TEDDY BEARS

A ROOMY CAGE HAD BEEN BUILT FOR THEM.

TEDDY BEARS

BY
ADAH LOUISE SUTTON
PICTURED BY
A. J. SCHAEFER

——————————————————————————————
THE SAALFIELD PUBLISHING COMPANY
AKRON, OHIO

MADE IN U. S. A.

Copyright 1907
by
The Saalfield Publishing Co.

Contents

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.

[a]

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.

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.

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.

CHAPTER II.
Which Introduces Sally.

THE Teddy bears sold like hot cakes. Never before had any one toy called forth such a demand. And it really seemed as if every Christmas tree in the town was destined to be decorated with at least two or three of the quaint little brown creatures.

One afternoon a smart little electric car stopped in front of the big department store. Out of it stepped a fashionably gowned woman, and after her sprang out a plump little girl with round, rosy cheeks, a pair of round blue eyes and a little red mouth that she was in the habit of screwing up into a round O whenever she wanted a kiss, which was quite often.

Her brown velvet coat came down to the bottom of her pretty frock, and her big brown hat was trimmed with soft, fluffy plumes. Her bright hair was braided in two long tails and tied with soft, wide ribbons. Altogether she was such a comfortable roly-poly of a girl, that it really seemed as if she might roll off like a ball should anyone give her a push.

People looking after her smiled involuntarily, as she, herself smiling, disappeared through the revolving door of the shop.

Of course the Teddy bears claimed her immediate attention. She hung over their cage, uttering little exclamations of eagerness, and delight; and the conclusion of the whole affair was that mamma selected a whole family instead of just one Teddy bear as she had at first intended.

She ordered them to be wrapped at once and carried out to the auto, and her little daughter could scarcely wait until they reached home, so eager was she to play with her new treasures.

Arrived at the house, it did not take very long to unwrap the Teddy bears and set them up, all in a row, in the wide window seat of the nursery.

There was papa bear, round and jolly, mamma bear, plump and comely, a pair of twins, so much alike that you really could not tell one from the other, and a wee, baby bear, so dear and cunning that Sally could not refrain from giving it a frantic hug and a kiss.

When bedtime came she insisted on taking the papa bear to bed with her, having first comfortably tucked up all the rest of the family in one of her dolls’ cribs, much to the discomfiture of the doll to whom it belonged; for she was left neglected to sit up all night by herself in a corner of the sofa.

For a while everything was very quiet in the nursery. The night light burned dimly in its pretty vase of rosy crystal, showing Sally as she lay fast asleep and breathing softly, the braids of her bright hair lying loosely on the pillow, and one little plump hand holding fast the Teddy bear’s soft and somewhat resisting paw.

But presently something under the bedclothes stirred at first gently, then more vigorously. A little moving heap edged its way out from under the sheets and blankets, and a queer little brown figure in pink striped pajamas shook itself free and stood up by Sally’s pillow. The papa bear was wide awake, ready for action and very anxious to explore his new surroundings.

Besides being very much awake, he was beginning to develop a rousing appetite, for of necessity he had been forced to fast since the night previous, when he and his family had feasted royally at the candy counter in Schwartz’s.

Very cautiously he swung himself to the floor and trotted over to the crib that contained his family. They were all wide awake and all as hungry as hunters. Like the good provider that every father of a family should be, papa bear immediately set out on a voyage of discovery.

The nursery door was open, but the room beyond in which Dr. and Mrs. North slept was so dark and quiet that Mr. Bear resolved to confine his still-hunt to the nursery.

Round and round he trotted, sniffing at everything which looked as if it might be good to eat. Several times he was cruelly deceived and presented in turn to his rapacious family a fat, red tomato that proved to be stuffed with sawdust and full of little shining, sharp-pointed things, that he later found out were called pins; a beautiful red-cheeked pear that turned out to be made of wax, and a bunch of plump purple grapes that had, in the beginning, been destined to adorn nurse’s best bonnet, and were in consequence singularly dry and unappetizing.

Farther investigation, however, was rewarded by the discovery of a box of delicious champagne wafers, put away on the closet shelf for Sally’s especial delectation. Delighted with this find, the hungry bears soon emptied the box, which Mrs. Bear immediately utilized as a seat for the baby cub.

Having thus satisfied his own appetite, and leaving his family comfortably chewing, papa bear now started forth on a tour of investigation. He had learned a thing or two during his stay in the department store, and one of them was that if a place is dark and you wish to light it up, the very easiest way to do so is to press a little button in the wall. So he trotted around the nursery, carefully looking along the wall for such a button. Before very long he found it, close to Sally’s bed and quite within his reach if he climbed up on the pillow, which he was not at all slow to do.

And then, in less time than it takes to tell it, his brown paw was fumbling with a button and in a second the room was flooded with brilliant light.

This so annoyed the night light that she flew into a temper and immediately went out, which, however, did not make the smallest difference as far as anybody else was concerned.

Mr. Teddy Bear was so overjoyed by the success of his experiment that he immediately began to dance a jig, and all the other Teddy bears promptly followed his example.

They were all feeling fine after their luscious meal, and no doubt also felt the need of some exercise, as they had been asleep for at least twenty-four hours.

Mrs. Bear had espied a doll’s piano and immediately sat down at it and commenced to play a waltz. Now a bear’s idea of waltz music is not just what boys and girls would consider very musical; besides which Mrs. Bear had never touched a piano before in all her life. However, her ear was tolerably correct and the result of her efforts was more than satisfactory to her admiring family.

