, a boat with white soldiers pretending to trade approached the beach at the place that the white people call Manly Cove (they thought the Eora men looked very brave and manly). Bennelong and his friend, Colbee, were fishing there, but as soon as they came near to the boat, the white people grabbed them, pushed off into deeper water, and rowed quickly back to their settlement. Bennelong and Colbee were their new captives. But then events took a strange turn. Although Colbee escaped, Bennelong stayed for several months. It turned out that the leader of the white people, Arthur Phillip was his name, was very kind to Bennelong, and during this time they became friends. Then Bennelong left the settlement to go back to his own people. Arthur Phillip was keen to keep good relations with the Eora people, and to see his friend Bennelong, so he organized a whale feast in Manly Cove.”
For Pinky, the story was getting much too exciting. He could imagine the tension in the situation ... about 20 Eroa men fully armed with spears, and about half a dozen white men with their deadly muskets. Arthur Phillip slowly walked towards Bennelong, when … FLASH ... Pinky was there on the shore between the two groups. Bennelong invited Arthur Phillip to approach a man called Willemering. But as he did, Willemering raised his spear and thrust it through Arthur Phillip’s shoulder.
And now Pinky could see it all ... There, in the bushes behind the Eroa men, was a group of snarling drop bears, fanning their fear and hatred. And over there, behind the white soldiers, another group of vicious drop bears, goading them towards revenge for their wounded leader. Pinky was jolted into action, raising both his front paws in a sign of defiance, he commanded the drop bears to cease their evil, and be gone. And, to everyone’s surprise, they did. The Eora men lowered their spears and the soldiers did not fire their muskets. Instead, they hurried Arthur Phillip away to safety. Later the soldiers learned that the spearing was not meant to kill Arthur Phillip, but rather to inflict a ritual ‘pay-back’, a punishment, for his abduction of Bennelong months earlier. And after that Bennelong and Arthur Phillip became even closer friends. They even travelled together half way around the world by boat to England.
Pinky’s work was done, so ... FLASH ... and he was back again with Koala in the bedroom. But Pinky was curious as to what happened after Bennelong and Arthur Phillip went to England. So, Koala continued, “Benoala has passed this story down through the generations of our Koala Clan. Arthur Phillip retired from the navy and stayed in England. After nearly three years away, Bennelong came back to Australia, much wiser for his travels and adventures, and he became a leader of his people. Pemulwuy’s violent resistance did not stop the boats, and eventually he was killed by the white people. Although the Eora and other aboriginal people suffered terribly over the next two hundred years, the wisdom of Bennelong and his friendship with Arthur Phillip showed clearly that different people can live together in Australia if they are prepared to understand and respect each other’s ways.”
By now, all of the other bears in the bedroom had dosed off, but Pinky and Koala chatted on for a while. Pinky was beginning to understand the complexity of human relationships, and how the fear of the unknown can play such a negative role in human behaviour. He also understood how important that travel can be in banishing that fear.
Just before the drowsy Koala dosed off, he murmured, “Benoala also said that someone called the Lizard had given Captain Arthur Phillip a parcel to take north on his expedition to a place called Woy. I think he said Lizard”. Finally, Pinky fell asleep too ... dreaming of his last encounter with those wicked drop bears.
Pinky and the Pandas
It was time for Ren and Pinky to return to the English country school where they lived, but first a stop-over in China. Beijing’s Great Wall, Shanghai’s Pudong night lights across the Huangpu River, and then a trip into the inland heart of this ancient land, to Ya’an City. This was Ren’s special treat to her favourite pink teddy.
In 2008, an earthquake had destroyed the habitat of over fifty giant pandas, and it became necessary to find them new homes. Many of the giant pandas were transported to Beijing, Chengdu and Fuzhou, and over forty were taken to the Bifengxia Panda Base about an hour’s drive from Ya'an City. Here Pinky was about to meet his heroes ... Hua Mei, Mei Sheng, Su Lin and many others. But his favourite new-found friend was young Tai Shan, a fuzzy ball of fun! They roamed all over the forest, climbing trees and scaling boulders. Tai Shan showed Pinky how to pick and nibble the sweetest bamboo shoots, although Pinky was not too sure he wanted to switch from his normal diet of chocolate Tim Tams.
Tai Shan told of his earthquake experiences, but most of all, he wanted to hear all about Pinky’s adventures. It seemed that Tai Shan already knew a lot about Pinky ... he was “legendary”, so Tai Shan said. Pinky was flabbergasted. He had no idea that he was so well known. So Tai Shan started to explain. “When I was a little panda, my parents told me of the hard times many hundreds of years ago. Although the hunting of pandas is now (thankfully) banned in China, there was a time when pandas were hunted by humans for food and as medicine. In early times, pandas were considered to be rare and noble creatures, but gradually superstitious people during the Qin Dynasty thought that panda furs had magical powers and used their skins as medicine for women. It was just awful. The Qin scholars produced an encyclopedia called the ‘Erva’, and even this learned book described in detail how it was thought that panda skins could be used to relieve pain.”
Pinky was appalled. How could humans be so cruel, hunting these magnificent bears for such a stupid and misguided reason. He was about to ... FLASH ... What just happened? No, not time travel again! But yes … he was back in Qin times. Gathered around him were a frightened group of fuzzy black and white furry pandas. Cautiously, the timid creatures approached the little pink teddy. Then one stepped a little further forward, and, in a low voice stammered (in a universal language that only bears understand),
“Are ... are you Pinky? … I … I mean … are you the real Pinky? … the famous one?”
Pinky was once again amazed. How did these primitive bears from rural China two thousand years ago know who he was? “I guess so”, he replied. And then the pandas poured out all their troubles; how they were being hunted and how their population was being reduced.
