4 The Toy Factory

CHAPTER 4

THE TOY FACTORY

The next day could not come soon enough. Flurry barely got an ounce of sleep. He spent his night deep in thought. His imagination ran wild with ideas of what the next day would bring. He envisioned what he would make the plush bears look like, what he would call them, and how he would spend his entire day playing with them.

At the cusp of another day of darkness, Flurry sat up wide-eyed and bushy-tailed ‌—‌ or at least he would have been if he had a tail. He was raring to go and was on his feet before his parents had even opened their eyes. However, Flurry had a way of making sure you were up when he needed you to be.

Flurry ran to his parents’ bedroom door and pushed it open. The door creaked to let in a beam of orange light. The radiant source cast Flurry’s long, dark shadow along the floorboards and up onto the bed of two plush bears that slept soundly.

Flurry was perplexed by this. That’s strange, Flurry thought to himself. It was odd that they were not up yet, especially since they both knew it was his big day. Why wouldn’t they be awake to send me on my way?? Flurry pondered.

Well, that did not stop him from making sure that they woke up. Flurry panted and climbed up onto the bed. He rushed over and gently nudged his mother’s shoulder. “Mama! Mama! Time to get up!” Unfortunately for the cub, there was no response. Flurry turned to his father and tugged on his ear. “Papa! Papa! I have to go to work!” His parents snored all the more. When Flurry deduced that it would be the only reply he got, he took it to the next level.

Not to go unnoticed, Flurry jumped up and down, and he shouted, “Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”

“Ahhh!” screamed the Snow couple as they shot up from their pillows. They were so startled that they nearly fell out of the bed.

Flurry’s parents were considerably flustered, and understandably so. Nobody would like to be rallied from sleep in that manner. “Flurry! Do you know what time it is? Why did you wake us up so early?” Flurry’s father shouted.

“I have to go to work now! I just thought I’d let you know. Okay, goodbye!” Flurry quickly informed the couple and then promptly hopped down from the bed.

“Sweetie, you don’t have to go to work for another three hours. Go back to bed,” the boy’s mother pleaded with her son and yawned.

Flurry was surprised. His excitement and impatience blinded him to this fact. “Awww!” moped the cub as he slowly shuffled back out of the room and left his parents’ door open behind him.

With a sigh, Mrs. Snow got out of bed. She looked back at her husband, who was also about to get out of bed. “No. Just stay there. You need your rest. I’ll go check on Flurry.” Mrs. Snow gently pushed her husband back down in the bed, and pulled the blanket up over him. She kissed him on the cheek, and he was fast asleep by the time she reached the door.

Mrs. Snow approached Flurry’s room and peeked in. He impatiently paced back and forth beside his bed. “Sweetie, I understand that you’re excited, but you can’t rush things. Your time will come soon enough.”

“I wish I could! I wish the sun was up! That would get everyone out of bed!” Flurry exclaimed.

Suddenly, without any explanation, the sky changed color. Light now peeked from the horizon. In a matter of minutes, the sun had risen into the sky. “That’s strange!” exclaimed Mrs. Snow. “Flurry, do you see that?”

Flurry ran up to the window and looked out. “Wow! It’s the sun! Time to go!” Flurry’s excitement was instantly rekindled. The cub did not even bat an eye at the strange event which took place right outside his window.

The land of Mezarim was a place filled with wonder. However, it was in the middle of winter, and the sun was not expected to be seen for a few more months. Mrs. Snow was perplexed by the sudden sunrise. In all her life, she had never seen something that strange.

Flurry ran back to his father’s bedroom to wake him up again. “Papa! Papa! It’s time to get up!”

“Flurry, you were just in here only a few minutes ago,” Flurry’s father grunted. You could hear a bit of a growl in his frustrated tone.

Mrs. Snow walked in after Flurry and grabbed her boy by the shoulders to back him away from the bed. “Calm down, Flurry,” she insisted.

“Okay, Mama. Sorry,” her son replied. The cub stood there quietly, with his arms behind his back. He looked absolutely adorable.

“Flurry’s right, it’s time to get up. I have no explanation for it. The sun just suddenly did in minutes what should’ve taken it months to do,” Mrs. Snow relayed to her husband. Her voice revealed her insecurity, related to the strange turn of events.