By this time the rest of the toys were awake and the bears were delighted to discover several old friends from Schwartz’s.

Merrier and merrier grew the music and faster and faster waxed the dance, as all the toys immediately seized upon the nearest partners and whirled them off to trip the light fantastic.

A truly comical sight it was to see the baby bear waltzing with the French doll whose place in bed he had usurped, while the twins led off, one with a jolly round-eyed rag doll who had come all the way from London, as she proudly informed her partner, and the other with a wooden soldier, who had lost one leg and consequently hopped about in a most absurd manner; the twin, however, being far too polite to discard him for a more acceptable partner, kept on dancing until the wooden soldier was obliged to stop from sheer exhaustion.

Suddenly a sound from the bed caused everyone to look in that direction. And what did they see but Sally, wide awake and staring at them with eyes full of perplexity and amazement.

CHAPTER III.
In Which the Teddy Bear Finds a Name.

IN A moment everything had become quiet. Sally sat up in bed rubbing her eyes and quite unable to believe the evidence of her own senses. For how could a rational little girl be expected to believe that a Teddy bear was really standing beside her bed, bowing to her politely and pausing, between bows, to take large bites out of a pink wafer that he held daintily in one paw?

“Good evening,” said he; and “Good evening,” quoth Sally, almost too much astonished to speak. Indeed she had to pinch herself quite hard in order to convince herself that she was really wide awake and not sound asleep and dreaming.

“Do not be surprised,” said the Teddy bear, and Sally smiled involuntarily at the pomposity of his manner. “The scene that you have just witnessed is not at all an unusual one. In fact, I, myself, am rather astonished that after all the years you have been playing with toys you never discovered the fact that they always waken at night. Anyway why shouldn’t they?” and then as Sally did not make any reply, being far too much amazed to do so, he added somewhat irritably, “Why not? Why not?”

“Why not?” repeated Sally mechanically. She was beginning to realize that she was really awake and that the Teddy bear was really carrying on a conversation with her. And, moreover, that the Teddy bear had a very good opinion of himself, which made her extremely anxious not to offend him. There was a short silence, during which the Teddy bear finished his biscuit and, having daintily shaken a few stray crumbs from his fur, sat quietly regarding the little girl with his head tilted reflectively to one side and a rather inquiring expression in his bright black eyes. He looked so comical in his pink striped pajamas that she could not resist indulging in a smile, which, however, she quickly hid in the pillow, being dreadfully afraid that the queer little fellow would think she was making fun of him.

“Good evening,” said he; and “Good evening,” quoth Sally.

Presently she said, rather timidly, “If you please, would you mind telling me how old you are?”

“According to your point of view,” replied the bear reflectively, “I am about one month, twelve days and fifteen hours old.” Here Sally interrupted him to remark that he was very well developed for his age, but the hear frowned so dreadfully that she quickly subsided again into the pillow.

“If you ask a fellow a question you should give him a chance to answer it,” he observed sulkily. And then, as Sally politely remarked that she hoped he would excuse her, he went on.

“According to my own point of view, which is undoubtedly the correct one, I have no age at all, and never shall have any.” Then, as Sally uttered a little exclamation of protest, he added hurriedly:

“Toys never grow up and so really never grow older. They never grow in any other way whatever, consequently why should they ever become any age at all? How perfectly absurd to suppose that they do!”

He ended with a contemptuous sniff, which so tickled his sharp black nose that he fell into a fit of sneezing that lasted for several minutes.

The child, rather alarmed, hastened to pat him on the back, and he finally emerged from the attack none the worse and remarked that probably some of the crumbs had gone the wrong way.

Sally, who all the time had been wondering if he were red in the face under his fur, longed to remark that the crumbs must have gone the wrong way with a vengeance if they had gone up his nose. However, she rather feared provoking the Teddy bear, and remarked, by way of continuing the conversation:

“Oh, of course, you don’t grow any bigger. That is because you are just stuffed. There isn’t anything in you to grow.”

Somehow the child found arguing with the Teddy bear rather difficult. And then he was so comical that in spite of his obstinacy it was impossible to be offended with him.

“No, thank fortune, we don’t grow any bigger,” retorted the Teddy bear, with some asperity. “Only live things, like yourself, for example, do that. Now supposing I were a real, live bear, what size would I be by this time? If you were a doll, you would not be obliged to grow up either. But as you are only a girl of course you will have to.”

The little girl immediately thought of a dozen arguments in favor of growing up; but not wishing to put the bear in a bad humor she said quickly:

“I knew a boy once who talked just as you do. He never wanted to grow up and so he ran away and lived with the fairies. His name was Peter Pan. At least her name was.”

“Fairies! What are fairies?” exclaimed the bear. And then, before Sally had time to answer, demanded severely, “How can his name be her name?”

Now Sally was really a very sweet tempered little girl, but to be constantly contradicted and corrected by a stuffed Teddy bear was decidedly getting on her nerves. So she replied quite sharply, “Oh, you see it was a play, and the boy, Peter Pan, was really a girl. I think I should like to call you Peter Pan; that is if you haven’t any other name,” she added quickly.

