[Illustration: A ROOMY CAGE HAD BEEN BUILT FOR THEM.]
TEDDY BEARS
BY
ADAH LOUISE SUTTON
PICTURED BY
A. J. SCHAEFER
[Illustration]
THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY
AKRON, OHIO
MADE IN U. S. A.
Copyright 1907
by
The Saalfield Publishing Co.
[Illustration]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE TEDDY BEARS ARRIVE 7
II. WHICH INTRODUCES SALLY 15
III. IN WHICH THE TEDDY BEAR FINDS A NAME 21
IV. ENTER BOB 28
V. A TRIP TO THE FARM 34
VI. BEDELIA AMUSES HERSELF 41
VII. “A VALLEY SO SWEET” 49
VIII. HOME AGAIN 56
IX. THE TEDDY BEARS PAY A VISIT TO BOB AND DO SOME OTHER THINGS 63
X. JOHN TAKES A TUMBLE 71
XI. PETER PAN GAINS A NEW IDEA 78
XII. THEY VISIT THE KITCHEN 85
XIII. PETER PAN USES THE TELEPHONE 93
XIV. THE TEDDY BEARS AT THE CLEANER’S 101
XV. A BALL IN THE NURSERY 108
XVI. THE TWINS ABSCOND 115
XVII. BEDELIA TAKES A SEA VOYAGE 123
XVIII. BEDELIA BECOMES LITERARY 131
XIX. HALLOWE’EN 140
XX. THE DREAM CHILD 147
[Illustration: TEDDY BEARS]
CHAPTER I.
_The Teddy Bears Arrive._
THE crate in which the Teddy bears had journeyed from their birthplace
in the factory to the big department store to which they were consigned
had at last arrived at its final destination and was being unpacked,
much to the delight of its occupants. For, as everybody who has ever
travelled much knows, it is uncomfortable enough to journey packed so
tightly in tissue paper and excelsior that one cannot move even as much
as a whisker. But to make the whole trip standing on one’s head is
infinitely worse. And this had really happened to several of the Teddy
bears.
But at last all their troubles and discomforts had come to an end.
Deft hands carefully unpacked them. Their coats were brushed until
they shone, their limbs, which of necessity had become more or less
cramped, were carefully straightened, and their heads tilted at the
most approved angle.
Some of them were dressed in delightful worsted sweaters and peaked
toboggan caps, each having a long tassel that hung over at the side.
And there were also the cutest woolen leggings to match.
Others were arrayed in little cotton overalls and a few in the most
fascinating pajamas.
Most of them, however, wore only their own furry coats. And very fine
indeed they looked after all the brushing and grooming.
Their toilets having been completed, they were carried out to Dept. A,
where all the toys were displayed. And Dept. A was indeed one of the
most important sections of the whole store. It occupied the central
portion directly in front of the big glass doors, and its wares were
temptingly displayed in several of the great windows.
In one of these had been built a roomy cage with white enameled bars,
just such a cage as one sees at the zoo, only much handsomer. And in
this the Teddy bears were placed, each one posed in a most life like
and natural manner and made to look as inviting as possible.
Some were arranged to climb up the bars. Others were playing with balls
and two jolly little white fellows, as much alike as two peas, were
swinging from a hanging trapeze.
By the time all this was completed it was very late indeed. All the
lights were lowered except those in the windows, and they seemed to
shine brighter than ever by contrast with the surrounding darkness.
The window dresser gave one or two final touches to his work and
hurried off grumbling that he would be very, very late for supper. The
other clerks had already disappeared, the night watchman arrived with
his dinner pail and everything was left tight and trim until morning.
For a long time everything was very quiet indeed; for you must know
that well-regulated toys never come to life until living creatures are
fast asleep. For they can then pursue their pranks and gambols to very
much better advantage. But presently a kind of long sigh ran through
Dept. A and in another moment a perfect babel of sounds arose and
swelled upon the air.
There was the mooing of cows, the bleating of woolly sheep, the crying
of baby dolls, the choo-choo of iron steam cars.
