But the plastic padding pool of crystal clear water with chunks of ice floating in it was hard to resist. It seemed a very good start to the day. So when a man behind a makeshift counter invited him to make use of it he accepted the invitation without so much as a second thought. Time passes very quickly when you are having fun, but it felt like only a moment or two before he heard a voice calling out to him. He stared at the man behind the counter. “I owe you ten pounds!” he repeated hotly. “But I’ve only just got here.” “You’ve ’ad your feet in the water for a good ten minutes,” said the man. “And it’s a pound a minute.” “A pound a minute?” uttered Paddington. He could hardly believe his ears. “It’s coming up to eleven now,” said the man. “Eleven!” repeated Paddington in alarm. “You ’eard,” said the man crossly. “What are you? Some kind of tame parrot… repeating everything I say?” “But I’ve only got ten pence,” said Paddington. “And that has to last me until the end of the week.”