“The name on my tag was Teddy, but it really doesn’t matter, as I have never been christened,” returned the Teddy bear. “Really Peter Pan is a pretty name, and decidedly more appropriate for me. Only I think the latter part of it rather reminds one of cake. And, by the way, couldn’t you hunt up some names for my wife and the cubs? You see we were all named Teddy—Teddy bears. But it seems rather mixed up, don’t you know, especially when there are so many of us.” Sally nodded acquiescently.

“To be sure, when you call for Teddy, you never know whether your wife or the baby cub will answer. Besides which, Teddy is not at all an appropriate name for a lady. And as for all being named alike, why, it is just like a lot of fractions reduced to a common denominator. It will never do in the world,” she said.

Now Peter Pan had not the remotest idea in the world as to what fractions or common denominators were, but unwilling to betray his ignorance he said nothing, while Sally finally discovered a way out of the difficulty by suggesting that they should consult her Pretty Name Dictionary, an idea which Peter Pan declared to be a fine one.

Finally it was decided that the twins should be called Tom and Jerry, the baby cub Little Breeches, as he wore a pair of the most fascinating blue overalls, and Mrs. Peter Pan Wendy, that being the name of the little girl in the Peter Pan play, provided, of course, that she had no preferences in any other direction.

By this time the grandfather’s clock in the lower hall began to strike three and as Sally was beginning to look very sleepy Peter Pan said good night. It was really good morning, so sliding from the bed he scampered off to inform his family of all that had happened. And he was just in the nick of time, for his wife was dying of curiosity and certainly could not have restrained herself for another moment from joining her husband and Sally and finding out what it was all about.

Sally cuddled down among her pillows and at once fell asleep; and as her thoughts trailed off to dreamland she seemed still to hear a querulous little voice drawling out rather peevishly, “Why not? Why not?” Meantime, the question of names was being discussed by the bear family. Mamma bear liked them all except the one intended for herself. She said it was altogether too suggestive of a rising storm, an idea with which her husband felt obliged to concur. She was warmly in favor of Bedelia, and as there was no very good reason to object, Bedelia it was and so remained to the end of the chapter.

CHAPTER IV.
Enter Bob.

NEXT morning consternation reigned in the nursery, for nurse coming in early to light the wood fire, found the electric lights burning, everything overturned, and the whole place looking as if it had been visited by a cyclone.

All the toys were lying about wherever they had happened to drop when surprised in their antics by Sally’s sudden awakening. Nurse’s work basket lay overturned on the floor with all its contents spilled out and her favorite tomato pincushion piteously emptying forth its sawdust vitals through a yawning rent in its side.

A basket of waxen fruits, perpetrated by Sally’s grandmother in her youth, had been thrown down from the shelf, and all the beautiful peaches and pears and apples lay ruined on the carpet mixed with the fragments of the glass shade that had covered them.

Most deplorable of all, nurse’s best bonnet had been dragged from its box and the gorgeous bunch of grapes that adorned its brim had been torn off and lay crushed and mangled on the floor.

Everything bore the mark of rapacious little teeth. Therefore nurse’s theory favored rats, and mamma shuddered at the mere thought of such dreadful little creatures being so close to her darling.

Such a thing had never before occurred in the annals of the nursery. Nurse wept over her bonnet and Sally over the ruined fruit which had been one of her chief treasures. She hated, oh, how she hated those dreadful marauding rats, who had done such damage with their sharp little teeth. Supposing that they had attacked Peter Pan and his beloved family? The thought was too terrible for words. She immediately resolved that in the future, Rough House, the beautiful Scotch collie, should sleep in the nursery, a plan that mamma entirely approved.

Never for one moment did Sally suspect Peter Pan, sitting so calmly in the bosom of his family, of being the author of the tragedy.

She had taken off his pajamas and dressed him for the day in a smart white sweater with leggings to match, and a beautiful white toboggan cap with a pink tassel that hung down at one side. To be sure, the tendency of the tassel was rather to make things topheavy on its own particular side, so that the toboggan cap was somewhat inclined to tilt rakishly over one eye.

This, however, was arranged by Sally with many a loving pat, and she gathered him affectionately in her arms, fancying that a queer expression flashed into his bright black eyes as she and the nurse discussed the feasibility of allowing Rough House to sleep in the nursery.

Nurse had been very much disturbed by the fact that she had found the night light extinguished, although the little vessel in which the wick floated was nearly half full of oil.

Rats could never have done a thing like that, she said to herself, neither could they have turned on the electric lights, nor yet scattered all the toys about the nursery floor in the grotesque confusion in which they had been found. However, she kept her ideas to herself, for the subject of ghosts and fairies was a strictly forbidden one in the nursery.

Only Sally herself might have explained the matter of the electric lights, but she intuitively felt that for Peter Pan’s sake she must never, never mention anything that she had heard or seen without his permission; and somehow she felt pretty sure that this he would be rather unwilling to grant.

In point of fact the little girl was rather beginning to wonder if it had not all been a dream.

However, she did not allow the matter to trouble her gay little brain, and was the picture of delighted happiness when an hour later, accompanied by mamma and nurse, she stepped into the big motor car and rolled away down town to the shopping district, carrying Peter Pan, who wore an altogether angelic expression, and nobody in the world would ever have suspected that the demure rascal, although somewhat disturbed at the fuss caused by his escapade of the night before, was even then planning some new performance for the ensuing evening.

