Freddie and Fiona read by Rhys Ifans

Freddie and Fiona is one of six stories created by patients, families and staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital, with the help of writer Sarah Butler. The audio version is narrated by Rhys Ifans.

Freddie was a kind, funny, generous bear with warm, fluffy brown fur. He lived in a cosy cave high up in the mountains, and every morning he went to the warm pool at the bottom of the waterfall to wash, and then to sunbathe.

The problem was that Freddie the bear was lonely. He had a brother called Bronson, but he lived far, far away. When Freddie looked through his telescope and saw the animals in the opposite valley, and the birds up in the sky, playing and laughing and talking and dancing, it made him sad that he didn’t have a friend to play with.

One Spring, after a very long, cold, lonely winter, Freddie decided that if he wanted a friend, he would have to go and find one. So he packed up a basket with things to eat – chocolate-covered slugs, a jar of juicy maggots, a packet of deep-fried bugs, and a great big hunk of Red Leicester cheese – and set off into the mountains.

After he had been walking for half a day, and had eaten almost all of the deep-fried bugs, Freddie met a big, grey elephant with huge ears and a long, long trunk.

'Hi,’ said Freddie. 'Do you want a fried bug?’

The elephant sniffed and shook his head.

'I was just wondering,’ Freddie said, 'I’m looking for a friend you see. I don’t suppose you’d like to be friends with me?’

The elephant looked down at Freddie. 'You’re far too small to be a friend of mine,’ he said.

'Then I’m sorry to bother you,’ Freddie said. He helped himself to another bug and carried on walking.

An hour later, when Freddie had just opened the jar of juicy maggots, he came across a tiny white mouse, cleaning her whiskers.

'Hi,’ said Freddie. 'Do you want a maggot? They’re very juicy.’

The mouse went even whiter than she was before. She stared at Freddie and shook her head.

'I was just wondering,’ Freddie said, 'I’m looking for a friend you see. I don’t suppose you’d like to be friends with me?’

The mouse looked up at Freddie. 'You’re far too big to be a friend of mine,’ she squeaked.

'Then I’m sorry to bother you,’ Freddie said. He helped himself to another maggot, and carried on walking.

It was getting dark, and Freddie was just starting to think about the chocolate-covered slugs, when he almost fell over a crocodile, dozing by the side of a wide, muddy river.

'Hi,’ said Freddie. 'Do you want a slug to eat? They’re covered in white chocolate, and very tasty.’

The crocodile licked his lips and shook his head.

'I was just wondering,’ Freddie said, 'I’m looking for a friend you see. I don’t suppose you’d like to be friends with me?'

The crocodile looked at Freddie and frowned. 'You're far too fluffy to be a friend of mine,' he said.

'Then I'm sorry to bother you,' Freddie said. He ate a chocolate-covered slug in one bite, and carried on walking.

Freddie walked all through the night. He was very tired, but very determined, and there was still the Red Leicester to eat. As the sun rose, he saw a beautiful zebra standing beneath a tree, eating grass.

'Hi,' said Freddie. 'Do you want to share some Red Leicester cheese with me?'

The zebra chewed slowly, and shook her head.

'I was just wondering,' Freddie said, 'I'm looking for a friend you see. I don't suppose you'd like to be friends with me?'

The zebra looked at Freddie. 'Where are your stripes?' she said.

'I don't have any,' Freddie said, holding out his brown, furry paws.

'You're far too plain to be a friend of mine,' said the zebra.

'Then I'm sorry to bother you,' Freddie said. He took a bite of the Red Leicester cheese, and carried on walking.

Freddie walked and he walked. He walked until he had finished all of the cheese. He walked until he reached a wide, peaceful lake, and then he stopped, sat down on a smooth grey rock and put his head in his paws.

'Hello,' said a voice.

Freddie looked between his claws. In front of him stood a tall, beautiful flamingo.

'I said, hello!' the flamingo said.

Freddie lifted his head.

'If you don't mind me saying, you don't look very cheery,' said the flamingo.

Freddie sighed. 'I'm looking for a friend you see,' he said. 'But nobody wants to be friends with me.'

'I will,' said the flamingo.

'But I've no food to give you,' Freddie said.

'Full of fish,' said the flamingo. 'Couldn't eat another mouthful.'

'But am I not too tall?' said Freddie, 'Or maybe too small?'

The flamingo looked Freddie up and down and then shook her head. 'I'd say you were the perfect size,' she said.

'You don't think I'm too furry, or too plain?' asked Freddie. 'You're such a beautiful bird, surely you don't want to be friends with a plain old brown bear like me?'

'Are you joking?' The flamingo looked around and then leaned closer to Freddie. 'I'll tell you a secret,' she whispered. 'Brown is my favourite colour.'

Freddie laughed. 'Pink is my favourite colour,' he said.

The flamingo picked out her most beautiful pink feather and offered it to Freddie. 'My name is Fiona,' she said. 'And I would be honoured to be your friend.'

Freddie took the feather and tucked it behind his ear. Then he pulled some of the softest fur from his back and held it out to Fiona. 'My name's Freddie,' he said. 'And I would be honoured to be your friend.'

Fiona took the fur, rolled it into a tube and wrapped it around her neck like a scarf, and the two friends played and laughed and talked and danced for the rest of the day.