From: geo2000@comcast.net   
      
   Yes WHO in the HELL ripped off BEAK!   
      
   WE WANT BEAK BACK!   
   WE WANT BEAK BACK!   
   WE WANT BEAK BACK!   
      
   GOMAN   
      
      
   "Deb in Northern California"  wrote in message   
   news:2ul9geF2d4np7U1@uni-berlin.de...   
   > Thanks Bret,   
   >   
   > Great story.  Sometimes I miss all the fun times we had on here.  And the   
   > mention of Beak, kind of brought a tear to my eye.  Too bad you don't know   
   > what happened to him, he was such a good guest at my home.   
   >   
   > Debbie   
   >   
   > "Bret Wiersbe"  wrote in message   
   > news:QBXgd.13434$KJ6.335@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...   
   > > As I reflect on past Halloweens, I will never forget the terror of the   
   > > Bear-Witch.  Some remember all too well; others choose to forget.   
   > > Although the curse has long since been broken, I still have nightmares   
   > > of the search for the Bear Witch.  I took a walk the other day along   
   > > familiar paths; paths that lead to old haunts; old haunts that used to   
   > > be rich with Beanies.  Interesting how things have changed in the past 4   
   > > or 5 years.  One particular store was now selling frozen custard instead   
   > > of over-priced Erin Bears.  One store was completely gone, replaced by a   
   > > luggage store; how practical!  I can buy a suitcase to store all my   
   > > extra Peace Bears!  Stores that used to be lined with people waiting to   
   > > buy Gobbles the Turkey or Stretch the Ostrich, now just empty voids.   
   > > Some stores were still in business, but seemed to have a new curse ....   
   > > the curse of over-stocked Ty products!  I stopped in one store to see   
   > > what was new.  It had been awhile since I bought anything with a Ty   
   > > trademark.  I didn't recognize a single item!  I couldn't even tell you   
   > > the names.  Some of the bears were okay.  An orange ghost, a vampire   
   > > bear ... no Bear Witch in site, thankfully!  I couldn't help but think   
   > > of my old friend Beak the Kiwi Bird.  I don't know what ever became of   
   > > him.  After his world-wide tour, he found love and happiness and I   
   > > haven't heard from him since.  I'm sure he's busy pooping up someone   
   > > else's home by now ... but I digress.  As I began my long journey home,   
   > > I passed one other famous haunt ... but this one was not replaced by a   
   > > clothing store or ice cream parlor.  This one was completely gone!  I   
   > > walked up to the boarded storefront.  A stench filled the air.  It was   
   > > the smell of fire.  The store had burned recently and the windows had   
   > > been covered by plywood.  A notice had been posted on the door: "No   
   > > Trespassing by order of the Chicago Fire Department".  Laws are meant to   
   > > be broken, so I pried a few boards loose and stepped inside.  The smell   
   > > was overpowering!  I felt light-headed.  I walked to the back room which   
   > > must have been used for storage at one time ..... the smell got worse.   
   > > All of a sudden, a women stepped out of the darkness!  She was the most   
   > > beautiful woman I had ever seen!  I was hypnotized by her beauty.  She   
   > > gazed in my eyes, and I felt numb.  She approached me, but as she did, I   
   > > could tell she wasn't ..... human.  A mirror hung on the back wall and I   
   > > could see my own reflection, but not hers!  She walked closer, but I   
   > > could tell her feet were not even touching the ground!  I tried to   
   > > scream, but I was frozen in fear.  Suddenly, her face grew ashen white   
   > > and seemed to fall away in dust ... revealing only a skull!  With a   
   > > horrible shriek, she howled "Go away and don't ever return!".  That's   
   > > all I remember, and then I fainted.  When I regained consciousness, I   
   > > was outside again surrounded by a few firemen and paramedics.  I heard   
   > > one of them say I had been exposed to toxic PVC fumes and was lucky to   
   > > be alive.  I guess I'm lucky they didn't have me arrested for   
   > > trespassing.  "That building is condemned", one fireman said.  I   
   > > replied, "Well you better tell the woman that's in there to get out   
   > > too."  They just stared at me for a minute and said, "That building has   
   > > been vacant for over a month.  The woman who owned the store died in the   
   > > fire.  We're taking you to the hospital just as a precaution."  Maybe it   
   > > was a hallucination.  Maybe the fumes caused my mind to play tricks.   
   > > But as they helped me into the ambulance, I looked back at the   
   > > building.  To my horror, I saw an all too familiar encryption on the   
   > > boarded up windows:   
   > >   
   > >    ^   ^   
   > >   (  .  . )   
   > > ---------   
   > >       ||   
   > >     /   \   
   > >    /      \   
   > >   
   > > Beware the Bear-Witch!   
   > >   
   > >   
   > > Happy Halloween!   
   > >   
   >   
   >   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)