This shopping trip was instituted chiefly for the benefit of nurse, who was delighted with the gift of a new bonnet that fairly bristled with grapes, while Sally was overjoyed with a beautiful set of library furniture for the doll’s house. After this the little girl was lifted to the loftiest pinnacle of enjoyment by luncheon at one of the fine cafés. Mamma allowed her to select the dishes she liked best, although nurse was rather inclined to shake her head over a combination of oysters, chicken salad, eclairs and café parfait, she herself being more inclined for beefsteak and baked potato. But mamma laughingly declared that it would do no harm for once and Sally enjoyed the menu to its fullest extent, now and then pretending to feed the Teddy bear, who sat up stiffly in a chair by himself, with a biscuit between his paws. After the jolly luncheon another surprise was in store for Sally—a matinee of Buster Brown, over which the child was enraptured. But I regret to say that the play supplied Peter Pan’s already fertile brain with several ideas which he could very well have done without.

It was very close to dinner time when the very happy if very tired little girl trotted upstairs to the nursery hugging Peter Pan to her heart, and rather wondering to hear voices through the half closed door. Then as she entered a sort of whirlwind punctuated by kisses enveloped her, and after the first breathless moment she could only cry out, “Oh Bob! I’m so glad!” and sure enough Bob it was, come back somewhat unexpected from Florida, where he had gone to spend part of the winter with the two pretty aunties whose absence had made a great gap in Sally’s small social circle.

The new Teddy Bears proved a great acquisition

They were all there, and all wanting to hug Sally at once and indeed the dinner bell was ringing before nurse was able to carry her off to be made fresh and pretty for the evening meal.

How good it was to see Bob’s dear brown face and to hear him telling of the fine times they had had down in the beautiful land where it is always summer. Sally could scarcely wait until dinner was ended and ate little herself, but she greatly enjoyed watching Bob while he satisfied the hearty appetite that rightfully belonged to a little man of twelve.

As soon as the meal was ended, the children hurried upstairs and Sally introduced her brother to Peter Pan and his family.

Bob thought the bears a great acquisition and then the two children, curled upon the hearth rug before the crackling and snapping grate fire, toasted marshmallows and popped chestnuts which they could not eat, but which, although they did not know it, were destined for the delectation of the Teddy bears later on.

For these rascals, as soon as the children had been tucked up in bed, came hopping and skipping with eagerness and greedily gobbled up the last crumb, and then held a council of war which resulted in a scheme that they were not, however, able to carry out at once, owing to other plans now being formulated by Papa Doctor.

CHAPTER V.
A Trip to the Farm.

THE first sweet spring days had come, and even the grimy city began to put on an aspect of youth and newness.

In the parks tiny green shoots appeared on tree and bush, and dandelions showed their golden faces above the vivid green of freshly springing grass.

From her nursery window Sally interestedly watched the gradual advent of the new season as promulgated by the aspect of the back yard. Her little soul thirstily responded to the call of nature and a vague longing for woods and fields took possession of her heart.

Dr. North, watching keenly the little girl’s wistful face and feeling in his own soul the echo of the wonderful song that spring sings to all of us, after some consultation with mamma communicated to Sally a plan that fairly made her jump for joy. And it was that at the week’s end the family should pack up bag and baggage and depart for the farm, there to spend a few weeks.

To be sure it was rather early in the season, but mamma decided that house-cleaning and dress-making might for once take a back seat At least that was the way Bob put it as he executed a joyful war dance around the nursery floor, being finally joined by Sally with a Teddy bear under each arm.

Surely no week ever seemed so long and no waiting so tedious. But at last it did really come to an end, the trunks departed in a big express wagon while the family made the trip to the depot in the motor car.

There was just time to catch the train and almost before they knew it Bob and Sally were waving good-bye to Papa Doctor while the big engine puffed and snorted, the bell rang, and then they were really off, flying away from the smoke and grime, the roar and bustle of the city streets to where green woods beckoned them, and dim blue hills, wreathed in the faint haze that lay upon them like a bridal veil, reflected the smile of God, which is the promise of all good things.

It was only a short ride of a couple of hours, through the beautiful Cuyahoga valley, and the children, delightedly familiar with the scenery, joyfully pointed out everything of special interest to Miss Palmer, their governess, who, having come from the East, could not of course be supposed to know anything about their dear valley. The big Indian mound which lay near the end of their trip called forth especial explanations, and Miss Palmer promised to read to them an exceptionally interesting volume on Indian mounds that was in the library at home.

Miss Palmer was, both the children firmly believed, the dearest and beet governess that ever children possessed and they listened with the greatest interest, not forgetting, however, to point out to her a place where the Cuyahoga (Crooked River), doubling upon itself, forms a peninsula and the town which sprang up there had been given the name Peninsula and is so called to this day.

The beautiful river, swollen by the spring freshets, rippled along over the rocks that sometimes formed tiny cascades in its bed, shaded by feathery pollard willows whose gray-green leaves were bursting from their pinkish sheaths.

Another point of great interest was the canal, along whose tow path President Garfield followed his mules as a lad. Miss Palmer knew a great deal about the martyred president and so interested were the children that they could scarcely believe the journey was at an end when the conductor called out the name of the place that was their destination. A big three-seated wagon was in waiting and when they were all piled comfortably aboard, including Peter Pan and Bedelia, whom nurse had carried while the rest of the Teddy bear family journeyed in a trunk, the fine gray farm horses started off at a trot along the uneven and rutty country road.

How sweet the breath of the spring was, how fresh and beautiful the landscape! The voice of the river rose like a tinkle of silvery bells and Sally cried out in delight that she saw a blue jay. And indeed she did, for a pair of them rose, startled from their nest, and flew off to a neighboring tree, their azure wings flashing like jewels in the sunshine.

