Dolores Smith and the Birthday Bear (short story)

 was the fourth story in the anthology The Perennial Miss Wildthyme.

Summary
Every year on her birthday, Dolores Smith sees a strange monster with a glowing eye watching her from the park opposite her house. On her tenth birthday, she wishes for a friend to come with her to confront the monster once and for all. What she gets is a stuffed and hung-over Panda.

As Panda attempts to get his wits about him, Dolores relates her past experiences with the strange creature.

Characters

 * Iris Wildthyme
 * Panda
 * Dolores Smith

Continuity

 * The Celestial Omnibus was destroyed in PROSE: A Grove Invisible.