screamed
and he howled.

I don't know what would have happened next, but Grandpa Grumbles went
outside, and opened wide his green cotton umbrella, and invited Snubby
Nose and Tippy Toes to step inside.

They did so, and in less time than it takes to tell it they were
sailing away with Grandpa Grumbles in his green cotton umbrella!

[Illustration: "THEY WERE SAILING AWAY WITH GRANDPA GRUMBLES"]

Bunny and Susan said, "How will he ever get along with Snubby Nose for
a year and a day? We wish Tippy Toes was back. He was such a good
little fellow."

Susan picked up the pink wrapper and Bunny picked up the pink cup and
saucer. Bunny Cotton-Tail said, "We will have a long quiet evening
alone."

"Don't be too sure of that," sang the wind as it whistled down the
chimney.

Susan said, "I will put on my new spectacles and we will read by the
new lamp."

_Then the most surprising thing happened!_

The Seventeen Little Bears came tumbling in the doors and windows!
They came in laughing and shouting,

"The Circus Cotton-Tails you see
Are just as funny as can be."

They got out their seventeen little stools and sat by the fire.

Bunny and Susan said, "What do you know about the Circus Cotton-Tails?"

The Seventeen Little Bears said,

"You only see them now at Fairs,
But we've become the Circus Bears."

"Have you got a Circus tent? Have you got a merry-go-round?" asked
Bunny and Susan. "Do tell us how long you have been Circus Bears."

The Seventeen Little Bears got on top of their seventeen little stools
and shouted, "We have just become Circus Bears today, that is the
reason we came tumbling in the door and windows."

CHAPTER VI

The Seventeen Little Bears woke up early next morning. They all
whispered together so they would not wake Bunny and Susan.

The Seventeen Little Bears tiptoed very softly out of bed, and
"pitter-patter, pitter-patter" went their little feet down the stairs.

"We can stew, we can bake,
If we make no mistake."

They made the fire and began to stew and bake. They made coffee and
fried sausages and cakes. By and by Bunny and Susan woke up.

"My fur and whiskers, I smell something cooking," said Bunny.

Susan said, "Bless my buttons, I smell something cooking, too."

The Seventeen Little Bears said, "Ha, ha, ha! Bunny is talking about
his fur and whiskers. Ha, ha, ha! Susan is talking about her buttons.
We will give old Bunny and Susan somethi