The drive was all too short and the children were half regretful when the wagon drew up in front of the “Bungalow,” as Mrs. North had fancifully named the beautiful old farm house, which, with its gleaming white paint and moss-green shingles, presented a most attractive picture against the soft spring landscape.

And now Mrs. Hale who, with her husband, had taken care of the farm ever since it had been the property of Dr. North, came bustling out, full of a hearty welcome. She was a round and rosy woman, with bright eyes and a jolly laugh that, when you heard it, made you want to laugh, too.

She held up her hands and laughed till she shook when introduced to Peter Pan and Bedelia, for the Teddy bear tribe had not yet penetrated to her part of the world. After that they all went in to luncheon, set forth in the big, square dining-room, a room that projected from one side of the house and three sides of which were composed of windows, from which one might look out for miles and miles over the beautiful wooded hills with the sparkling river running its glittering way between them.

The dining-room together with the broad, gallery-like verandahs that ran around the three sides of the house had been a modern innovation recently added and the verandahs had suggested to Mrs. North the quaint appellation of the “Bungalow.”

Mrs. North had spent a part of her girlhood in India, where her father had been an English officer, and had absorbed a good deal of the Oriental which showed in a love of warm, glowing colors and luxurious surroundings. She was a very pretty woman, so girlish looking that she had more than once been taken for Bob’s elder sister.

Dr. North had expressed down from the city a quantity of beautiful piazza furniture and when the happy party came out of the dining-room after a meal that taxed even Bob’s capacity, they found a delightful resting place awaiting them. Fine mats of Japanese make covered the piazza floor and a gay red carpet draped the stone steps, for Papa Doctor had not forgotten his little daughter’s predilection for sitting upon them.

Handsome chairs and settees with one or two tables filled the spaces of the piazza, the settees heaped with pretty cushions, while two hammocks hung in opposite corners.

Mrs. North sank contentedly down in a big armchair that smelt delightfully like sweet grass, while Miss Palmer took a cozy corner in the settee opposite. Mrs. North adored her beautiful summer home, and the restfulness it offered was ever welcome after a strenuous winter in town.

As for the children, they of course saw no reason for wishing to rest, but tore off to find Mr. Hale and persuade him to devote the rest of the day to showing them over all the already familiar places; a thing which they found not at all difficult to do. And soon their delighted shouts rang merrily from the barn, where they succeeded in clambering up into the hay loft and very nearly lost Bedelia whom, with Peter Pan, they had carried up with them, by dropping her down a chute into one of the mangers below. Here she was discovered with the occupant of the stall thoughtfully nosing her over and over and evidently thinking that someone had presented him with a very queer bunch of hay for dinner.

Bedelia, in addition to being badly scared, was also very much offended and considered that she had been handled shamefully. Besides being somewhat bruised, the horse had nipped her when trying to decide whether or not she was good to eat, and Bedelia felt quite sure that he had taken off a mouthful of her fur, which thought made her perfectly furious, and she longed to scratch and bite when finally rescued by the rather anxious Sally.

She immediately made up her mind to play all the pranks she could think of while at the farm, and the result of one scheme which she later carried out, was certainly of a nature to satisfy even a slighted Teddy bear, as we shall see later on.

CHAPTER VI.
Bedelia Amuses Herself.

HAPPY days succeeded each other with rapidity at the farm. Sally was enchanted with the poultry yard and spent much time fussing over the beautiful Cochin China and White Leghorn fowls. Already one enterprising hen had hatched a brood of dear little fluffy, yellow chicks and marched proudly around the yard clucking and scratching. Sally thought she had never seen such rapacious youngsters. They were always hungry, always peeping for more worms to eat. Sally longed to pick up the dear little fluffy balls and kiss and cuddle them. They reminded her of so many Easter penwipers running around on felt, although in her tender little heart she hoped that the Easter chicks were manufactured. It would have been such an act of cruelty to slaughter the darling baby chickabiddies for horrid old penwipers.

Mr. Hale, however, to whom Sally often confided her views, remarked, with a great want of sentiment, that it was really no worse than eating them later on. At which the little girl became very thoughtful. She was indeed extremely fond of chicken dinners as demonstrated by Mrs. Hale.

Meantime Bob was absorbed in the Belgian hares and star guinea-pigs. Mr. Hale made a business of raising them and Dr. North had purchased a number of pairs, knowing how fond the children would become of them. Sally adored them all and soon divided with them her love for the chicks. These she could take up in her arms and cuddle and hug. They were all tame and would permit almost any amount of petting. One day Sally received a great surprise. She was hurrying down to the barns where the cows were kept, to be introduced to a newly arrived baby calf, when suddenly Peter Pan, whom she had securely tucked under her arm, twisted himself around and remarked, in his funny little growling voice, “I wish you wouldn’t squeeze me so tight. You really hurt me.”

Sally sat down suddenly on the grass just where she stood, she was so astonished. Of course she dropped the bear, who quickly gained his equilibrium and sat up on his haunches, rubbing first one elbow and then the other, with such a comical expression that the child burst out laughing. “I suppose you thought it was a dream,” said the Teddy bear rather severely. “Well, it wasn’t. But I have discovered something since then. In fact, since we have been down here in the country, I have found out that if I am very quiet and sleep at night I can get busy in the daytime. I was talking to a crow the other night. He hopped in on the window sill after you had gone to sleep. He recommended me to try it and it works like a charm.” Here Peter Pan turned a complete somersault and looked so perfectly absurd in doing it that the child lay back and laughed until she was weak.

