text: [Themes: family friendly]
  
  The two of them set off slowly for the stream, and Charlotte told the Bear about her family. "I have a mother, and a father," she said, "and someday I will have ten sisters and ten brothers and we'll all jump in the leaves together."
  
  The Butter Bear ran a fat paw through his buttery hair. "You don't want ten sisters and ten brothers, oh no. I have three of each myself, and things were never quiet around the den. My mother would try to get some knitting done, and there we'd be, always fighting and laughing and munching our toast. I'm the youngest, too, and that is always a trial. Of course, you'd be the oldest, and maybe that's better."
  
  By this time they had come to the water. It was not a very wide stream, and there were enough stones to make it easy to cross. But the Bear led Charlotte downstream, and soon she heard a new sound over the rush of the current. It was a strange clanking noise, and every so often a long word she did not understand in an unfamiliar voice. The voice was almost as funny as the Bear's own, with a singsong accent she could not place. When the saw the man who was making the noise, he turned out to be even stranger than his voice. He was very tall, and very stooped, and his white hair stuck out at every angle and made his head look lke some odd flower. A big thing sat beside him, made of shiny copper, and Charlotte realized it was making the clanking sounds as he fiddled with it.
  
  The stranger looked up at them and grinned. "Well, if it isn't my old acquaintance Butters!" Charlotte giggled at the nickname. "And his juvenile companion. Charmed!" And with that he bowed, and his white hair flopped in every direction.
  
  The Butter Bear cleared his throat. "Charlotte, this is my old friend Professor Widdershins."
  
  The Professor bowed again, and Charlotte said "Pleased to meet you, Professor."
  
  The Bear explained that he needed a rag to clean his spectacles, and Professor Widdershins produced one at once. He then asked if they would care for some tea, and they both said "yes, thank you," and a few moments later had sat down for a very pleasant tea-time. There were little biscuits and sandwiches, and Charlotte thought the hot tea on such a chilly afternoon was the best thing she had ever tasted. She noticed the Bear smear a little butter on his food, and she giggled.
  
  "Now, young lady, do you seek erudition?" asked the Professor. The Butter Bear snorted, but his friend ignored him. "I am always happy to speak to another practitioner of intellectual pursuits.
  
  > say "Oh yes, I'm a very big practitioner."
  Professor Widdershins' eyes went wide. "I see, I see! How absolutely marvelous. Would you care to examine my apparatus?" He gestured with one skinny arm to the copper machine, and Charlotte noticed little trickles of steam escaping from several valves.
  
  "I'd rather have more tea," the Butter Bear chortled. He ate another biscuit.
  
  "I call it the apparatus," the Professor explained, "as I may have mentioned earlier. It has all sorts of fantastical functions, and I even know what some of them are. Here, place your hand against the side." Charlotte did, and at the same time the Professor produced a wrench and opened a panel on the side of the machine. He worked for a few moments, and then suddenly Charlotte's hand began to grow very tingly.
  
  "Don't stop touching it!" he shouted. "Or else the fantastical phenomena will not occur!"
  
  Charlotte tried not to giggle as the tingling grew stronger and stronger. She wondered what exactly was supposed to happen. She opened her mouth and was about to ask Professor Widdershins, when all of a sudden the Butter Bear's deep, happy voice rang out. "Oh my! How delightful!"
  
  "What? What?" Charlotte asked, and the Professor handed her a chipped little mirror. Her hair was sticking out at every angle, just like his, and it had turned bright purple! Not a deep, rich purply color like the sunset on a beautiful night, but a sharp purple that almost hurt her eyes to look at it. She was thrilled. "Will it stay like that for ever?"
  
  The Professor shook his head. "The effects have little permanance."
  
  "That means no," laughed the Bear. Charlotte kept on looking at her reflection and imagining going home or to school with bright purple hair.
  
  "Well, I'm afraid we can't stick around all day," said the Bear. "Many more adventures to be had. Thanks for the tea and biscuits, Widders."
  
  The Professor bowed again. "Never mind the delectables, Butters. And, young lady, I invite you back anytime you wish. Good day to you both!" And the pair of them walked downstream for a while, the Bear with his ambling, waddling walk and Charlotte with her eager little-girl walk.
  
  > say "I'm tired, Mr. Bear, and I think it's time to go home."
  The Butter Bear looked down at Charlotte through his spectacles. "Had enough adventure?" he asked. She nodded, and the two of them set off for home. It was only a short walk to Charlotte's house, and the Bear kept her entertained with more funny songs.
  
  "Maybe you could come inside and meet my parents," she said, but the Bear shook his head.
  
  "No, I don't think so. I'm the Butter Bear, and the Butter Bear is just for children. Maybe I'll come to see you again, though. Just sing my song and we can have another adventure together. I know lots more people, some of them as interesting as Professor Widdershins."
  
  Charlotte threw her arms around his fat hairy body, and the Bear giggled and blushed. "Aw shucks," he said. "So long, Charlotte." And he waddled away, whistling a pleasant tune. The little girl went inside and told her mother and father all about her adventures that day, and they smiled to one another. What a big imagination the child had! They never realized that the Butter Bear was real, but Charlotte knew!
  
  Now, it's time for you to go to bed, child. No buts, it's getting late. I hope you liked that story about the Bear and Professor Widdershins. Maybe they'll come to visit you in your dreams. Goodnight!