The Story of a Bold Tin Soldier

?" cried the Polar Bear, as he flopped over on his

the Wax Doll, who now had on her shoes so she could wal

, making his nose wrinkle up in a funny way. "Come on, Pl

ne his trick, and right after the Eskimo boy had open

e other toys, so they did not have to stop what they were doing. And as the Eskimo boy popped his hand ou

omersault, Plush Bear!" calle

ther playthings! "Let's

ch where they thought the Plush Bear would b

!" squealed th

t he'll have hard work!" growled the Polar Bear. But he was not cross when he g

d the Wax Doll, leaning over the

ied the Flannel Pig. "See, the window is open! The

t get h

f a doll's clothes-l

om one of the to

after him! Maybe

that came when it was discovered that the wi

o much wanted. And now the toys, crowding on the sill, which was close to the work bench

lannel Pig, who was quite friendly with the b

ou're afraid that I can beat

" suggested the Wax Doll, who seem

is a brave fellow, and he is very wise! He would not run

looking carefully below. "If he was down there I could fix

nding near me one minute, saying how he was going to

he Polar Bear, who had come to the sill. "Maybe Santa Claus or s

take just one of us toys. When he takes any, he takes a whole sleigh-loa

had the Plush Bear, but the toys knew nothing o

wer, about a dozen of the Jumping Jacks, by climbing up and all pulling t

e," said the Polar Bear. So he flipped and flopped over again, and the other t

th some pieces of fur and skin hung over it to keep out the cold wind. Ski, which was the name of the Eskimo boy, pushed aside this curtain of fur as he crawled into the igloo, with

. On the floor were skins to make it as warm as possible, and in the middle of the igloo was a sort of lamp, or stove, made of stone, filled with oil in which floated a wick tha

oy down on a shelf of ice in the igloo, where the rays from the oil lamp fell upon it. "See what I have

hey did not mind this, as it was much warmer than if they had lived in a big room. In

asked Ski's father, as h

skimo boy. "I saw him through a window, and I wanted him. When all in the igloo were as

s father. "There was none like it where

Claus, though the other Eskimos of this country were well acquainted with Saint

e?" asked Ski, of his

iki, one of the Eskimo girls. "He is brown,

loo, but I would rather have this one

rd or move by himself. He was being watched too closely. But he could

to stay here," thought the Plush Bear. "Th

by Kiki. She had wrapped this Wooden Doll in a bit of sealskin and put it in her bed to keep it warm. For t

d the Eskimo boy's father. "Never hav

spring that set the toy animal in motion. For the Plush Bear was all wound up when Ski rea

e to side, growls came out of his red mouth, and his paws

back when he saw the Plu

ther and sisters and brothers

ever. He was not doing this himself, you understand. He was not making believe come to life

agic! This bear is bewitched! It will bring

!" begged Ski, as his fath

ld bring us bad luck! There is a witch

llowed it to stay in this igloo we should freeze, I should never catch any seals, and our blubber fat w

oy, the Eskimo man thrust the bear under his fur coat and cr

gloo," murmured Ski's father. "Th

er having heard of machinery-Ski's father did not know what a delight

hed his team of dogs to t

ir heads, but the Eskimo man did n

er sat well wrapped in fur blankets. Nearer they came to the

eath one of the windows," murmured Ski's fa

ow out of which Ski had taken the bear, for t

ther, as he dropped the Plush Bear in the snow and

ng was wound up. But when it ran down, as it did in a little while, he was motionless. Except that n

ars to hear. "Taken away to an ice house, scaring an Eskimo family half to death, and then to be brought back here and dumped

thed in the icy pane was too small for the Plush Bear to crawl through, even if he could have reached it. He tried to ca

nk near the workshop of Santa Claus all night. I

take me in," he thought. "Th