Pinky thought for a while, and then he thought for a while more, and finally he turned to them. “I can see the problem. Humans are goaded into greed by the evil drop bears, who convince them that all other creatures must only exist to be exploited by them. It is an evil that will persist for a long time, but eventually (in my time), humans will come to see that all animals, and all plants contribute to the diversity of a healthy earth.” Pinky was about to say “planet”, but then he realised that pandas of that time (like most humans) were not familiar with the concept of “planets”, so he decided to say “earth”. Humans will finally see that they have a responsibility to care for all of the other animals, all of the plants, all of the insect, and for all living things. And the Chinese people will start to care for their pandas. They will preserve wildlife sanctuaries and they will ban hunting. It will take time, and many less-educated people will not understand, while many greedy people will resist. But eventually those who care for the planet … I mean care for the earth ... will eventually win, and the pandas will be safe. Until that time, you pandas must go up into the remote mountains and hide from the humans. Come out to gather bamboo shoots only when it is safe. If you do this, you will survive until a time when kindly humans will have the authority to look after you.”
“Thank you, Pinky. We will do as you say. We will hide from the humans until it is safe.” And all the pandas were nodding their fuzzy heads.
Pinky stepped forward to shake the paw of the leader, but … FLASH ... and he was back in Bifengxia Panda Base again with his friend Tai Shan.
As Pinky finished explaining his journey to Tai Shan, the giant panda mused, “That explains a lot. Although there are lots of Chinese paintings of other bears and of bamboo from the earliest times, until the 20th century, there are no known paintings of giant pandas”.
So, the giant pandas remained safe. Although their numbers dropped alarmingly, the kindly humans of modern times have managed to rescue them and their numbers are now increasing in refuges like Bifengxia Panda Base.
Pinky’s Confusion
Ren and Pinky had enjoyed their time at the Bifengxia Panda Base with their new friend Tai Shan. But when they were about to say good-bye, he appeared to be very troubled. “Pinky”, the great panda finally said, “You have done great works throughout the ages, but may I ask one more favour please. There is a legend in my family about my ancestor, Panda Kong (but we call him Pandako), who lived in northern China about 2,550 years ago. He was greatly perplexed by some the actions of his master, the great Kǒng Fūzǐ. Now you may not recognise the name Kǒng Fūzǐ (which means Master Kong), but perhaps you might be more familiar with the name by which he is more widely known outside China, Confucius. But let’s use his correct name.”
And so, Tai Shan’s story began: “Kǒng Fūzǐ was born into a very poor family in the Kingdom of Lu. It was around the beginning of the Warring States Period, when many of the principalities fought civil wars to rule over the others. His father died when he was three years old, and his mother died when he was 23. But Kǒng Fūzǐ was fortunate to have received a good education, and he was able to work in various government positions. Kǒng Fūzǐ married Qiguan when he was 19 and they soon had the first of their three children. They seemed destined to be a comfortable ordinary middle class ancient Chinese family. But Kǒng Fūzǐ was a skilled politician of the highest ethics. He soon established a good reputation through his ethical teachings, emphasizing respect for established authority, loyalty to the legitimate ruler and obedience to the laws. He began teaching at the age of 30, and taught more than 3,000 students during his lifetime. And then came his crisis. Three of the aristocratic families (the Ji, Meng and Shu) revolted against the Duke of Lu, and civil war was looming. The Ji family had dominated the Lu state for generations and had exiled the previous Duke of Lu. Kǒng Fūzǐ’s teaching, including loyalty to the legitimate ruler, dictated a return of authority to the duke. After a year and a half, Kǒng Fūzǐ succeeded in convincing the Ji, Meng and Shu families to dismantle the walls of their fortified cities, to stop their rebellion and so re-establish a centralized government. But before the walls of the cities could be destroyed, another revolt broke out. Gongshan (a former Ji family retainer) revolted against the Ji family and took control of the forces at the Ji city of Bi. His aim was to destroy the three hereditary families and restore the power of the Duke of Lu. Gongshan was an honourable man, and he approached Kǒng Fūzǐ to join him. Even though Kǒng Fūzǐ disapproved the use of a violent revolution, he considered joining Gongshan."
FLASH ... and suddenly Pinky joined Pandako beside Kǒng Fūzǐ in Bi in northern China 2,530 years ago. But they were not alone. There with the great master and his two cuddly companions were two groups of black bears ... the dreaded drop bears. Through the millennia, Chinese politics has been dogged by secret societies, and the wicked Society of Drop Bears was the worst. But this time they seemed different. The drop bears were not snarling and vicious, but placid and ... could it be? .... smiling. What strange turn of events is this?
Kǒng Fūzǐ wanted to put his principles into practice, to support Gongshan in his rebellion against the powerful families, and thus bring back power to the rightful ruler, the Duke of Lu. But this would have involved a long war and many deaths. Perhaps Kǒng Fūzǐ should abandon his principles, support the Ji, Meng and Shu families to defeat Gongshan in a quick action, and thus avoid a major war.
The drop bears on one side were urging, “Kǒng Fūzǐ – You are the wisest man in China and you know what is right. You must stick to your principles. You must always uphold law and order and support the legal government, do good and resist evil, even if it means war”.
But the drop bears on the other side argued, “Kǒng Fūzǐ – You know that adhering to the law will result in war. You cannot let this happen. You must do what you can to avoid death and suffering, even if you have to abandon your principles to allow the violence to pass”.
Principle versus Pragmatism. Pride versus Practicality. For once the drop bears made sense ... or did they? Perhaps this was how evil works. It is good to stick to principle … but is this because we are too proud to admit we are wrong? Practical solutions that reduce suffering are good … but does pragmatism lead to a loss of direction? Both are powerful arguments. For once Pinky was confused. He seemed powerless to fight evil, because he did not know which action was right. Pandako could not help either. He loved Kǒng Fūzǐ, and he knew that his master was torn by the dilemma.