“That’s odd,” her husband replied. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He then got out of bed, walked over to the window, and looked out. Sure enough, the sun was just above the horizon. “That’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. I’ll have to ask Chris what he makes of this.” Flurry’s parents exchanged concerned glances with each other before Mr. Snow shrugged his shoulders and put on his bow tie.

“Papa, come on! I’m going to be late!” Flurry’s voice was riddled with deep concern. The cub did not want to mess up his first day on the job. He wanted to make Mr. Kringle and his parents equally proud of him.

All three of the bears went downstairs. Mrs. Snow fixed Flurry breakfast and made sack lunches for both her son and her husband. Before he left, Flurry gave his mother a hug, then out the door he went.

Flurry and his father had not gone far before Mrs. Snow came out of the house. She stood at the threshold of the door, and waved to them as they strode down the cobblestone path.

“Have a good day, my sweethearts!” she called out to them.

“Thank you! We will!” they both hollered back to her in unison. Flurry walked backwards so he could wave at his mother.

“Okay, goodbye!” Flurry shouted. The cub perceived that she looked proud of him. It warmed Flurry’s heart and made him even more dedicated to doing his best at the toy factory.

Mr. Snow and his son traversed the winding path up and down gradual slopes of the landscape. The walk to the factory was a long one but certainly very scenic. The workings of a beautiful day were at hand, but that morning things were not as they should be. The village was in chaos. The bears ran all around to get ready for the day. It was as if everyone had overslept and was now frantic to make it to their destinations on time. Mr. Snow had never seen anything like it before.

Uncertain of what else to do, they continued down the hill into a valley, where the factory was positioned next to a meandering river. The factory was small and was the only landmark to be found in the valley on that side of the bank. A thick forest sat at the opposite riverbank. On a normal day, Flurry would have seen the forest as a place to be explored, and the promise of adventure would have beckoned to him, but not this day. Today, Flurry’s mind was set on the impact he could make on the plush bear production line.

As they approached the factory, they could see many bears rush to get inside. Christopher Kringle stood outside the front doors and greeted them as they entered.

Christopher was a welcomed sight. He brought comfort to everyone when they saw that he had a smile on his face, spoke calmly, and frequently chuckled. “No worries, my friends, everything is fine. We’re just off to a late start today, nothing to get too flustered about.”

As Mr. Snow and Flurry drew near, Christopher looked at Flurry and smiled. The man had a twinkle in his eye. Flurry was uncertain what it meant, but Christopher had something on his mind. “Well, hello there! I’m proud to see the two of you here this fine morning.” After Christopher greeted them, he turned his attention more directly at Flurry. He squatted down to be closer to the cub’s eye level. “It does my heart joy to see you here, my little friend. Are you excited about your first day?”

“Uh huh!” Flurry exclaimed and nodded his head vigorously.

“Good!” Christopher patted the bear on the head, chuckled, and continued. “Well, I should be headed back home. Jinja will be here shortly. As you can see, this day has started off rather unconventionally.” Christopher winked at Flurry and then tipped his cap to Mr. Snow. “Good day to you, Mr. Snow.”

“Good day to you, too,” he answered back. Flurry’s father then added, “Wait! Do you know what’s going on? Why is the sun up?”

Christopher laughed a loud and boisterous laugh before he replied, “I have a hunch!” He directed his gaze upon Flurry and said, “Flurry, be sure to have fun, and be good!” Christopher turned away and continued his trek up the icy path.

“I will! Okay, goodbye!” Flurry fervently waved.

“Flurry, I have to go in and work now. Just wait here and Jinja will be out to greet you soon.” Flurry’s father gave his cub a warm hug and said, “I’m proud of you, son. Have a good day at work. I love you!”

“Thank you, Papa! I love you, too!” Flurry replied to his father. Mr. Snow vanished behind the factory doors.

Flurry did not have long to wait before the doors reopened. A bear with red fur, glasses, and a mug of hot tea came out to greet him. “Hello! I’m Jinja. I presume that you must be Flurry.”