“The only thing that bothers me,” went on the Teddy bear, “is Bedelia. She will be in mischief all the time now. So many avenues of enterprise were closed to her at night.”

The little girl sat up and wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes. “What made you tell her?” she inquired.

“I didn’t,” retorted the bear. “She simply followed my example from force of habit. And now goodness knows what trouble she will stir up.”

“Why don’t you hibernate?” said the child reflectively. “She would follow your example and then I could waken you up and——.” Sally broke off suddenly. She had just caught a glimpse of a small brown figure skulking along in the shadow of the hollyhocks.

“There she is now,” she exclaimed. “I wonder what she can be up to.”

In another moment a great clucking and squawking was heard in the direction of the hen house. Sally quickly caught up Peter Pan and raced thither as fast as her legs could carry her.

And a comical scene it was that revealed itself to the little girl as she hastily swung open the door of the hen house, which already stood ajar. Firmly seated on the nest of the big White Leghorn hen was Bedelia, her ample proportions elaborately spread out over the eggs of the distracted biddy; nor would she be dislodged by all the frenzied pickings and cluckings of the outraged mother.

“Really, my dear, you are very unwise,” remarked Peter Pan to the triumphant Bedelia, with a solemn wink. “Suppose one of the hired men had discovered you?”

Sally, however, wasted no time in reasoning. She simply picked up the naughty Bedelia and hurried her off to the house, where she locked her securely in a big closet that opened from Miss Palmer’s bedroom.

It was a very roomy closet and there was a transom over the door which made it sufficiently light for Bedelia to see what she was doing. But there was nothing of interest except Miss Palmer’s trunk which was locked and consequently inaccessible.

Bedelia after nosing around for a few moments was just about to give up in despair, when suddenly she uttered a little shriek of joy. For she stumbled over something soft, and lo and behold! there were the twins and Little Breeches, sitting in a row far back against the wall, just where nurse had plumped them down when they were unpacked.

There they had remained alone and forgotten since their arrival.

Bedelia’s fertile brain did not take very long to evolve a method of escape now that she had discovered such valuable confederates in the shape of her cubs; and she proceeded to shake them vigorously, one after the other, which form of procedure left them very wide awake indeed.

Under her able direction they first climbed upon the trunk and then upon each other’s shoulders, making a sort of step-ladder, up which Bedelia quickly climbed, and slipping through the transom which happened to be open, took a flying leap right into the middle of Miss Palmer’s bed.

Having given vent to her displeasure by rumpling up the bed clothes and throwing the pillows on the floor, she trotted away without waiting to liberate the cubs, whom she left to cool their heels in the closet.

Downstairs she skipped and out on to the big verandah, and seeing that the coast was clear she took to her heels and sped as swiftly as her paws could carry her in the direction of the barn.

Sally’s voice floated toward her, laughing and chattering to Peter Pan as the two swayed backward and forward in the big swing under the apple tree, now white with its perfumed blossoms.

But Bedelia had very good reasons of her own for wishing to remain unseen, and forged ahead, keeping well in the shadow of the hollyhock hedge, and this time succeeded in escaping observation.

Swiftly she hastened to the stables and there, once inside in the cool half-twilight, paused and looked about her.

Most of the stalls were empty, but Doxey, the beautiful Shetland pony, lifted his head with its flowing double mane and regarded her with serious brown eyes.

But it was not Doxey to whom the meddlesome little bear now turned her attention, but to Dick, the woolly white Angora goat, whose stall was just next. In a moment she was swarming up on his back, pulling herself up by his thick coat and finally taking her station on his back, when grasping his horns with her two front paws she issued a series of vigorous “get ups” that had the final effect of producing a series of gyrations which the ambitious equestrienne had not taken into her calculations.

Suddenly heading around, Dick made a break for the door and once outside proceeded to stand first on his hind and then on his fore legs, for, failing to send the queer thing on his back sliding down over his tail, he concluded that the next best thing was to start her slipping over his head.

But neither performance served to dislodge Bedelia. She stuck like a burr and all Dick’s frantic experiments in the matter of jumping and bucking proved futile.

Round and round they spun, Dick’s hind hoofs describing the circumference of a circle; until finally, with an indignant snort and fully determined to rid himself of his terrifying incumbrance, he flung himself full length on the turf and commenced to roll over and over. Now indeed did Bedelia prove the depth of her generalship. She had precious little time to consider how she should escape being flattened out like a pancake, but she mastered the situation by a sudden stroke of genius the like of which sometimes accompanies a desperate situation.

Suddenly she sprang into the air and continued to spring at intervals, Dick’s revolving body giving her for a second a precarious foothold as she descended, something after the fashion of a performing circus pony who turns a barrel with his hoofs. And so she kept on hopping up and down for her life while Dick continued to roll, horns and hoofs alternately twinkling in the air. And how long the ridiculous comedy would have gone on goodness only knows, had not Mike, the hired hand, just then appeared on the scene.

CHAPTER VII.
“A Valley So Sweet.”

Mrs. North had decided to drive to a place a few miles distant called the Falls, there to take supper and remain all night.