But ... FLASH ... a bewildered Pinky was back in the 21st century with his friend, the giant panda Tai Shan. Gathering his thoughts, he asked “So what did happen?”.
“Pandako’s story has been passed down the panda generations. Kǒng Fūzǐ gave up on his principles and adopted the pragmatic approach to limit the scale of the war. He ordered two Ji officers to attack Gongshan. Immediately after the revolt was quickly defeated, the Ji family was forced to dismantle their family fortress to prevent the rebels finding refuge there. But, when it was time for the Meng family to dismantle their city wall, they refused. The newly empowered Duke of Lu personally led an army to destroy the walls, but he did not succeed and therefore he again lost any authority that he had previously managed to retrieve. Thus, he failed to achieve his idealistic reforms of restoring power to the legitimate rule of the duke, and the three families remained in control. Through these events, Kǒng Fūzǐ became a target of Ji family revenge and, despite his fame, he was forced into self-exile for many years.”
It was not a happy ending, although it is hard to see how such ruthless and selfish men could have cooperated to bring about a peaceful solution. Poor Kǒng Fūzǐ suffered humiliation and despair, which took many years to overcome. Sometimes evil wins by appearing to be good, and by using pride to undermine our conscience. And so, a very confused Pinky joined Ren as they left the panda base to resume their holiday.
Pinky and the Warriors
Ren and Pinky were off on another adventure and this time their journey took them inland to the heart of China to visit the famous terracotta warriors near the ancient capital Xian. Pinky had read a little history of the famous Terracotta Warriors, how the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang, of 2,240 years ago had created an army of clay statues (over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots and 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses) to be buried with him in his mausoleum when he died. Pinky with Ren and the crowds of other tourists, were now here confronting thousands of these life-like terracotta statues.
Cameras flashed all around, and then another bigger FLASH ... Hey, where were all the tourists? Where was Ren? Where was he? He blinked ... there in front of Pinky were 8,000 soldiers ... live ones, not terracotta statues ... and he blinked again. Were his eyes deceiving him? No!!! These were not human soldiers; these were ugly black bears clad in the soldier’s armor ... the dreaded drop bears!!! Pinky turned to run, but a little teddy’s legs were too short, and he was not fast enough. A drop bear tackled him, then another, and then a third one. They were all over him, piling on top of the struggling teddy. Poor little Pinky, was this to be his end? .... smothered by drop bears in the tomb of the Chinese emperor.
But no, at the last minute a towering giant drop bear, clad from head to paw with shining bronze armor, stepped forward, grabbed Pinky by the scruff of the neck and wrested him from the melee. “You, my little pink bear, are coming with me. The Emperor will be very keen to question a Han spy”.
“Han spy ... what is he talking about?” Chinese history surged through the little bear’s pink tiny brain. “Yes ... of course. Even though China is named after the Qin dynasty, they only lasted for 15 years in power before being supplanted by the Han dynasty.” Pinky had to explain quickly that he was an innocent pink teddy, who had stumbled into this situation. He did not dare tell them that he was a time-traveler, because he was sure that they would not understand.
Some frantic whispering between the giant drop bear and the others followed, but Pinky’s sharp hearing was able to detect, “... the other pink one ...” and, “... perhaps this one could be useful ...” and even more frightening, “…… maybe we should not do away with him … yet”. “All right pink bear, you survive for a while. But from now on you are working for Emperor Quin Er Shi.”
“Hmmm”, thought Pinky. “Emperor Quin Er Shi was the son of the powerful Emperor Quin Shi Huang, who must have died recently. I cannot afford to make him my enemy or I might end up as teddy-on-toast!”. “All right”, Pinky loudly declared, “Take me to the Emperor”.
Like all other courtiers, Pinky had to crawl forward on his tubby tummy, into the presence of Emperor Quin Er Shi. The Emperor, who have been receiving advice from some important-looking court officials, finally turned to Pinky and said. “Pink bear, we know that you are very powerful, for we have heard the legends of how you helped Kǒng Fūzǐ (you call him Confucius) in his time of trouble. I have inherited the Mandate of Heaven from my father; so, I have the right and the obligation to rule the whole of a united China. But, there are rebels in the land, and I need you to lead my army of drop bears against the rebellious Han army of Liu Bang. He also claims the Mandate of Heaven, and he commands a vast army. This includes a contingent of drop bears commanded by another pink teddy. There are even rumors that their pink teddy is a female ... a witch. She and her army must be destroyed by you, Pink teddy .... or else!”
Chastened by this threat, Pinky was spirited away, clad in a tiny suit of bronze armour, and placed at the head of the advancing Qin army. Drawing closer from the opposite direction, he could see first a huge cloud of dust, then thousands of drop bears of the Han army and then finally (at their head) a pretty pink teddy. Pinky’s heart sank. It was his beloved Gwennybear leading opposing army. Pinky had never forgotten Gwennybear, but he had forgotten that she too could time travel. Both armies halted, the dust settling around them, and both teddies were forced forward to confront each other.
“Oh, Pinky it is you”, sobbed Gwennybear. “They forced me to lead this wretched Han army, because Liu Bang claims the Mandate of Heaven.”
“My darling Gwennybear, how can this be? Quin Er Shi also claims the Mandate of Heaven. God cannot be on both opposing sides in a war. Perhaps God is on neither side. All wars are evil, caused by greed and fear. Gwennybear, we are both in great danger. There is no glory or honour in leading these armies. We must use our combined powers to escape.”
Gwennybear and Pinky clasped paws, and, before anyone could separate them .... FLASH. Stunned, but otherwise unhurt, still paw in paw, Gwennybear and Pinky blinked and looked about.
