Paddles! The Huggable Polar Bear

Paddles and Bracken and all the new pupils are feeling nervous and anxious - its’ their first day of school. An over confident Fagan bosses it in an impromptu game of Gaelic Football. Miss Hoot the Teacher and Uncle Liam the Head Master put the pupils into pairs in class and to their dismay Paddles and Fagan are put together - it looks like they have nothing in common. It’s going to be a long day. Paddles discovers that Fagan is nervous too, and finds the toy that Fagan made and then lost. Everyone is impressed with Fagan’s inventiveness. Fagan is relieved and at the end of the day everyone else is also. They’ve all made new friends and had a great day. Same time tomorrow then?

In trying to teach Paddles hurling, Fagan and Bracken are a bit too competitive, and despite Paddles’ best efforts on the pitch soon there’s a falling out, with Bridie caught in the middle. Paddles is very downcast and wishes they could all be friends again. The Old Moor Hen suggests a visit to the Magical Wishing Tree. Overhearing, Fagan thinks this might just make all his dreams come true! But what sort of wishes really come true, and who will visit the tree?

It’s Halloween! The crows have been at he vegetables again, so Mr Wolfie has tasked Paddles and Bracken with the job of making a scarecrow. Fagan discovers the scarecrow and decides it might be a hoot to dress up and scare the locals. After much shrieking and screaming the whole community are convinced their village has a monster on the loose. Until Paddles figures it out and gives Fagan the fright of his life.

"It is the 83rd annual conkers competition in Drumsna and Paddles, Bracken, Bridie, Fagan and even Uncle Liam are all competing for the renowned title of “The Supreme Conqueror”. Everyone wants to win and each competitor is ready to do whatever it takes. Bracken steeps his conker in vinegar. Fagan finds a monster conker namely a coconut which fell off the back of the Drumsna delivery van. Fagan and Bracken beat all opponents and meet in the final. Fagan’s coconut is declared the winner and Mrs Hoot reprimands Bracken for using vinegar, declaring that all conkers are created equal. Paddles accidentally falls on Fagan’s coconut, which shatters revealing it is not a conker but a coconut and he is disqualified as the winner. Uncle Liam declares Paddles the winner as his conker is the only remaining one that is whole. The kids learn to play fair and have fun."

Paddles wants to play but despite an extensive search of Drumsna for a play mate and something to do everyone is too busy. Hhhmmm, what’s going on? Bracken and Bridie eventually provide a welcome diversion in the form of a game of trust involving Paddles and a blindfold, and lead him to the Village Hall. Surprise! The hall is full of friends and balloons, and there’s a mouthwatering celebratory spread laid out too – happy ‘home day’ Paddles (much more exclusive than a birthday!) so glad you came into our lives!

PADDLES and BRACKEN investigate mysterious activity at the village school which the OLD MOORHEN tells them is the work of the ‘little people’ who’re annoyed that the school has been built over their very own ‘fairy-road.’

It's a day of sunshine and showers, but the rainbow over Drumsnella brings a smile in more ways than one (eventually....) The piglet twins, Fergal and Fergus, have got packets of sweets from the shop as payment for helping Mrs Twigg out. This gives Fagan an idea for yet another get rich quick plan, and he offers his services as an odd job man around the village. But nothing he does is a 'help' and he just ends up getting in to trouble and making the day go from bad to worse. The rainbow gives him a better idea - why not dig for a pot of gold instead, and instant wealth! Fagan enlists Paddles' help and they zoom off after the rainbow. But they can never reach the end of the rainbow and there's no pot of gold to be found. Could the day get any worse? The old Moor Hen reminds them that rainbows always bring a smile, and that's the best reward of all. This gives Paddles an idea to cheer everyone up after Fagan's disastrous efforts around the village.

"The Harvest festival is on and Paddles, Bracken and Bridie help Mr and Mrs Wolfie in the vegetable garden. Once the vegetables are collected Mrs Wolfie sends Paddles, Bracken and Bridie off to pick “wild blackberries” so that she can make her famous Blackberry Pie. Fagan plots to steal the blackberries that the intrepid friends pick. Fagan picks 3 blackberry bushes and then hides himself in the best fitting one, so that he becomes a mobile blackberry bush. Fagan using his disguise follows the three friends as they pick blackberries and Fagan eats as they pick, unbeknownst to the friends. Paddles meanwhile is enjoying his blackberries so much that he fantasises about swimming and diving in blackberries - this enables Fagan to steal more. Paddles eats so many blackberries that he keels over with Blackberry Stomach. Fagan falls into a Bunch of nettles and is uncovered when he squeals with pain. The friends come to his rescue and find a soothing dockleaf.

There’s a bumper apple crop in the orchard, and the whole of Drumsnella is involved harvesting the fruit before the birds can get them. Even the children are involved…. Paddles can’t help but feel sorry for the hungry birds. However, the apple picking doesn’t go entirely to plan; a mischievous Fagan can’t help himself and shakes the trees so that apples deluge poor Oscar and Seamus. As a punishment Fagan has to pick up all the rotten apples and put them in the wheelbarrow. Everyone in Drumsnella is busy making apple-themed food for the store cupboard. Fagan spots a ‘get rich quick’ opportunity and decides to invent an apple juice machine. He rushes round the village taking orders, and persuades Mr Wolfie to lend him the barn to build his invention in. After picking apples, the children enjoy playing a game of rounders in the fields but keep losing the ball. Game over.

PADDLES is troubled by a persistently itchy paw and the OLD MOORHEN says that this is a sure sign that he is about to come into some money which will certainly come in handy as his dad MR. WOLFIE needs a new tractor

Drumsnella’s most famous son, singing superstar Spaniel O’Connor, returns to his roots to film a TV show, and everyone else is keen to get in on the act. Spaniel misses life in Drumsnella, and is amazed to discover the only polar bear in Ireland – he assumes Paddles misses home too, but after the whole village joins in the performance for his new single Spaniel learns that family and friends are what makes a home.