And Mike was on his way to the stables to hitch up, as he called it, when the amazing spectacle just described burst upon his astonished sight. At once he jumped to the conclusion that the goat was trying to make mince-meat of Sally’s beloved Teddy bear. And springing forward—he seized Dick by his horns, yanked him to his feet and drove him off to the stables. Then returning he picked up Bedelia, no longer pirouetting like a ballet girl, but suddenly grown mute and stiff, and carried her to the kitchen, where Mrs. Hale took her in charge.

The children were now in a flutter of excitement over the proposed trip to the Falls. Sally insisted on taking Peter Pan, and presently they were all comfortably stowed away in a springy country carriage, rolling along toward the Falls.

Mike, who had been born and brought up in that part of the country, made a most interesting courier and stopped now and then to point out with his whip some place of especial interest, which he at once proceeded to describe in whimsical language all his own. For the Irish strain in his blood had gifted him with both wit and humor and there was very little of the comical side of things that Mike did not discover.

But the climax of all interest was finally reached when Mike pointed out a gently swelling hill topped by a lofty oak, at the summit of which he declared was the grave of Cuyahoga, the great Indian chief, from whom the beautiful valley and laughing river both had been named.

Further on they struck the Indian trail along which the savages portaged their canoes from the Cuyahoga to the Tuscarawas rivers.

Miss Palmer, who was sentimental, drew forth a pencil and tablet, and proceeded pensively to jot down her poetic impressions, while Peter Pan whispered very slyly to Bob that his friend, the crow, whose name was Tim, had come along, although not invited. And sure enough there he was, roosting comfortably and unobserved on the tail-board of the wagon.

So the happy little party proceeded on their leisurely way through the lovely country, beautiful with “the new green and the stress of spring,” until suddenly as they swung around a curve in the road, the great gorge of the Cuyahoga lay spread out before them in all its majestic grandeur.

Here through a great chasm rent in the walls of living rock by some mighty convulsions of Nature leaped the mystic river, clothed in her sheen of sparkling foam as a maid in her bridal veil. Dimpling and murmuring, it pursued its sparkling way over the rocks that lined its bed, murmuring in its shallows, thundering at last over the mighty Falls, and from thence tumbling into a sun kissed, mossy basin from which it wound away, a placid stream laughing and whispering into the blue distance.

The children had stood up to obtain a better view and Bob reverently removed his cap, seized by the same feeling that always moved him when he stood in church and saw the vested choir sweep up the aisle bearing at their head the great golden cross.

Miss Palmer fell to writing poetry more briskly than before and Tim, who was now perched comfortably on the back of the seat, leaned over and whispered to Peter Pan that it was a great place for worms.

To reach their destination was now a matter of but a few moments, and as the drive had not been long enough to tire them, the children, under the guidance of Mike, departed for a walk along the river and a visit to the Old Maid’s Kitchen, a queer cave in the vicinity that took its name from a natural fireplace of rock which it contained.

Mrs. North went indoors to arrange for suitable rooms and Miss Palmer retired to a secluded corner of the piazza to polish up her verses to Cuyahoga. And so it happened that Peter Pan and Tim were left to their own devices, which opportunity they improved by promptly falling asleep. It was evident that they intended to get busy later on.

At supper time the children returned flushed and enthusiastic over the wonders that they had unearthed. They had investigated the Old Maid’s Kitchen and Bob thought it would be a bully place to eat luncheon on the following day. They had walked along the river bank and at a point a good deal further up had been ferried across by a little old man with a beard like Rip Van Winkle in a little old boat that was propelled by an endless chain. They had found trailing arbutus hiding away under last year’s leaves and red partridge berries and shy dog-tooth violets and Bob’s pockets were full of treasures of more or less doubtful value, but all dear to his quaint little soul.

And oh, how hungry they were, and what a supper they disposed of.

After him followed his countless braves.

Tired as they were after their long ramble they begged Miss Palmer to read aloud her poem before they went to sleep. And after a little coaxing, which was warmly joined in by Mrs. North, Miss Palmer produced her tablets and read aloud these lines.

TO CUYAHOGA.

He sleeps on the hillside’s grassy slope,

Who once was a king in the land;

And few can point out his lonely bed,

Unmarked save by Nature’s hand;

The blue waters ripple, the sweet valley smiles,

The valley that bears his name,

And serenely he rests, tho’ his unknown grave

Is unmarked by the laurels of fame.

Mrs. North was greatly pleased and surprised by the impromptu lines and both children declared their intention of learning them by heart, after which there were kisses all round and the little folks trotted serenely off to slumberland.

The house stood upon a high cliff overlooking the valley, its banks sloping sharply down to the water’s edge. And the children never knew how they came, hours after, to be scrambling down the steep path, hand in hand, with Peter Pan hurrying on in front and Tim, the crow, flapping and hopping alongside.

Silently they hastened on, impelled by an unspoken fear of being late, for what they knew not.

Presently they reached the foot of the hill and paused in the shadow of the great trees that lined the fruitful banks of the river.

It was a gorgeous night. The full moon, pouring her silver light through a fretwork of leaf and twig overhead, wove patterns of fancy laces on the grass below. Not a leaf quivered. Not a breath stirred the sleeping vale of Cuyahoga.

Suddenly all the valley glowed as with a silver flame. And out of the heart of it rose a column of light, rainbow hued but pale as moonlight, indistinct as a moonlight mist.

