et of ice. The Eskimo boy blew his warm breath
on this window pane, close to the place where, inside, there was a catch
to hold the window shut.

"Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!" breathed the Eskimo boy on the glass. And his breath
was warm, just as yours is when you melt the frost on your window glass
at home. Very soon the fur-clad boy had melted a hole in the ice pane.
After that it was easy for him to slip his hand in and turn back the
window catch.

The Eskimo boy did not know it was wrong thus to take a toy from the
workshop of Santa Claus. He only knew that he wanted the Plush Bear, and
that this was the easiest way to get it.

Softly he raised the window, after he had turned back the catch. There,
in front of him on one of the tables, stood the Plush Bear and many
other Christmas toys. But the Eskimo boy had eyes only for the Plush
Bear.

"What fun I shall have with you!" whispered the Eskimo boy. He reached
forth his hand and took the wonderful plaything.

Just at this time the Polar Bear was turning a somersault, and the eyes
of all the other toys were looking at him.

If they had not been looking at the Polar Bear they would have seen the
Eskimo boy open the window. And had he once looked at the toys they
would have had to stop talking and moving. But, as it happened, none of
the toys saw him.

The Plush Bear had just been going to clap his paws together to applaud
the Polar Bear's trick of turning a somersault, when the Plush Bear felt
himself lifted up.

"Oh!" he said faintly, and then he saw that he must not move or speak,
for the Eskimo boy was looking straight at him.

"Ha, now I have you, Mr. Plush Bear," whispered the Eskimo boy, and he
quickly drew his arm back out of the open window, taking the wonderful
toy with him. He slipped the Plush Bear under his coat of fur, and away
he sped over the snow, sparkling in the Northern Lights. Over the snow
ran the Eskimo boy, taking to his igloo the Plush Bear.

"Oh, dear me," thought the Plush Bear, "this is a strange adventure,
indeed! I hoped I might go to Earth in the sleigh of Santa Claus, as the
Nodding Donkey did, but now, it seems, I must stay at the North Pole in
a snow and ice hut! Oh, dear! What is going to happen to me?"

CHAPTER III

OUT ALL NIGHT

"There! What do you think of that for a somersault?" cried the Polar
Bear, as he flopped over on his back. "Can you do as well as that, Mr.
Plush Bear?"

"Oh, what a wonderful fellow the Polar