elpers were around, nothing could be said,
no questions could be asked, and Plush Bear could tell none of his
adventures.

But when night came again, and the Northern Lights glowed, when the
janitor had mended the hole in the ice pane, breathed on by the Eskimo
boy, when all was still and quiet, the Flannel Pig leaned over toward
the Plush Bear and whispered:

"Where were you? What happened? Did you try to run away?"

"Indeed I did not run away! Some one ran away with me! An Eskimo boy,
and he took me to his igloo, but his father would not let him keep me
because he thought I was magic and would bring him bad luck," answered
the Plush Bear.

"My, what marvelous adventures!" exclaimed the Wax Doll, who was fond of
using big words. "Please tell us all about it."

"Yes, do," growled the Polar Bear. "And after that we can have a
somersault race. You missed it last night. We thought you had fallen out
of the window."

"I'll tell you of my adventures," said the Plush Bear, and he did, from
the time Ski took him away until the workman found him in the snow bank.

"I told you his adventures would be marvelous," said the Wax Doll.
"Nothing as strange will happen to you when you are taken to Earth, Mr.
Plush Bear."

But just wait and see. You never can tell what is going to happen, and
the Plush Bear may have even more strange adventures.

That night in the shop of Santa Claus passed all too soon for the Plush
Bear. When he had finished telling his story the Flannel Pig cried:

"Let's have a game of tag!"

"All right! I'll be it!" agreed a Jumping Jack, and he was such a lively
fellow that in less than a second he had tagged an Elephant. The
Elephant was so large and such a slow chap that he was it for a long
time. He could hardly tag any one, not even the Plush Bear and the Polar
Bear, who, also being large animal toys, had to move slowly. But they
were not as slow as the Elephant.

"Oh, this is no fun!" said the Elephant after a while. "I can't catch
any of you! Let's play hide and go seek! I'll have some chance in that
game!"

So they played that, and told stories and sang songs until it was almost
morning, and time for Santa Claus and his men to open the shop again.
Then the toys became quiet, as usual.

That day Saint Nicholas walked up and down among the benches and spoke
to his workmen.

"I will go to Earth to-morrow," said Santa Claus. "Get ready all the
toys you can, and I will fill my sleigh. I will