The Legend of ELPanda Paws

By M. C. Arvanitis

For hundreds of years the Claus Corporation has contracted with the ELVanites to make Love Bears which are delivered to seriously ill children around the world. Only Elves with love and happiness in their hearts can make the bears properly -- insuring that each bear carries love and comfort for these children. Negative feelings are discouraged in ELVanland. Frowning, fussing, criticizing and crying are rarely seen or heard. The ELVanites know that these feelings bring on unhappiness and disease. From early childhood they are taught to push any sad feelings out of their thoughts by thinking happy thoughts instead.
ELVina, Head of Production, finds her elf workers suddenly afflicted with the negative disease, an illness that makes them slow and careless. They whine and break into tears at the least little happening.
"What is going on, ELVina?" Inspector ELMonte asks. "I have never seen so many unacceptable bears come from this factory. The work is sloppy and certainly will not meet Mr. Claus's standards."
ELVina blows her nose and hangs her head, unable to speak for a moment. She starts to cry. "I have been feeling depressed also.”
"There, there, now." Inspector ELMonte places a comforting arm on her shoulder, "It will be all right. We'll work it out.”
But ELVina cannot be comforted. She knows that if the Love Bears are not made in time the Claus Corporation will not renew their contract for next year. No contract -- no work; no work -- no pay; the ELVanites will starve.
Worse yet, their reputation as bear makers will be ruined. Something is wrong in ELVanland. Something is terribly wrong!

• Language: English
• Publisher: M. C. Arvanitis
• Release date: Jan 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9780615577579

M. C. Arvanitis

M. C. Arvanitis resides in Freemont, Nebraska. She has a degree in Early Childhood Education. She taught preschool and early elementary for over thirty years until her retirement two years ago. She now spends her time writing elementary chapter books and Young Adult novels. Her short stories have been published in Skipping Stones Magazine, Totline Teaching Tales (Warren Publishing Co.), and Building Blocks for Bright Beginnings.

Book preview

The Legend of ELPanda Paws

M. C. Arvanitis

Published by Agate Beach Enterprises. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form without permission of

Agate Beach Enterprises, PO Box 864, Newport OR 97365

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 M. C. Arvanitis

ISBN 978-0-615-57757-9

E-published in the United States of America

December 2011

***~~~***

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

~~~~~

The Legend of ELPanda Paws

M. C. Arvanitis

~~~~~

Dedication

To my wonderful critique group, Sunshine Keck, Mariah Matthews, Patsy Brookshire, and Karleene Morrow and to the many students who first heard my stories when I taught in The Four To Get Ready Preschool in Nebraska.

Thank you to Helen Worthington, my reader.

Cover and illustrations by Mariah Matthews.

Cover design, editing, and formatting by Sunshine Keck, Consultant.

~~~~~

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Shipwrecked

Chapter Two: Trouble in ELVanland

Chapter Three: The Negative Disease

Chapter Four: ELMetric

Chapter Five: ELShama Returns

Chapter Six: The Search

Chapter Seven: The Ughlies

Chapter Eight: Finding the Source

Chapter Nine: The Cavern

Chapter Ten: Escape to Terror

Chapter Eleven: The Itizus

Chapter Twelve: Trapped

Chapter Thirteen: Escape

Chapter Fourteen: The Panda’s Fate

Chapter Fifteen: Time Runs Out

Chapter Sixteen: A Mother for ELPanda Paws

Chapter Seventeen: The Wedding

Chapter Eighteen: ELPanda Paws Goes Home

Epilogue

Connect with M.C. Arvanitis

~~~~~

Chapter One

Shipwrecked

The panda cub rolls head over heels in the grassy knoll near the snow-topped mountains of China. She lifts her head to look at her mother who is feeding on bamboo leaves nearby. She sees nothing out of the ordinary so she continues to frolic in the grass.

Suddenly the mother panda calls a warning. Humans are near! Before the cub can run to her side a net sails in the air and slides over her shoulders. A rope drags her through the tall grass. She struggles to get away. Bleating in fear she calls to her mother. The mother panda rushes forward. She strikes out with her huge paws at the humans. One of the humans lifts a club and hits the mother across her face. The cub sees her mother fall to the ground.

They shove the cub into a wooden cage and lift the cage to the back of a truck. The cub hears a slam and a roaring sound and feels the truck moving. She cries as she watches her mother struggle to her feet and run after the truck. The truck goes too fast for her to catch up. Finally she disappears in the distance.

It seems a long time until the sound and movement stop. The humans slide the cage out of the truck into the sunlight. The cub feels herself lifted high in the air. She sees only sky and water from her cage. They lower her down into a dark place and she sees nothing more. After a while she feels movement. Her cry mixes in with cries from other captured baby animals.

After days of darkness a violent storm rocks the ship. Her cage pitches and turns. Seawater sweeps over the deck rushing down into the dark hold. She and the other animals scream in fear as the water flows around their cages. She hears the sound of breaking wood and feels her cage rising. Then it drops into the foaming, freezing water. She rolls over and over as the giant waves push her cage. Suddenly her cage crashes on the shore. She shakes the water from her coat and looks around. She is on a tiny beach near a rocky cliff that rises high above her. Foamy water flows around the wrecked cages amid bodies. One animal has a long grey nose and big floppy ears. She nudges it with her snout. There is no movement. She walks from body to body, sniffing and nudging but none of the animals moves.

Water surges under her feet threatening to