“Yes, I am,” Flurry replied. The cub was fixated on the yellow sickle shape on Jinja’s chest. Jinja looked a bit unique from other teddy bears that Flurry had seen. The individual that created Jinja wanted him to resemble a moon bear. Flurry knew this because moon bears have a crescent moon shape on their chests.

Jinja was one of Mr. Kringle’s most trusted workers. He was hardworking, dedicated, and easygoing. He primarily did most of his work with clay and pottery. He also had a reputation for always having his mug of tea close at hand.

“Please, come in! You must be cold standing out here,” Jinja insisted.

“Nah, the cold never bothers me. I’m fine!” Flurry assured him.

Flurry entered, and Jinja closed the doors behind them. It was nice and warm inside, and Flurry felt even more ardent than before ‌—‌ if that was possible. He could hear other bears hum, whistle, and sing while they built a variety of different toys and dolls. Many of the toys were to be given away to all of the children in the region every Christmas. Yet, some of the toys were also sent to stores in another world named Earth. Flurry’s world and Earth were connected through an invisible gateway at each world’s northern pole. The money from the toys helped Christopher purchase materials that he and the teddy bears would need on a day-to-day basis or for food and supplies that were given to anyone in need.

Unlike the legends, Christopher could not possibly make it to each and every house in one night. It took multiple trips to and from Ursus. He made his rounds throughout the night and well into the day at the northernmost city in Mezarim named Polaris. Though Flurry’s village was considered to be part of the North Pole, it was not truly the northernmost point on the map. However, it was far enough north that most people would not squabble over such details.

Before Flurry had much of a chance to take everything in, another bear came and greeted him. This bear was very large and round. He looked a lot like a panda bear, but instead of being black and white, this bear was purple and white. He wore a tool belt, similar to what Flurry’s father wore, but this belt held mechanic tools instead of carpentry tools.

“Flurry, I’d like you to meet my good friend Mojo. He’s responsible for repairing everything here at the …‌” Jinja did not get to finish what he was about to say before Mojo interrupted him.

“Not everything!” the panda interjected.

“Well, everything mechanical,” Jinja quickly corrected himself.

“Well, technically, I just repair the equipment.”

“Why do you always have to correct me?” Jinja shot back.

“I don’t always correct you.”

“Yes, you do!”

Mojo put his paws on his hips and added, “I only correct you when you’re wrong.”

“You correct me all the time,” Jinja insisted. He now looked quite flustered.

“Then I guess you’re wrong a lot,” Mojo returned in a smug tone. A smirk was present upon his face.

“Oh no you didn’t! How could you say that?” Jinja’s shock and disbelief were clear. If his fur was not already red, it would have been easier to see how flushed his face had become.

“I just did!”

“It’s always the same with you! You always start arguments with me!”

“I’m not arguing!”

“Yes, you are!”

“No, I’m not!”

In the midst of their debate, Flurry felt that it was not anywhere close to being over. The cub slipped past them. Flurry decided it was best to just give himself the tour.

Flurry went from room to room and observed all of the grand craftsmanship that went into each and every toy. The other bears were fine artisans. Flurry marveled at all of the wonderful toys that he desperately desired to play with.

Flurry had already toured the entire plant and was at the boxing and shipping end of the factory when Jinja finally caught back up with him.

Jinja jogged up to Flurry. “There you are!” Jinja exclaimed, out of breath. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Where have you been?” He stood next to Flurry and panted.

“Well, I didn’t want to interrupt your argument, so I showed myself around,” Flurry answered.

“Oh! That! Well, he always does that. It’s not a big deal.” Jinja shrugged off the incident as if it were not worth mentioning. He took a sip of his tea, pushed his glasses back up, and pointed to the shipping line. “Well, as you can see, this is where we box and ship all of our toys out. Someday you’ll get to see your very own toy designs be shipped from here.”

Flurry already envisioned it, while he observed the boxes get dragged along the conveyor belt in front of him.

Jinja continued. “But remember. Safety first! You don’t want to get too close to the conveyor belt. If you were to fall onto the belt, you might get boxed up and shipped off. That would be very bad!”

Flurry immediately stepped away from the railing. The cub now felt fearful to go anywhere near the conveyor belt. As Jinja continued the last leg of the tour, Flurry quickly followed after him. He did not want to be left alone anywhere near the conveyor belt.