Slowly it advanced through the silver flame, with a slightly swaying motion, rhythmical as the steps of an armed host. And then the children, watching spellbound, but not at all afraid, for it all seemed to be perfectly a matter of course, just as much so as it had become quite the thing to hear Peter Pan sit up and talk, began to distinguish shadowy forms, to hear strange music, and the dull throbbing of tom-toms.

Nearer swept the unknown company, headed by one of kindly bearing, clothed in blanket and fringed leggings, with moccasins embroidered with wampum and quills of porcupine, with eagle feathers in his hair and tomahawk at his belt, and after him followed his countless braves, stepping noiselessly, moving silently in the wake of the leader. So they passed and vanished and Bob knew that he had looked upon the great chief who for countless years had slept in the windy hilltop in the shadow of the lonely oak.

So, set in a frame of silver sheen, the vision faded into the moonlit mystery of the night.

Thus does the great Spirit of Love and Good open the eyes of innocence and purity to the infinite wonders of Nature, the visions of the night watches, the language of the dear dumb creatures, the voices that breathe from the souls of flowers. And the children awe-stricken but wholly unafraid, hand in hand, sought the homeward way.

At the threshold of Sally’s room they kissed and separated, Tim hopping along in Bob’s wake, and perching familiarly on the foot-board of his bed. And Bob’s last waking recollection was of the bird, standing sleepily on one claw, his eyes shut and his beak sunk in his feathers, while he croaked in a drowsy little note, “What a place for worms.”

CHAPTER VIII.
Home Again.

EARLY next morning the family started back to the farm, leaving with regret the beautiful valley, to which they promised themselves they would certainly return at some future day.

Beautiful indeed was the homeward drive in the freshness of the morning, and when the Bungalow was reached the children found a most delightful surprise awaiting them. For there on the piazza was Papa Doctor, who had come down, unannounced, by an early train. Busy as he was, he declared that he could no longer exist without a peep at his family, and moreover announced his intention of carrying them all off home with him.

Indeed the little folk were so glad to see him that they raised no very serious objections to the home-going plan. So it fell out that after luncheon trunks were packed, and the whole party, including Tim in a large wicker cage, returned to town by a late afternoon train.

The children knew that Dr. North’s patients could not spare him, and so uttered not a single word of disappointment at the rather abrupt termination of their outing.

The Teddy bears were greatly delighted to get home again. They had been hugely bored by the visit to the farm where there was not very much for them to do in the way of making mischief. Nor did they delay their plans for a single night, but that evening, as soon as everything was quiet in the nursery, Peter Pan proceeded to put into execution the scheme that he had concocted one afternoon, while being carried through the house in Sally’s arms, when he had been seized with a great curiosity to investigate the whole place. To be sure, Rough House was asleep by Sally’s bed, but Peter Pan moved cautiously, and silently marshalling his little family they crept out of the nursery and down the first flight of stairs. In the lower hall they paused to take breath and decide what to do next.

The big drawing-room was the nearest at hand and into this they scurried, somewhat awed by the thick darkness that was broken only by a few stray moonbeams drifting in through the lace curtains. Guided by these, Peter Pan at last found the inevitable button, and all the beauties of the fine, large room lay revealed to the admiring gaze of the Teddy bears.

There were beautiful gilt chairs with elegantly carved frames and backs and seats of tufted satin; elegant, spindle-legged tables inlaid with pearl; curio cabinets that contained precious mementos of a recent trip abroad; beautiful paintings and one or two fine bits of statuary; and in one corner a grand piano upon which Bedelia instantly longed to lay her devastating paws. But tug as they might, their united efforts were inadequate to lift the heavy carved lid. So, much disappointed, they turned their attention to the curio cabinets.

These they found to be easy of access, as the keys had not been removed from the locks, and they were soon enjoying the costly trifles with which they were filled, and many of which they succeeded in breaking before they grew tired.

When at last they had exhausted the resources of the drawing-room, they all trailed into the library which lay just beyond and was separated from it by heavy silk portieres.

Here were rows upon rows of books behind glass doors, but there were keys in the locks and a library step-ladder was in evidence.

The whole family swarmed up the steps, dragging out the books and tumbling them over in their eager haste to find pictures. Only pictures of animals interested them. At last they discovered a set of Natural History and here they found representations of creatures that resembled themselves and with these they were greatly delighted.

So eager were they to get at them, each one wishing to have the same book at the same time, that they flung the volumes about, tearing the pages and soiling the rich bindings.

One of the twins even tore off a piece and tasted it to try if it were good to eat, for by this time he was growing hungry. He regretted his meal later on, however, for it made him very ill indeed.

At length, wearied of examining the heavy books, they turned their attention to Dr. North’s desk, a splendid specimen of carved oak and Spanish leather. Here they upset the ink, tore up whatever paper they could lay paws on and broke in two or three pieces a costly eastern dagger with which they attempted to pry open the drawers of the desk. Luckily, however, these were fast locked, and finding nothing else to engross their attention decided that it was time to look for something to eat. Peter Pan was very much disappointed at not finding anything of that description in the library, as only the day before he had heard Sally’s governess remark that she fairly devoured her books. And he had imagined that they would find a great feast awaiting them in the library.

However, it was finally decided to invade the dining-room and thither the hungry group proceeded without delay, leaving the library looking as if a whirlwind had swept through it.

Here they found everything in excellent order and the table laid for breakfast, which was contrary to all rules and regulations. But the new maid was lazy and found that she could sleep a little longer in the morning by laying the table the night before.