prologue
‘Belle and 包 (Bao)’ is a short story that is a recount of
my experience living in Prague for one semester during my exchange. The story elaborates on themes such as growth and hardship through challenges that Belle and Bao go through, all whilst exploring the city of Prague, showcasing places that I’ve personally experienced through my own eyes. The illustrations aim to resonate with a children’s storybook by expressing the characters’ emotions through colour and texture whilst keeping a simple storyline. Lastly, as much as I enjoyed creating ‘Belle and 包’, I hope you do enjoy it the same way as i do.
annabelle lim
In search of
a new adventure, Belle and Bao begin their journey with a 15 hour plane ride from Singapore to the city of Prague, Czech Republic.
Equipped with a suitcase filled with almost
everything they needed - from fleece jackets to Singaporean snacks for a taste of home, they began their adventure at Charles Bridge.
As they spent their first sunrise on the Charles Bridge, they slowly took in the beautiful colours of the sky in anticipation for the new beginnings and experiences that they were going to create in Prague.
Attracted to the music along Charles Bridge,
Bao wonders towards the sound, curious to find out where it came from.
As the performance comes to an end, Bao suddenly realises that Belle is not with him. Panicking, he gets sucked up into the crowd, in an unfamilar land with people towering above him.
Being different from everyone else, Bao was the centre of attraction and everyone was curious what he was as they had never seen something quite like him before. Until...
Someone thought he was edible and stabbed him in an attempt to eat him!
“Oh no Bao, what happened?
I’m sorry that I couldn’t find you and help you in time. Let’s fix this together.”
“Don’t worry Bao, everything is going to be okay.
Let’s go and ask our friend, Dancing House, whether he can help us.”
“Dear Dancing house, you stand so tall and strong. Do you know where we can fill Bao up to heal his wounds and make him fully strong again?”
“Look for Mole down the corner, he might have a way to help you.”
“Dear Mole, how do those balloons can stay full and afloat? Do you think I can have some of that to fill me up too?�
And so Mole filled Bao up with helium from the
balloons and told him to follow the trail to the lake, where the swans could help Bao too.
“Dear Swans, how do you stay so fluffy and full?” “Here, take some of
my feathers, they will keep you stuffed and warm just like me. Maybe my friends at the zoo can help you out too - Polar Bear knows how to stay the warmest in winter.”
“Dear Polar Bear, how do you stay always so warm and big?”
Seeing Bao’s plight, Polar Bear sympathized greatly, and offered a huge tuff of his own fur, in an attempt to try to fill Bao up. Sadly, Bao was still not full enough to be healed. He also recommended that they try the most Czech method of filling bellys up, which is to drink lots of beer.
Taking Polar Bear’s advice, Belle and Bao went to a nearby pub and filled Bao up with lots of beer straight from the tap.
Belle and Bao also indulged in some traditional Czech cusine with dishes such as beef goulash and schnitzel, making sure that Bao could be full to heal as quickly as possible.
By the end of
their meal, Bao was happily filled with all the little bits of Prague in his belly. Although Bao may not be as full as before, his custard filling was now made stronger from all the hardy additions from adventures with Belle in Prague. Healed and ready to go, Belle and Bao start on their real adventure.
“Now that we’ve
fixed you up, it’s time to start on our real adventure..”