Perhaps there is a favourite subject you like a school.. Maybe it is geography. Or Art ? Perhaps it is something different. Well when Papa was at school his favourite was without doubt history. He loved to learn about the past and how people lived before him. And he carried his passion for history into later life. Unfortunately for him it wasn’t shared by Mama or Puff or even Padders, so when he read about a special conference on the history and traditions of Portugal to be held in the hotel foyer he knew that he would have to go alone. Mama didn’t mind at all for she had plenty of postcards to write and she sent the cubs on the mission of purchasing stamps from the local post-office while she put pen to paper.

Dearest Gertrude ‘ (Mama’s neighbour)
Having a wonderful week in the sun. The weather is perfect and all the family are amusing themselves. I’ll pop in as soon as we get back. Thanks for feeding Sourpuss and Duke ( their pets) - hope they haven’t been too much of an inconvenience. Regards Mama Paws.

Mama set down her pen and shook her hand - this is the eleventh card she had written. The cubs returned with the required stamps and Puff licked them and stuck them onto her postcards.

‘Can we go snorkelling Mama ?’ asked the cubs. Permission was granted so long as they were careful and didn’t go out of their depth. Mama took out a good book, donned her sunglasses and began to read. When the cubs got back it was already lunch-time and they could hear the familiar thus of Papa’s feet walking towards them. He was grinning from ear to ear, so obviously the talk was informative and enjoyable. He started to tell them all about the early Portuguese voyagers who explored into the unknown waters of the Atlantic...

‘ I managed to write all my postcards while you were away’ said Mama trying tactfully to change the subject. Had she wanted to hear about these voyagers she would have gone along herself to listen.

‘That’s nice’ said Papa, who continued to tell about a Portuguese chap called Vasco da Gama who opened up a sea-route to India.

‘ And we went snorkelling’ said Puff. ‘ You should have seen the sea-bed!’

But Papa wasn’t interested in the sea-bed. He went on to tell them about someone called Alvares Cabral , another Portuguese chap, who discovered Brazil.

‘I’m so hungry’ said Padders in desperation, pointing to his watch and letting Papa know it was lunch-time.

‘Well let’s walk up to the restaurant and get ourselves something to eat’ said Papa and everyone smiled with relief.

‘I can tell you everything around the table!’ said Papa in all seriousness.

But in fact what he had to tell them was interesting. It was a traditional |Portuguese story.

He told them of a young man who travelled all the way to the West Indies to seek his fortune., Nothing more was heard of him for a long time; eventually he returned to his home city of Lisbon ( the capital city of Portugal) with two of his own ships both laden with riches.

‘Now’, he thought ‘I will play a trick on my relations’. ( His parents had died when he was only a child and he had only a few cousins left). He took off his designer gear and put on some well worn old clothes and went to visit his cousin Pedro.

‘Here I am, your cousin John; after all these years of travelling the world I have come back home. May I stay at your home for a little while just until I get settled again ?’

His cousin replied ‘ My dear John, how I wish I could help you, but there is not a free room in this house. Why don’t you try Franco ?’

So John went around to see his cousin Franco. There he received the same welcome or lack of it! He tried two more cousins and all declared how much they would like to help him but it was not convenient.

John returned to his two ships in the harbour. He put on his most expensive and fashionable clothes and accompanied by his secretary and servants, he went back into the city of Lisbon. There he bought a large mansion in the main street. In a day or two his fabulous wealth was the talk of the city.

‘Who would have imagined’ said his cousins who had turned him away from their doors ‘ if only we had known about his treasure ships in the harbour, how differently we would have treated him. But its no good now; We have spoilt our chance with him forever.’

Papa Paws reminded his family that Jesus Christ comes to them in the same way, in the disguise of everyone and anyone in need. If they turn Him away they will not share in His treasures of love and joy. He quoted a special part of the Bible where Jesus Himself said - I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me... Papa read for them the entire passage of Matthew 25:31-46 and asked them questions.

‘Who can tell me some of the simple things Jesus picked out by which we can help others ?’

‘Giving a hungry man a meal’ stated Puff.

‘Welcoming a stranger’ added Padders.

‘Giving a thirsty man a drink’ sighed Puff as she held up her empty glass of orange for Papa to refill!

‘And cheering the sick’ suggested Mama.

‘Yes’ said Papa. ‘ Those are some of the ways we can all help others, and remember that in helping others we are pleasing Jesus.’