“I think we are back in the 21st century ... in the Xian museum of the Terracotta Warriors,” Pinky gasped.
“What happened in the war between the Qin and the Han, two thousand years ago?” Gwennybear asked.
“Liu Bang, the Han leader won the war and also beat other rebels. He became emperor of the whole of China, founding the powerful Han dynasty, which went on to rule the country for another 426 years. It was considered a golden age of prosperity and trade. Even the Silk Road trade routes stretching west to distant Europe were established during this time. Silks and other important exotic commodities were exported to Europe, in exchange for gold and other valuables of the Roman Empire”.
“I know of the Roman Empire”, exclaimed Gwennybear. “Romans ruled most of Europe, north Africa and parts of Asia for about 600 years, including my home in England. I had no idea that world trade existed two thousand years ago.”
“Some things never change,” sighed Pinky. “Trade and travel are good; but greed and war are bad. I don’t think that God ever takes sides in a war. I think that the Mandate of Heaven is just a fiction, a story told by rulers and politicians, to justify the killing that their wars cause.”
“You are right Pinky,” she sighed. “Thank you for rescuing me, but I must now return to my Guinevere. We will meet again soon, my beloved”.
FLASH ... and Gwennybear was gone. Just then Ren rushed over, “Oh Pinky. I thought I had lost you. I put you down to take a flash photo of the warriors and you just disappeared. You must not wander off”. Of course, Ren thought the Pinky could not hear her scolding him, but, little did she know, he heard every word.
Pinky at the Great Wall
“One thing that every tourist must do,” Ren explained to Pinky, “is visit the Great Wall of China. So tomorrow we will book a day tour. But first things first … I’m starving. Let’s get something to eat”.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day”, thought Pinky to himself. “We’ve been all over Beijing … the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, Tiananmen Square … and my tummy is rumbling”. Now Pinky was not normally one to complain … well perhaps a little … or maybe a lot when he was particularly hungry … but this trip to China had been very frustrating. I don’t think Ren appreciates that a teddy is ‘all paws’ when it comes to handling chopsticks. A bear could starve while trying to pick up food with those sticks!”
Oblivious to Pinky’s rumbling and grumbling, Ren scanned the menu in the restaurant window. “Let’s have a special treat … Peking Duck,” she continued. “Did you know, Pinky, that Peking Duck is yummy roasted duck meat, with spring onions and sweet bean sauce, wrapped in steamed pancakes and … best of all … you can eat it with your hands … oops, I mean paws.”
So, in they went, found a table have ordered two serves of Peking Duck. After a little while, Pinky noticed that an odd-looking bird had sauntered over from the corner table and was warily approaching. “Hey, Pink Bear, it’s about time. I’ve been expecting you”.
“Who are you?” stammered the shocked teddy.
“I’m Norbert,” continued the scruffy bird, in a hoarse guttural voice, indicative of a lifetime of rough living in the hard countryside. “But you can call me Peking Duck … most others do. But let’s get out of here. I get very nervous in these restaurants … they eat my relatives you know, and I am not particularly partial to being served up as someone’s evening meal.”
And in a FLASH, Norbert and Pinky were whisked away to a strange place … on what seemed like an elevated roadway.
“Where are we? What did you mean you ‘were expecting me’? Why have I been kidnapped … I mean bear-napped? And another thing, why are these people carrying weapons?” demanded the little bear, trying to show that his quivering limbs and cracking voice were just a reaction to the cold wind … and nothing to do with heightened anxiety.
“One thing at a time Pink Bear,” rasped the weather-beaten duck. “My full title is Duk Norbert of Beijing, loyal servant to the Yong li Emperor Zhu Di of the Great Ming Dynasty. The year (in your western calendar) is 1409, and you are standing on what you would call the “Great Wall of China” preparing to attack a hoard of rampaging Jurchen barbarians.”
“But I’m not a soldier. What can I do?” Pinky protested.
“You, Pink Bear, are more powerful than you admit,” roared Duk Norbert. “I too can time travel, and I know all about your exploits with the great Kǒng Fūzǐ (Confucius I think you call him). I also am aware of how you and your girlfriend helped the Han leader, Liu Bang, defeat the Qin armies”.
“But …,” interrupted Pinky. “… but I didn’t. Gwennybear and I were with opposing armies.”
“Listen Pink Bear. That’s not how I heard it. Legend has it that you and your girlfriend secretly conspired to help the Han army, and now you are going to help our Ming army keep these Jurchens from crossing this wall … or else!”
Now it was Pinky who was getting cross. “Listen Duk. When will you and your human friends ever learn? Don’t you understand that people should be able to travel and live wherever they please? And when did a big wall ever separate people for any length of time? Sooner or later, people on both sides will want to live together. The Chinese would do better to make friends and allies of these Jurchens, rather than keep them enemies.”
Slowly it dawned on Duk Norbert that Pinky was right. The Great Wall had been built, and rebuilt, many times during the last 1500 years. And yet, each time, it eventually failed, allowing invaders to surge into the country. The incredible cost of building, maintaining, and defending the wall was just not worth it … walls simply divide people at a time when they should be living peacefully together. So Duk Norbert advised the Chinese Yong li Emperor Zhu Di to befriend the Jurchen people, and to make them allies, rather than enemies … and he did. In 1411, he sent his ambassador to the Jurchen leaders, and peace was made. For many years afterwards, the Chinese and the Jurchens traded peacefully at the horse markets, that were established.
From that time, Duk Norbert and Pinky became good friends. The duck and the bear would swap stories of their time travel adventures. To Pinky’s surprise, Norbert confessed that he had travelled forward to the 21st century United States, to visit his famous descendent, Donald. There had been another big wall built along the border with Mexico, to separate people. But it had created so much ill-feeling towards the Americans, that they eventually pulled it down. And who was this Donald, Norbert’s famous descendent … no, not that wall builder. It was Donald Duck, the famous Hollywood actor.
