Shandy

Shandy was a teddy bear, a lion, an ape, a rival for Nancy Tanner's affections.... But what else was he ?
Holman came down out of the forest of giant orange-woods and trudged across the plain toward the place where Nancy Tanner lived. It was late afternoon and the woods beyond Nancy's home were already growing dark and dim.
The door of the old spaceship was open and a dark flowered rug hung over the rail of the gangway. Late sun glazed the round window near the door, but Holman thought he had seen Nancy behind the strawberry-patterned curtains.
Wearing a pale blue cotton dress, tan and slender, Nancy came out of the ship and into the low-trimmed grass. She held up one arm and waved once, smiling. Ken, she said and turned to roll up the rug.
Holman said, How you been? as he came near, walking at his usual pace.
Setting the rug carefully on the bottom step, Nancy looked up at him. Fine. Yourself?
Not bad. Had a cold last week. Holman put his suitcase down next to the neatly rolled rug.
Nancy frowned. You still don't eat enough greens. That's why.
Holman kissed her, his hands gentle on her back. Well, here I am, he said.
Well, come in and we'll talk. She stepped slowly away from him and went up into the ship.
Holman gathered up his suitcase and the rolled rug and followed her.
He looked in and all around the kitchen before he entered.