“Well,” said Cug, “What a busy summer it’s been!”

“Yes indeed!” concluded his friend, Professor Sootz of Bath University, “And what an adventure we had!”

Cug smiled fondly at the memories, framed now in perfect condition on the walls of his mind.

“And I hope we have another one soon!”

 

Suddenly a bear came crashing through the glass conservatory.

 

Cug had a sudden sense of déjà vu and Sootz had an immediate sense of panic stricken danger as glass shattered around them.

“How on earth?!” exclaimed Cug in sheer shock at the suddenness of the reply for an adventure, “What on earth?! When on earth?! Where in Perth?! Where’s the turf?! Who on earth?!”

After Cug had finished his exclamatory grammatical interlude the two known bears picked themselves up, brushed glass of their jackets and looked bluntly at the mystery bear for an explanation to give some depth to this introduction.

Light beams echoed down stronger into the shattered conservatory, now that there was a perfectly cut bear shaped hole in the middle, and the bear groaned understandably.

“I think we better get him inside…” diagnosed Sootz beckoning his amico to carry the poor bear into the caravan that was their home for the summer.   

 

The caravan was parked proudly in the garden of Miz Pi, a famous singer come actress. It had been standing there for the summer and it would stand there until Miz Pi came back stormed up to caravan and ordered them to leave because they were trespassing.

The two friends and Miz Pi had a strange relationship. That is sure. At heart, they were sure she was deeply fond of them and was quite happy to let them camp in her back garden for the summer.

Unfortunately, due solely to the fact she only rented the penthouse, legally she could not give permission for them to stay. Likewise, she also was forced to not like them, not talk to them and always screech at them vehemently for trespassing when she came back from her summer tour.

Sootz and Cug found this arrangement most welcoming, although they weren’t sure if Miz Pi did actually like them or not these days, for she was such a good actress.

Cug started brewing some tea up and laid out three melamine mugs whilst Sootz found some ointment for the mysterious stranger. 

“Miz Pi won’t like the huge hole in her conservatory Sootz…” sighed Cug.

“That’s for sure,” said Sootz, “We better leave some cash for the repairs…Ah, he’s coming round!”

Slowly, surely and with much care the mysterious bear groaned and looked up at the faces of our two friends.
To his right, the wise, weather-beaten, slightly tanned with a monocle face of Sootz, who had been up many tall towers looking over cities, ordered many subway meals and always found the time to court foreign princesses with strange Asian sounding names such as Har Monika.
To his left, the young but vigilant, strong but indifferent, long and reliant face of that sheet, full name Cugoloskopa Cugaranga – but to his friends and insurance salesmen - ‘Cug’.  

 

“Have you ever considered the three lives of a raspberry?” questioned the mysterious bear pensively.
The bear was clothed in a light brown suit, brown waistcoat, white shirt and a bright red tie that stuck out oddly to one angle. His hair was quite dishevelled and seemed, if one looked closely, to be a mixture of 19 different grades (some previously undiscovered to the human race); he obviously needed a decent haircut. There was an odd, musty smell about him which spelt of some hot country, perhaps Cornwall.

Cugoloskopa ‘Cug’ Cugaranga had to admit he had never considered the three lives of a raspberry and was about to say so but the musty mystery bear carried on with his speech.

“A life of a raspberry has three routes. Just three.” He paused for a second, “Firstly, it is eaten by those pesky little birds.”

Sootz and Cug exchanged apprehensive looks – just who does this bear think he is, falling into Miz Pi’s conservatory and talking about raspberries?

“Secondly it is left to rot on the branch, growing old, brown and deeply, deeply furry. And lastly it is picked when young and eaten in a crumble!” 

Sootz and Cug exchanged a few more worried looks, although Cug had to admit Raspberry and Apple Crumble is particularly good when home made.

 

The bear sat up and his eyes sparkled with knowledge.

“Now,” he concluded with a strange smile, “with that in mind, you would wonder what the point is in being a raspberry altogether! Why doesn’t it just give up? Hmmm?”

“I think you have some theological and science theories mixed up there my friend…” said Sootz, liking the fellow despite himself.

“Yes, yes,” said the bear, “but the point is, we should never give up on the plan that is given to us!”

“Even to deep, deep furriness, yes?” said Cug.

“Even to deep, deep furriness, yes!” said the bear, “And I am here to give you that very plan, that may take you to wild, crazy places and that will leave you gasping for breath!”

 

Then the bear stopped and looked at their puzzled faces with eager anticipation.

There was silence.

In the distant background birds flapped their wings and made perfect circles in the air whilst the brakes of some poor parents’ car screeched and jolted at the merciless hands of a learner driver.

 

Luckily, or unluckily, the two bears were saved from responding immediately when Miz Pi stormed into the garden…