Pinky all at Sea
Time travel is a curious thing. You can leave “real” time and go back into the past for ages, several years in fact, but when you return to your friends in “real” time it is as though you have been away only a few seconds. Pinky knew that he could stay several years with Duk Norbert in ancient China, and when he returned to Ren, she would be still sitting in the Beijing restaurant eating … well, perhaps we had better not discuss dinner while Norbert is listening.
As the years went by Pinky and Duk Norbert travelled widely throughout the length and breadth of China. Because they had helped the Chinese Yong li Emperor Zhu Di make his Ming empire safe and prosperous, they were rewarded with free travel anywhere that they wanted to go. They both loved travelling, meeting new people, and learning their ways.
At that time (600 years ago), most people in all parts of the world were quite unaware of other people and other countries. Chinese people stayed in China, Indian people stayed in India, European people stayed in Europe, and so on. Most people in Europe and Asia did not know that North and South America, Africa, and Australia even existed! There had been a small amount of trade and travel between Europe, India and China, and a couple of people had made the long journeys … perhaps you may have heard of a couple … two of the best known are Ibn Battuta from Morocco, and Marco Polo from Italy. Pinky had been fortunate to meet them both on other time travels, but that is a different story.
In the year 1405, Pinky and Duk Norbert were given the opportunity of a lifetime ... several lifetimes in fact. From his new capital in the Beijing Forbidden City, the Chinese emperor instructed his admiral, Zeng-He, to undertake long sea journeys of discovery across the Indian Ocean. He was to contact, and increase trade with, the southern Asian and African countries. Zheng He’s first voyage consisted of the largest fleet that the world had ever seen, 317 ships with almost 28,000 crewmen. They visited Brunei, Java, Thailand and Southeast Asia, India, the Horn of Africa, and Arabia. Over the next 28 years, Admiral Zeng-He carried out seven international voyages … and Pinky and Duk Norbert were there for all of this adventure on the high seas.
But the forces of darkness move in subtle ways. The evil drop bears, who fear knowledge and enlightenment, infiltrated the Chinese public service. The drop bears realized that travel and trade would undermine their grip on power, so when the emperor died, they worked to ensure that the new emperor put a stop to the voyages. At the same time that Chinese were withdrawing from world travel, the European countries were beginning their voyages of discovery. Stifled and blinkered, Chinese civilization went into slow decline, while the Europeans prospered. Pinky had experienced first-hand, the prosperity born from the stimulation of world travel. Now he witnessed the poverty that results from isolation.
Duk Norbert and Pinky wandered down to the docks, as the last of Zeng He’s ships was set on fire. “Quack quack quack”, lamented Duk Norbert.
“Yes, a great darkness is descending on this country ….”, sniffed Pinky, “… and another thing ….” … FLASH … and in mid-sentence Pinky was gone.
Pinky at the Taj Mahal
When she was a young girl, Ren had visited India with her parents. Given that she was only four at the time, she could not remember much. So, she decided that she and Pinky would break their journey back to England, and spend some time in India. Soon they were immersed in the sights, the sounds and the smells … the colour, the cuisine and the culture, of this truly amazing country.
Of course, no visit to India is complete without a trip to Agra, and its famous Taj Mahal. Ren immersed herself in the guide book, as they stood in line waiting for the early morning admission to this Indian icon. “Did you know Pinky,” she mused, “that the Taj Mahal is really the mausoleum of Mumtaz, who was the favourite wife of Shah Jahan.” After a moment, Ren thought that she had better explain a bit more to Pinky, because teddies are not so smart.
“Hey … who says teddies are not so smart”, fumed the indignant teddy. But, of course, Ren could not hear him.
So, she continued to explain … as much to herself as to Pinky. “This beautiful gleaming white marble building, with its huge central dome, four minarets (towers), gardens, and pools of water, were built about 400 years ago by Khurram. He is better known today as Shah Jahan, his royal title, when he became the powerful Mughal ruler of India. He built it as the resting place for his beloved wife, Arjumand, when she died. She is better known today as Mumtaz. He must have loved her very much …,” Ren continued.
But Pinky was not listening any more. A tear, just a small one, slowly moistened his furry cheek, as his thoughts wandered from Arjumand to his own sweet Gwennybear. How he wished they could be together, here in this place … when FLASH … and he was back in the year 1612. A startled Pinky looked around and realized that he was in the company of an equally startled young man, dressed in the fine clothes of a royal prince of Mughal India.
“Who are you?”, demanded the young man, quickly drawing his dagger from its sheath.
“I am Pinky … time travelling teddy … and who are you?”.
“I am Prince Khurram, of the Indian royal Mughal empire. I have heard of you Pinky. The royal soothsayers predicted that one day you would appear, to help me solve a very serious matter of state. And hear you are. I do have great need of your help right now. Five years ago, when I was 15 years old, I met the love of my life. Her name is Arjumand. She is a Persian princess, and the most beautiful girl that I have ever known. My only thoughts are to make her happy. As you know Pinky, a royal prince is required to take several wives, and I already have two. Although now is the allotted time for me to also marry Arjumand, I have heard the she is reluctant. Pinky, I love Arjumand dearly. What am I to do?”
Pinky pondered the predicament. He knew that, although marriage in modern times is between one man and one woman, in past years certain cultures had expectations that princes would take several wives. Pinky did not agree with this arrangement, but his role in history was to help Khurram and Arjumand to marry.
So, he said, “Prince Khurram, let me visit Arjumand, and find what is the problem.”