Suddenly the French walking doll, who had never been known to walk a
step in the daytime unless she was wound up with a key, made a frantic
spring from her box on the highest shelf, and landing lightly on her
toes came dancing and pirouetting down the centre aisle. Lightly
swaying from side to side, now this way, now that, onward she came.
And then bedlam broke loose. The big auto that had stood patiently all
day right in front of the middle door started up a fearful tooting of
its Gabriel horn and dashing madly and wildly down a side aisle came
very near upsetting the big Noah’s Ark, from whose door the occupants
were streaming, led by Mr. Noah and his family. In one corner a whole
regiment of leaden soldiers began to drill by companies.
“Company, Attention! Present Arms! Order Arms! Parade, Rest!”
The little lead captain’s voice rang out bravely. To be sure, it was
somewhat husky, but then he might have somehow taken cold, for the
weather was severe and Dept. A very badly heated at night.
It should have been a competitive drill, but after a little the lead
soldiers became impatient. They all wished to manœuvre at once. It grew
impossible to hear any of the commands, although the captain shouted
until he was red in the face. The confusion was terrible. Now a great
growling of lions and tigers and trumpeting of elephants arose from the
shelf where the big menagerie stood.
In vain the keeper rushed about wielding his long whip. But who cares
a snap for a keeper when he is made of wood and only about six inches
high? Not the animals, not they.
They would have torn each other to pieces had not their attention been
suddenly attracted by the ascension of a big fire balloon that had been
left over from Fourth of July and forgotten.
The balloon did very well, considering, until it reached the ceiling,
where it stuck and caught fire. Here indeed was a serious situation.
The balloon flamed furiously and the paper dolls, who were located
close by, set up a terrible shrieking, which was promptly joined in by
all the other toys.
[Illustration]
Goodness only knows how the affair would have culminated, had not the
iron hook and ladder company just then come dashing down the aisle,
closely followed by the chemical engine and the lofty water tower.
It was the work of but a few seconds to set up the tall ladders, and
every one of the fainting paper dolls was carried to a place of safety
by the gallant cast-iron fire laddies.
To be sure, the paper dolls were many, many times taller than their
brave rescuers, but then they were so light in weight that their
greater height did not make the smallest particle of difference.
In the midst of all the hullabaloo the bears suddenly realized that
they, too, were alive, and came swarming and scurrying out of their
cage, which, fortunately for them, had been built without a top,
tumbling over each other in their anxiety to be first in the scrimmage.
Their appearance tended somewhat to calm matters down, as all the other
toys were anxious to meet the newcomers, and came crowding around,
shaking hands in a very friendly way. All except the lead soldiers
who were all in the guard house, having been ordered thither for
insubordination.
The big woolly ram, with gilt horns, even went so far as to apologize
for the absence of order, which indeed was putting it mildly. As
for himself, he had remained quietly in his place, only giving vent
occasionally to a vigorous “baa” in order to testify to his disapproval
of the general rough house.
Indeed he was the oldest toy in the store, having been on exhibition
for two successive Christmases, being too large and expensive to find
a purchaser readily; but was always accorded the most prominent
position in the show case, as he proudly informed the largest of the
bears. Whereupon the bears tossed their heads, wondering what was the
matter with their own position.
Just then one of the paper dolls, a bride, was found to be in an
hysterical condition. The poor thing had just discovered that all her
beautiful trousseau had been destroyed in the conflagration.
[Illustration]
Restoratives were applied at once and it was proposed to take up a
collection among the toys for her benefit. But at that critical moment
a sound, high and shrill, smote upon the ears of all. It was the
crowing of the mechanical cock whose duty it was to inform the others
of the approaching dawn.
In an instant all was quiet and every one in his place. Only the
toboggan cap of one of the bears, pulled off in the struggle, lay on
the floor, where it was picked up next morning by the floorwalker,
who arrived first on the scene, and who ever after regarded the night
watchman with suspicion.
And the queerest part of the whole story is that the night watchman
never heard a single sound during the whole performance.
[Illustration]