"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