Part 1 (2/2)

”Come on! We'll move over to one side where we shall not get any snow on the toys who don't like it,” said the Plush Bear. With his warm coat, almost like fur, he loved to roll in the snow. So did the Flannel Pig and the Woolen Boy Doll. But the Wax Doll, who, as yet, had no shoes, the Celluloid Doll, who was only partly dressed, and some of the others did not like the cold.

Faster and faster the snow came down, and more and more white flakes blew in through the open windows of the shop of Santa Claus at the North Pole. The Plush Bear caught up a paw full of the white crystals from the bench, made them into a ball, and tossed them at the Flannel Pig. The Flannel Pig turned quickly and chased after the Woolen Boy Doll, crying:

”I'll wash your face! I'll wash your face!”

Then such fun as there was! The Wax Doll, covered up now so that her feet were no longer cold, and in a safe corner where no b.a.l.l.s could hit her, watched the sport.

”I'm glad Santa Claus and his men took a little resting spell,” said the Plush Bear, as he quickly stooped down to get out of the way of a s...o...b..ll thrown by a Teddy Bear, almost like himself.

”Yes, if they were here we could have no fun,” said the Flannel Pig.

And this was very true.

As I shall explain to you in this book, and as I have told you in other books of these ”Make Believe Stories,” the toys could pretend to come to life, move about, and have fun when no one was looking at them. They could talk, tell jokes and stories, as well as riddles, play games, have races and even s...o...b..ll fights, as they were having one now. But the moment any one looked at them, or came into the room where they were playing, the toys settled back straight and stiff and still. They could listen to what was said, but they dared not speak, and they could take no part in life.

So it was that the toys were glad Santa Claus and his men had, for a little while, gone out of the big workshop. It was a wonderful place--this workshop of Santa Claus. There many of the toys in the world were made for the boys and girls of the Earth. And as fast as he had several boxes of toys ready, Santa Claus would hitch his eight reindeer to his sleigh, and down to Earth he would go. He would leave boxes and bags of toys at the different shops and warehouses, whence they were sent to other places where boys and girls could see them, and tell their fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts or cousins what they wanted for Christmas.

Biff! a big s...o...b..ll went sailing across the room.

Bang! it struck the Plush Bear on his nose.

”Wuff! Wuff!” growled the Plush Bear, but he was not at all cross, and, an instant later, he sent another ball sailing toward the Flannel Pig.

”Oh, I didn't throw that! I didn't hit you!” squealed the Flannel Pig, as he tried to dodge out of the way of the ma.s.s of snow tossed by the Plush Bear.

”Never mind,” growled Mr. Bruin, as the Bear was sometimes called. ”It's all in fun!”

And fun it was! At other times, when they were left alone, the toys in the workshop of Santa Claus had fun, but never before, at least in a long while, had windows been left open so that the snow blew in.

”It's almost as much fun as being out doors,” said the Plush Bear again, as he moved his paws and shook his head from side to side. ”I only wish the Nodding Donkey could be here to enjoy it,” he went on.

”Who is the Nodding Donkey?” asked the Wax Doll, as the Flannel Pig and the others stopped s...o...b..lling for a moment.

”He was a toy who was born here, and who lived here for some time, before he was taken down to Earth,” answered the Plush Bear. ”He could nod his head, and he did not have to be wound up with a key as I have to be. I liked the Nodding Donkey very much. But he and the China Cat have both gone away.

”However, I suppose that is the way of things up here. We are made to give happiness to boys and girls, and the only way in which we can do that is to allow ourselves to be taken to Earth by Santa Claus. Yes, I suppose I shall be taken down some day,” and once more he moved his head from side to side, and looked very wise indeed, did the Plush Bear.

As I have said, he was not a Teddy Bear, though sometimes he looked like one. He was made entirely of soft, brown, silky plush. This plush covered from view the clock wheels and springs inside the Bear, which when wound up, caused him to move and growl. But the wheels did not give the Bear his wise look. That was put on his face by one of the workmen of Santa Claus.

”Oh, I know what we can do!” suddenly cried a Polar Bear, who had just shuffled along to join the fun. The Polar Bear was like the Plush Bear only a different color, the Plush Bear being brown, and the Polar Bear white.

”What shall we do?” asked the Flannel Pig, as he wiped some snow water out of one of his eyes.

”Let's build a big snow house, such as the Eskimos all about the North Pole build,” went on the Polar Bear. ”There is enough snow being blown in through the open windows to make a lot of houses. And we can make a hill, and slide down that, too!”

”Yes, let's do it,” said the Woolen Doll Boy. But just then the Plush Bear shook his head and growled out:

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