Pinky was conducted to the reception room of Arjumand’s apartments, where he was directed to wait, before being admitted. Then, to his great surprise, through the doorway came his own beloved Gwennybear. “Gwenny, my love, what are you doing here?”
“Pinky darling, I have been waiting for you. I am currently serving Arjumand, and together we must help them to overcome their current difficulties”. Gwennybear explained to Pinky, “Arjumand has received secret threats, that if she marries Khurram, they will both be killed by assassins. Arjumand loves Khurram so much, that she would do anything to save his life … even give up their marriage.”
So, Pinky and Gwennybear hatched a plan to expose the people making the threats. Nur Jahan was a beautiful and intelligent woman, who exercised immense influence over Khurram’s father, Jahangir, who was, at that time, the ruler of the country. Nur’s power was so great, that she acted like a queen. But Nur feared that, if Khurram married the beautiful Arjumand, he would be one step closer to eventually becoming ruler. If that occurred, Nur would lose her power. This is why she tried to prevent the marriage.
By carefully questioning several palace officials, Pinky and Gwennybear gathered enough evidence of Nur’s threat, and went back to Khurram to present the facts. With their work done … FLASH … Pinky and Gwennybear were spirited back to modern times. “Tell me Gwenny, what happened next,” Pinky asked.
So Gwennybear related the rest of the story. “Being the decisive 20-year-old prince that he was, Khurram moved quickly to expose Nur’s threat. After this, her power gradually diminished. When Khurram eventually became the ruler, Nur was put under house arrest, and she was required to lead a quiet life, without any power or intrigue. And so, in 1612, the two lovers, Prince Khurram and Princess Arjumand, married. They lived a happy life together, blessed with fourteen children. In 1627, when his father Jahangir died, Prince Khurram became the ruler of the Mughal Empire (adopting the title Shah Jahan), with Arjumand as his queen (adopting the title Mumtaz). When Arjumand died at the young age of 38 years, Khurram was grief-stricken. And that is why he had the beautiful Taj Mahal built, as an everlasting memorial to his darling wife.”
“That is such a beautiful story Gwenny,” Pinky replied. “I so hope that we also can …”.
But … FLASH … and Gwennybear was gone. And here beside him, near the pool, with the beautiful Taj Mahal in the background, was faithful Ren.
Pinky and Ashoka
In their haste to see the famous Taj Mahal, Ren and Pinky had skipped a tour of the Delhi sights, in order to catch a bus directly to Agra. But now that they had returned to Delhi, they used the opportunity to tour all of the tourist destinations of the Indian capital. First to Old Delhi, with the huge Red Fort of the Mughal emperors, and the nearby Jama Masjid, the seventeenth century mosque with its imposing minaret. From here Pinky could see to the ends of the earth (or so it seemed). Or at least he could see back to Connaught Place, the hub of New Delhi. Then they descended back down the narrow spiral staircase, before wandering through the narrow alleys of the Chandni Chowk markets. The hustle and the bustle, the sounds and the smells, the colour and the culture … all too much for a little pink teddy from Oz. Pinky was seriously thinking of giving the second day of the tour a miss, but Ren would have none of it. Today would be full on … Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, the Bahai Lotus Temple and the Qutab Minar. But in particular, Ren asked to visit Ashoka’s Pillar at the Feroz Shah Kotla. She had been reading stories of the great king, Ashoka of 2,200 years ago … over two millennia… much older than the Mughal palaces of a mere half a millennium previous.
“Of course, missy, we can go to anywhere you want,” their guide had said.
And so off they went … here … there … and finally they arrived at an enormous tall pillar. “Here missy, Ashoka’s pillar.”
Ren was astounded. “That’s not correct,” she exclaimed. “That’s the Qutab Minar, built in the twelfth century during the Delhi Sultanate”.
“But missy. This is much better. It is much much bigger.”
Ren looked askance.
“Very well missy, you are right. But Ashoka’s Pillar at the Feroz Shah Kotla is not open right now. Perhaps, for a small fee, a special visit may be arranged.”
Ren was cross … Pinky was … FLASH … Pinky was … hey, what is this place? There in front of Pinky was an appalling sight, a battlefield strewn with 100,000 dead soldiers. And wandering about in the carnage, in the eerie silence, was a solitary man. By now, Pinky had become accustomed to time travel. So, he guessed that this must be Ashoka, great Indian ruler of 2,200 years in the past, and this must be the site of the great Kalinga battle. But Pinky could see that a tear was slowly trickling down the cheek of the king. Ashoka was a very powerful ruler of most of India, and he had a fearsome reputation for ruthlessness and cruelty. But this Ashoka, the one that Pinky now encountered, was completely unexpected … a sad and broken man.
For a long time, Pinky sat quietly with Ashoka, and he sensed a change coming over the king. Slowly his hard face softened, the tear was wiped away, and a quiet smile came over his face. Through the appalling carnage of this brutal war, Ashoka was now finally discovering peace, the need to repent of previous evil in his life, and the redemption that flows from it. From that time onwards, Ashoka was a changed person. He was still a powerful king, but he became a compassionate and just ruler. Ashoka became a devout Buddhist, which was the religion in India of that time, and he ruled in fairness and humility. This was many years ago, but even today, Ashoka’s good influence can be seen in the many tall pillars that he erected throughout India, Central Asia, and Sri Lanka, each one urging his people to live in peace and love. And so, Pinky could finally see that it is never to late to be truly sorry for all of the bad things that we do, and that we should always show love and kindness to all people, even if they are mean and selfish.
FLASH … Pinky was back with Ren, confronted by the tour guide, who was trying to extort more money from this innocent Australian tourist. Finally, Ren realized that she would not see the real Ashoka’s Pillar, at least, not on this trip. And Pinky … well … he might not see Ashoka’s Pillar, but at least he now understood why Ashoka had turned from the side of darkness to the side of light.
