First published in Great Britain by William Collins Sons and Co. Ltd. in 1961 This edition first published by Collins in 1997
This edition published in 2018
Collins is an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd, 1 London Bridge Street, London SE1 9GF
Text copyright © Michael Bond 1961 Illustrations copyright © Peggy Fortnum and William Collins Sons and Co. Ltd. 1961
The author and illustrator assert the moral right to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work.
Cover illustration adapted and coloured by Mark Burgess from the original by Peggy Fortnum
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Source ISBN: 9780006753452
Ebook Edition © OCTOBER 2011 ISBN: 9780007402571
Version: 2018-05-23
Contents
Paddington was in a mess. As he was the sort of bear who often got himself into trouble he wasn’t really surprised – but as he stood up and looked round his bedroom even he had to admit that it was worse than usual.
There were maps and pieces of paper everywhere, not to mention several nasty-looking marmalade stains and a long trail of paw prints. The paw prints started on a map which was spread across the eiderdown on his bed. It was a large map of London and in the middle, by the first paw mark, there was a circle which marked the position of the Browns’ house at number thirty-two Windsor Gardens.
The trail led from the Browns’ house across the map in a southerly direction, over the end of the bed and on to another map which lay on the floor at the foot. From there it carried on, still going south, until it reached the English Channel, and yet a third map by the window which showed the north coast of France. There the trail ended in a soggy mess made up of old cake crumbs, a small pile of marmalade and a blob of red ink.
Paddington gave a deep sigh as he dipped his paw absentmindedly into the concoction. He tried kneeling on the floor and peering at his room through half-closed eyes, but if anything, the mess looked even worse because from so low down all he could see were the bumps and ridges.