Flurry’s first day on the job was a blast, and everything went smoothly. He enjoyed meeting the other bears and being shown around the factory.

Flurry quickly filled his role as the lead input advisor on the teddy bear assembly line. Flurry presented many ideas and put forth every ounce of creativity into the creation of the various teddy bears and other plush dolls. The adults loved his input, for he had ideas that only a cub could think of. Christopher Kringle was wise to have Flurry there ‌—‌ after all, if you wanted to make something a child would like, who better to ask than a child?

A great deal of time passed. Whether it was days, weeks, months, or years was irrelevant. Flurry had earned his keep and was a vital part of the process. It was as the saying goes, “Time flies when you’re having fun”, and Flurry certainly had fun. He especially liked quality control. That was just a fancy way of saying: “Play with the toys.”

Flurry did his job well, and things were about to become even better after his epiphany.

One night, while Flurry lay in bed, he had a brilliant idea. He pondered why he had not thought of such a brilliant product sooner. He thought to himself, If I’m the cutest teddy bear ever, and everyone loves me, then why not make teddy bears that look like me? They’ll be the most popular item ever!

Now, we all have character flaws, and Flurry had some of his own. His biggest flaw was that he was overly vain about his physical appearance. Many had praised him for his cute looks. The compliments happened so frequently that it had gone to Flurry’s head. The cub was in desperate need of some humility, and would eventually get some in a most unexpected way.

Flurry had been quick to implement his new teddy bear line. He named them Flakey bears. The Flakey bears looked exactly like Flurry, and he was supremely confident they would become Mr. Kringle’s hottest-selling item.

One night, a few days before an upcoming holiday, Flurry was about to lock up at the factory. As he turned the key he thought about the Flakey bear line. He was so proud of what he had achieved that he decided to go back inside and take another look at them before he ventured home.

Flurry walked back inside and skipped through factory. He occasionally stopped to look at a toy from time-to-time. He then went into the shipping area where the Flakey bears got boxed up and shipped out to toy stores. The factory was quite busy. It prepared numerous boxes for the holiday season.

Flurry felt so proud of himself. He had done a good job, stayed out of trouble, made his parents proud, lived up to Mr. Kringle’s expectations, and made the cutest teddy bears ever ‌—‌ other than himself, of course. He was the best, and he knew it ‌—‌ or so he thought.

Flurry imagined being famous, and thought about how everyone would someday carry their very own Flakey bears around with them. His head was up in the clouds so high that he forgot Jinja’s warning about the conveyor belt. Normally Flurry would never go near it, but he had a momentary lapse in judgment during this time of self-adoration.

Flurry could hear the automated boxing that took place. Giant mechanical arms repeated their automated motion. The large metal hand picked up and placed one Flakey after another into large boxes and sealed them up. More bears glided down a slide and onto the conveyor belt, ready to be boxed.

It was difficult for Flurry to see over the guard rail. The little cub climbed up each rung of the barrier between himself and the conveyor belt below. He peered over to watch the process that took place.

Flurry admired his creation and lingered in further thoughts about how cute he and the Flakey bears were. Before Flurry realized what had happened, he lost his balance and fell onto the conveyor belt.

Flurry panicked and attempted to get down from it, but a large metal hand snatched Flurry up, and placed him in a box with the other Flakey bears.

Flurry screamed and shouted for help, but nobody could hear him. Everyone had left for the night, and the toy factory had a policy that nobody was ever to be alone near the running equipment. Flurry broke that rule and was now in a lot of trouble.

Flurry toiled to climb up out of the box, but every time he made some progress, another Flakey bear got dropped into the box right on top of him. This knocked the cub down repeatedly.

Flurry continued to struggle and climb. A glimmer of hope worked its way into Flurry’s thoughts when he neared the top of the box without any more Flakey bears being added to the collection. However, his hope was quickly doused when the parcel moved, and the flaps were folded down over the opening.

It was suddenly dark, and the only thing Flurry could see was a thin line of light, where the flaps met. That tiny bit of light was quickly extinguished when the sound of packaging tape was heard. Tape stretched across the surface of the box. Flurry had just been sealed in, and the box was labeled to be shipped to a far off country named Middleasia.