Pinky meets Portia
At last Ren and Pinky returned to England. Such travelling all over the world was certainly exhausting, and it was time for a break in the English countryside – but where to go. Somewhere nice - perhaps Stratford-on-Avon, home of William Shakespeare who wrote so many poems and plays over four hundred years ago.
While they were in Stratford, they took the opportunity to watch one of his plays. With so many plays to choose from, Ren eventually settled on “The Merchant of Venice”. Shylock (a Jewish banker) intends to collect an outstanding debt (a pound of flesh) from Antonio (a businessman), who cannot repay a loan. But Portia, (wife of Antonio’s friend) comes to his rescue, disguised as a male lawyer. It is a courtroom drama, laced with racism, religious bigotry, revenge, legalism and gender bias.
“This is all very strange”, Pinky was thinking … when suddenly … FLASH … and Pinky was instantaneously in Venice. There in front of him, stood Shylock, who was struggling to explain why he was bent on revenge. He put a passionate argument that he (and other people of his race and religion) are continually persecuted and taunted by Antonio and his fellow Christians.
Surrounded by hostile inquisitors, Shylock pleaded, “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not [have] revenge?”
Pinky was troubled by Shylock’s dilemma. How can you blame someone for behaving badly when they are hated and reviled by everyone they meet. Pinky strolled out into the Rialto to get a coffee … yes, sometimes teddies drink coffee, but this time he was out of luck. It would be many more years before the first coffee shop would open in Venice. He wandered across the Rialto Bridge and down to the water’s edge, and here, by the Grand Canal he met a beautiful young woman. She said her name was Portia. She explained that she had just arrived in Venice to help save the life her new husband’s friend, Antonio.
Suddenly Pinky realized that this was the same case as the one that Shylock was prosecuting. Pinky shared with Portia what Shylock had said … about the constant hardships inflicted by Antonio and his friends. The next day, the legal case was heard by the Doge (the Duke of Venice).
Portia (now in disguise as a male lawyer) argued that Shylock should show mercy instead of demanding revenge. “The quality of mercy is not strained. It drops as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesses him that gives and him that takes …”.
Although it was a very passionate argument, Shylock remained unmoved. In the end, Antonio’s life was spared, not by Shylock, but by the court. Shylock was defeated and lost everything … his wealth, his family and even his religion. Pinky was confused. Where was the justice here? Was Shylock wrong for seeking revenge after he had been so constantly abused by his enemies. Was Antonio wrong for bullying Shylock? Perhaps both were wrong, or perhaps neither. But the one thing Pinky was sure about. Portia’s plea was right .. that mercy blesses both the giver and the taker.
Pinky remembered that Jesus had said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy”.
Pinky’s tiny mind was in turmoil. Like Antonio, Pinky was convinced that he was on the side of light, battling the drop bears and the forces of darkness. But just as Antonio’s actions had goaded Shylock into revenge, Pinky began to question to what extent had his own actions forced the drop bears into their evil ways. Finally, sleep overtook a very disturbed little Teddy.
FLASH … and Pinky was back in England with Ren. Well, that had certainly been the strangest time journey that he had undertaken.
Pinky in Paris
It was still the long northern-hemisphere summer holidays, so Ren and Pinky set off on a European adventure. First stop Paris. Of course, young Australian travelers (and young teddies) are always conscious of the need to save money, so they checked into a youth hostel for the night. The next morning, Ren woke early, packed her backpack, and was off.
Paris was such an interesting city. She and Pinky were having … hey … where is Pinky? Oh no … Pinky had disappeared. This was the first time that Ren had been without Pinky. “Oh Pinky”, she sobbed, “Where are you?”
But Pinky did not come back. He was lost somewhere in this huge city of Paris.
Finally, Ren realized that she would have to continue without him … and that was the last time that Ren ever saw Pinky.
Pinky and the Iron Mask
Pinky was dazed and confused. Obviously, he had time travelled again, but this time it was different. The flash had been much stronger than before, so strong in fact, that he had been knocked unconscious. He had no idea where he was, and what was this thing on his head. His body ached, his head thumped, and his pink fur had turned a muddy brown colour. But worst of all, it seemed that his head was locked in some sort of a hard shell. He feverishly searched every corner of his tiny brain to try to understand what had happened. Slowly the truth dawned on him. He remembered reading a strange tale of someone, who in 1670, had been imprisoned in the Paris Bastille Prison, in an iron mask. Oh no … Pinky was the “Bear in the Iron Mask”.
Just as Pinky was reconciling to his new dilemma, he heard a familiar but sinister voice. “So Pink Bear, you are finally my prisoner, and that iron mask will prevent you from time-traveling. So long as you are in that mask, you cannot escape. And there you will stay until you finally relent and turn to the side of darkness.” It was the voice of the dreaded drop bear chief, Drakon.
And so, the years dragged by. Every day Drakon came to Pinky to tempt him to turn. And when he would not turn, torture would take its place. But Pinky was strong, and would not turn to the side of darkness. During this time, Pinky came to understand the dreadful circumstances of oppression that had combined to force Drakon down the path of evil, that leads to the side of darkness. Slowly Drakon developed a grudging admiration for Pinky’s commitment to doing good, while Pinky developed a compassion for Drakon’s pain.
But unknown to both Pinky and Drakon, events were happening elsewhere. Gwennybear was heartbroken to learn that her beloved Pinky had been captured by the drop bears. She cried and cried, and then she prayed for a way to rescue him. And one day, out of nowhere, she was visited by the Wizard.