After making a rocket at school, everyone decides to play a space game in the Woods, but Charlotte finds it boring and would much rather practice her dancing. Mr Wolfie finds an old telescope, and at night time they spot a shooting star. Everyone makes a wish – but soon Charlotte is regretting her wish that something exciting would happen in Drumsnella when lots of strange things start to happen. Crop circles, all manner of things disappearing, and what are those lights and noises coming from the woods? Arrgh! The aliens have landed, and they’ve taken Fergal and Fergus, or has Fagan got something to do with this…..?

The school children are putting on a play and Charlotte decides because she’s the best performer she should have all the important roles. Paddles doesn’t think he’s good enough to play anything, so Charlotte decides he can be a stage hand and dishes out an ever increasing list of jobs for him to do. The dress rehearsal is a disaster, and Paddles is very down cast – it’s all his fault. On the day of the performance more disaster strikes – Charlotte has lost her voice. Oh no, who knows all her parts and can step in to save the day? Paddles discovers his inner strength just in the nick of time!

World wide singing sensation Spaniel O’Connell visits his home town of Drumsnella, and this gives Fagan and Bracken an idea: Lightning can strike twice – let’s form a band and be rich and famous! There’s just one small problem; neither can sing a note, and their tuneless rehearsals give everyone an earbashing. Meanwhile, poor Paddles misses hanging around with his best friend. A conversation with Spaniel means it’s Paddles that grabs the headlines instead.

Charlotte is downcast when her kite zooms off and a trip to the woods for a camp out doesn’t lift her spirits. Bracken declares himself King of the Woods, but Fagan sets up a rival camp where he can issue Kingly edicts instead of doing the hard graft of den building. Alas he discovers the hard way that his den is not rain-proof, and the woods can be spooky on a wet winters night; Who can solve the puzzle of the ghost and the dragon in the trees and cheer Charlotte up in the process?

Paddles, Bracken and Bridie are dismayed to find their fishing trip spoiled by litter in the river. Paddles organizes a litter pick, but what to do with the plastic bottles they collect? The Old Moorhen gives him an idea; if the birds can use things they find lying around to build their nests, then perhaps the plastic bottles can be repurposed? At school next day everyone sets to work on their creations. Meanwhile, the birds have taken all the blackberries – what, no blackberry pie?! Paddles devises something much nicer for the birds, now everyone looks forward to the next crop!

Everyone is playing hide and seek in the woods, but Paddles doesn’t really get it, and keeps being found first. Bracken hears a far off sound that no one else can, and explains that wolfhounds have really good hearing. Sure enough, Old Moor Hen ambles past whistling a tune. Try as he might, Paddles just can’t whistle, and a tuneless go on Arthur’s tin whistle offends Bracken’s sensitive ears. As the game continues, suddenly everyone realizes Paddles has become a bit too good at hiding, and as night falls they are worried – Paddles is lost. Mr Wolfie and Arthur trip organize a chaotic search party, and in the nick of time Paddles learns a useful skill.

Paddles finds a four leaf clover and saves Bracken from an accident with a pot of paint at the shop all in a single day. Bracken decides Paddles is a lucky talisman and he can make some pocket money by taking orders for four leaf clovers. But Paddles can’t find any more, and decides he’s not so lucky any more. Everyone is disappointed, especially Mrs Twigg, whose shop is spattered with paint. Paddles decides it’s better to make your own luck, and 122 cheers Mrs Twigg up with a hand decorated lucky talisman.

It’s the summer holidays and Paddles, Bracken and Bridie build a pirate raft to explore the river. Bracken and Bridie take charge, and poor Paddles is left to do all the hard work. Seamus and Oscar decide to scupper their game, and a daring pirate chase on the river ensues. Alas the baddie pirates have to endure the rapids. Paddles, Bracken and Bridie lose their raft and are marooned on an island in the river but are they alone? They discover an abandoned camp, but where is the treasure? Paddles earns himself a promotion to Captain, and returns triumphantly up river!

It’s the summer holidays and Paddles, Bracken and Bridie build a pirate raft to explore the river. Bracken and Bridie take charge, and poor Paddles is left to do all the hard work. Seamus and Oscar decide to scupper their game, and a daring pirate chase on the river ensues. Alas the baddie pirates have to endure the rapids. Paddles, Bracken and Bridie lose their raft and are marooned on an island in the river but are they alone? They discover an abandoned camp, but where is the treasure? Paddles earns himself a promotion to Captain, and returns triumphantly up river!

Paddles and Bracken are reading about their favourite comic book heroes. And they both decide that this is exactly what Drumsnella needs. However, people are dismissive of the Wonder-Cub and the Wolf-Master Junior’s attempts to be super heroes until they prove their worth when it matters.

Mrs Twigg is unwell with a dose of the sniffles and leaves Fergus and Fergal in charge of running the shop and their recently introduced “home delivery service”. But the demands soon start to get a little too much for Fergal and Fergus to cope with. Paddles and Bracken arrive, note the chaos, and offer to help the twins with their home delivery service. But when the errand boys decide to customise their delivery vehicle, things quickly go from bad to worse.

In the classroom, MISS HOOT is reminding the class that tomorrow is ‘Show and Tell’ and the pupils must bring in something interesting to show the class. The most interesting exhibit will have pride of place on the ‘Nature Table’. The competition is on! PADDLES wants to find something exciting for the ‘Show and Tell’ session at school but nothing seems to go his way until his star-gazing pays off...