Shellie May

I got my Shellie May in the mail today!  It was so exciting!  The box had so many stamps, as she was shipped to me from Hong Kong.  I ordered her from this seller on eBay for a pretty good deal.  How she ended up in Hong Kong when she's from Tokyo, I'll never know.  Maybe she was exploring with Duffy? ^^

Shellie May is so cute!  I was not expecting her to be as soft as she is.  Also, I really love the color of her fur.  A dusty pinkish mauvey taupey brown is how I would best describe it.  She seems a little less stuffed and firm than my Duffy bear, but she is incredibly snuggly.  No bear can be exactly the same anyway so I'm not too concerned.

Shellie May's story is not very original, and is nowhere near as charming as Duffy's.  Basically Minnie made Shellie May as a present for Duffy.  I've found an elaborated, original version of the story online which I like because it fills in all the gaps nicely for me.  Here it is. 

Taffy

❦

The Story of Shellie May

(A completely original telling of the creation of Duffy's sister-friend)

One dark night out at sea, Duffy and Mickey were caught in a terrible storm. They had been away from home for many long weeks, aboard the lightship Shellie May. Mickey and Duffy had many adventures together, on lots of different boats, but Shellie May was Duffy’s favorite. 

She was the last of the steam-powered wooden lightships, shining over the shoals through New England fogs and squalls. Shellie May had been protecting Cape Cod for generations, and her foghorn still resounded with a powerful voice. She was the first ship Duffy ever went out on with Mickey, and the first he later took out by himself. Tending her light was a labor of love for him.  

The strange tempest had been raging for days, and even the daytime was black as night. But Duffy and Mickey kept their beacon burning bright and other ships passing safely. They had several close calls, and Duffy had climbed the mast to relight the lamp dozens of times. Finally tonight, the gales seemed to be quieting. 

Just when they thought the worst was over, a sudden wave swelled up, sweeping away Shellie May’s anchor and smashing her against a submerged sandbar. Duffy and Mickey just barely made it to their little life raft in time!

Minnie was so worried! When she heard what happened, she hurried down to the pier. She was relieved to find them both all right. As the three of them strolled along the boardwalk, Minnie stopped to buy a couple bags of sea salt taffy to lift their spirits – one to share with Mickey, and one for the little teddy, too. 

He loved the stuff, but what he especially liked was the tender way Mickey and Minnie always shared it together. Duffy knew they’d missed each other, so he thanked Minnie for the treat and went walking alone along the beach to give them time to enjoy their reunion. 

As he walked, Duffy spotted a large piece of painted driftwood. It was red, with the letters “S-H-E-L-L-I-E M-A-Y” stenciled in white. 

As he got closer, the current carried the wreckage back out to sea. But Duffy discovered that the tide had brought something in as well, glistening soft pink in the sand…right where Shellie May’s name had just been. It was a lovely little seashell, in the shape of a heart. He knew right away that it was special and put it close to his ear. Inside, he heard the ocean, and the beating of his own heart! 

Listening to the shell, and gazing back at the boardwalk, Duffy saw Minnie and Mickey sharing their taffy and talking. He missed his favorite ship, and he was feeling lonesome. There would never be another boat just like Shellie May, just as Duffy had never met another bear quite like himself. He hoped for someone like himself, but outside of himself – a kindred spirit. 

Though Minnie's co-op workshop made many Duffys and every Duffy was one-of-a-kind; still, every Duffy was Duffy. He wished he had another friend to share his taffy with. Suddenly, beyond the rushing waves and thumping pulse, Duffy heard a familiar voice, pulling him gently out of his heartsickness. “Come on, pal! Let’s go home!” called Mickey, and they all headed off. 

On the way home, Minnie noticed Duffy looking blue. She also spotted the peculiar shell held in his paw. “Oh! What a pretty shell you found! You’re so lucky!” she said, hoping to cheer him up. Duffy gave the shell to Minnie with a big smile.

“Are you sure?” asked Minnie. “I think it’s something very special.” Duffy nodded and Minnie thanked him for the sweet gift. She was happy to see him smiling again, but she was still worried. 

Late that night, Minnie woke up with a start! She had sweet dreams, but a surprising sound roused her so suddenly that she quickly forgot them – she could hear Duffy’s voice in her room! But that was impossible! Duffy was at Mickey’s house!

Still, Minnie was sure she heard Duffy saying, “I wish I had a friend to share my taffy with.” It echoed again and again, like the beating of a heart, and it was getting louder. She followed the sound and found that it was coming from inside the shell!

Minnie realized she was hearing Duffy’s wish, from the bottom of his heart. She wanted to do something to help him; Duffy brought so much love to everyone else. But what could she do? Then she had an idea. “I’ll make a new friend for Duffy!” she thought to herself, and she tried to think about what kind of bear it should be.

“Hm…another boy?” she wondered. But there were already so many boy Duffy bears, she thought. “Why not a girl? And pink, like the shell! Her eyes should be blue, like sea salt taffy…And she’ll need a bow, of course!” Minnie worked all night making the new teddy bear, and as the sun came up, she tied the pink seashell around her petite pink neck. “Nice to meet you, little bear!” said Minnie, and she giggled at herself talking to a stuffed toy. “But what should we call you?”

Later that morning, Mickey and Duffy came over for breakfast. Minnie was still tired from sewing all night, but she was very excited to show Duffy his surprise. “Here you go, Duffy! I made a present for you.” Duffy felt a little shy accepting Minnie's gift; she had given him so much. 

But when he saw the cute little bear that looked so much like him, yet so different, Duffy’s heart filled with joy. She was even wearing the last token of his treasured steamboat! 

“She’s not a magic bear like you, but you can take her with you and she can be your friend,” said Minnie. “I’m not sure what her name is yet…”

“Nice to meet you, Shellie May!” said Duffy at once. “Nice to meet you, too, Duffy!” she replied. “You can call me Shellie if you want to.” Everyone was so surprised!

“Let’s go play!” said Shellie May, as she grabbed Duffy’s arm, and the pair dashed out of Minnie’s kitchen and down to the pier.

“Mm…This is so yummy!” they both said as they munched salty-sweet taffy together on the boardwalk. “What’ll we do next?” Shellie asked excitedly. Duffy smiled.

“Gosh, Minnie,” said Mickey, “I guess that Shellie May is a magical bear after all. You should make her in your workshop, too, so she can bring joy to lonely hearts everywhere and make more wishes come true.” 

And she did.