Now, the Wizard is a shadowy character, who also time-travels. Gwennybear had met the Wizard a few times, but she was not sure whether he could be trusted. Sometimes the Wizard appeared to be helping the drop bears, and at other times he appeared to be fighting against them. But Gwennybear realized that he was the only one who could find and help Pinky. She pleaded, “Help me Wizard. You are my only hope”.
The Wizard replied, “I will help you Gwennybear. The drop bears struggle for what they think is just, but they are misguided, confused by evil that was done to them in the past. I try to help them overcome their demons, but their pain is too great. I have also watched over you and Pinky for many years, and I know that you always try to do what is right. So, I will take you to Pinky, and together we will rescue him.”
FLASH … Gwennybear and the Wizard were instantly transported back 350 years, to a dark dungeon, deep under the Paris Bastille Prison. Here they found a grubby brown bear, secured by an Iron Mask. Quickly the Wizard used his magic to loosen the locks, and to remove the mask. Just as quickly, Gwennybear planted a kiss, firmly on the lips of the bewildered teddy. Instantaneously Pinky was transformed back to the handsome strong pink teddy of old. And just as quickly, Drakon appeared at the dungeon door, backed by a band of snarling drop bears.
Pinky stepped forward, “You, Drakon, are guilty of the most outrageous evil. Prepare to be defeated.”
But Drakon snapped back, “And you Pink Teddy are guilty of the most outrageous hypocrisy. Prepare to face the truth. You pretend to be so righteous, but you fail to recognise that every time you call us ‘evil drop bears’, you slander us. These cruel names hurt us. Everywhere we go, people hate us, the ‘evil drop bears’ … No wonder we react, no wonder we are angry and no wonder we fight back. As your friend William Shakespeare wrote, ‘If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? … and if you wrong us, shall we not [seek] revenge?’ You are your own worst enemy Pink Teddy. If you had shown us kindness, we would have loved you. If you had tried to understand our terrible situation, we would respect you. And if you had tried to help us, we would not have fought you. But no, you show special favour to your own friends, those ‘cuddly’ koalas. You give them special treatment and our expense. Just because we are not so cuddly as the koalas, you call us evil and you rob us of our eucalyptus leaves. Pink Bear, you have created your own nightmare. Your blindness creates your enemies and your hypocrisy gives them strength. And now it must end.”
Pinky raised both his paws, while Drakon did the same. Both directed terrifying bolts of energy toward the other. A blinding light filled the dungeon and a deafening thunder rang out. It seemed to last for an eternity, and it looked as if both bears would be destroyed.
But slowly Drakon’s power drained from his exhausted body. “You have beaten me Pink Bear. I would show you no mercy, so you should show none to me. Give vent to your anger, destroy me … and be haunted by your actions. Go on and finish it!”
But now Gwennybear stepped forward, and held up her paws. “Pinky … Drakon speaks the truth, and you know it. Evil begets evil. If you destroy Drakon, a greater evil will rise up in his place … a cold selfishness that will consume you and the world. Everyone will appear as your enemy, and you will be forever condemned to fighting them, until you yourself are finally destroyed … a broken and discarded bear. Pinky, you know that I speak these words in love. Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy’. And your friend William Shakespeare wrote, ‘The quality of mercy is not strained. It drops as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesses him that gives and him that takes …’. Pinky … I implore you, be merciful … spare Drakon … do not turn to the side of darkness.”
And then, in that moment, with the words of his true love echoing through his tiny brain, Pinky could see the purpose of all his previous adventures. Pinky had time travelled through the ages and to all parts of the world, and had met people who struggled to do the right thing. But they often fell short because they became confused as to what is right and what is wrong. But now Pinky understood that love and compassion will guide us to the wisest course of action. The words of Jesus echoed in his little brain, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Slowly Pinky lowered his paws, strode across the cell and helped Drakon to his feet.
And Drakon humbly responded, “Pink Bear. I owe my life to you and to your girlfriend. From now on, I promise that I will do my best to spread love in the world”.
And he did.
Pinky in Camelot
At last, after so long apart, Pinky and Gwennybear were together again. Totally exhausted by all that had happened, they just sat there together, each quietly gazing into the other’s eyes.
“No more time-travelling, Pinky”, Gwennybear whispered, “It is time for us to settle down”.
“Yes, my darling Gwenny, will you marry me?”
“Of course, Pinky … we will be together for all time. But there is one more trip we must make … our return to Camelot. There is so much to do there. King Arthur was killed in battle, Queen Guinevere has retired to the quiet life of a convent, the Knights of the Round Table are scattered to the far corners of the country, and the people need someone to lead them.”
So, Pinky and Gwennybear made one more trip, back 1,400 years to Camelot. When they arrived, the Wizard was there to greet them. Although he had time travelled from the Paris dungeon only a few minutes before Pinky and Gwennybear, he arrived a full three months ahead of them. And this gave him plenty of time to prepare his surprise.
The Wizard led the two teddies, paw in paw, into the great hall. A great cheering erupted amongst the crowds, who had gathered to welcome them home. “Gwenny, they want you to be their queen … Queen Gwennybear”, the Wizard explained. “And when you marry Pinky, he will become Prince Pinky, the queen’s consort.”
And all that is history now … Pinky and Gwenny married and had lots of tiny teddies. They gathered around them a new group of brave knights … the Knights of the Square Table … and together they ruled Camelot for many years. Down the generations their descendants have ruled wisely and well.
Today, Queen Nan rules in Camelot, and her modern Knights of the Square Table fight bravely to defend what is good and right. They are helped by a new group of teddies, Duke Donkey, Panda, Koala, Prince Corona, Brownie and (of course) the irrepressible “young” Pinky … direct descendant of the famous Pinky and Gwennybear.
And the Wizard … well the Wizard still time travels. He is married to Queen Nan, and together they go on many adventures all over the world … but that is another story for another time.
