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But the cold had chilled the wheels and springs inside the Plush Bear, and it was not until after some warm oil had been poured on them that they worked properly again. Then, when the Plush Bear was wound up, he could growl, wag his head, and wave his paws as well as ever.

“Once more you are ready to go down to Earth, as soon as Santa Claus is ready to take you,” said the workman, as he started to make a toy fire engine that, some day, would gladden the heart of a lucky boy.

As for the other toys in Santa Claus’ shop, they had been very much surprised to see the Plush Bear brought back into their midst again. But while Saint Nicholas and his helpers 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 load it to-night.”

And the toys who heard this were very much excited, wondering who would be taken and who would be left.

“I’ll take this Plush Bear!” said Santa Claus that evening, as he began selecting the toys he wanted for his sack to take to Earth. “And I’ll take the Wax Doll, the Flannel Pig, and the Elephant. I want a lot of other dolls, plenty of drums, some Jumping Jacks, some Jacks in the Box, some toy soldiers, some toy engines, trains of cars, toy guns and enough more to fill my sack to running over. It is so near Christmas that I need all the toys I can pile into my sleigh.”