II
Oh, Teddy was so lonely!
He wished that he were back in the playroom with the other toys.
He thought of Jack-in-the-box, and the bright tin soldiers.
He thought of the new automobile and of all the pretty dolls.
Then at last he fell asleep and dreamed that he was back in the playroom.
All at once some one took him by the arm.
"Wake up and talk to me," said Bunny Rabbit. "I want some one to play with me."
Teddy stared at Bunny with his little black eyes, but he did not say a word.
Bunny shook him and shook him.
"Now will you speak to me?" he said.
But Teddy Bear would not open his mouth.
"Well, well," said Bunny. "I don't like to talk to you. I will find some other playmate."
"Bow-wow, bow-wow!" said Jip. "I will play with you, Bunny."
But when Bunny heard Jip coming along the path he forgot all about playing.
He hopped off down the path as fast as he could go.
He did not look around once to see where the dog had gone.
Jack came along the path with Jip. When he came to the tree he saw Teddy Bear lying on the ground.
"Why, Teddy," he said, "how did you get away out here all alone?"
Teddy stared at Jack with his little black eyes, but he did not say a word.
"Bow-wow, bow-wow!" barked Jip. He was trying to tell Jack that he put Teddy under the tree.
But Jack did not listen.
He just picked Teddy up in his arms and carried him back to the house.
He took the little brown bear up to the playroom.
May was sitting on the floor playing with her dolls.
Teddy was so happy to get back home that he jumped out of Jack's arms.
"Oh, oh!" cried May. "You dropped poor Teddy Bear."
She picked Teddy up and gave him a great bear hug.
"Why did you run away from me?" she asked.
Teddy stared at May with his little black eyes, but he did not say a word.
He just stared at everything in the playroom, and thought of the story he would tell his friends about his day in the woods.
BOBBY'S PARTY.
I
Bang, bang, bang!
Snap, snap, snap!
All day long Bobby Gray Squirrel hid in his nest because he did not like the noise.
He poked his nose out once or twice to see what was the matter.
But each time he heard a loud bang, snap!
Then he jumped back in his nest to hide.
All day long he lay there and listened. And all day long the children played with their fire-crackers.
Fourth of July is fun for boys and girls.
But it is not so much fun for rabbits and squirrels.
At last it was quiet.
Bobby had not heard a sound for a long time.
So he peeped out of his door once more.
The sun was not shining now. The big round moon was looking down to see if all the children were in bed.
He was looking to see if all the rabbits and squirrels were in bed, too.
Bobby saw the moon and then he skipped back into his house once more.
"Oh, dear me!" he said to himself. "I am hungry. But I must wait until the sun comes up again.
"I am afraid I could not find anything to eat by the light of the moon."
Bobby went to sleep and the next time he opened his eyes it was morning.
He jumped up and ran out of doors.
He ran down the branch of the oak tree and off through the woods.
"Good-morning," Bunny called to him, as he ran past the three rabbits who were eating clover for breakfast.
"This is a good morning," said Bobby. "It is so still and quiet."
Bobby ran on and on.
Every few minutes he stopped to hunt for some hidden nut.
But he could not find many.
At last he said to himself, "I am going to the orchard to get an apple.
"I like to eat the seeds. I might find an apple on one of the trees."
Bobby skipped through the woods and across the field.
He came to the stone wall that ran along one side of the road.
Bobby jumped up on the highest stone to look around and see if any one were in sight.
He looked up the road, and he looked down the road. But no one was in sight.
He jumped down from the wall, and then he stood still.
Right at his feet wag a paper bag.
And the bag smelled so good that the little squirrel stopped to take another sniff.
"That smells like peanuts," Bobby said to himself.
"I will make a hole in the bag and see what is inside."
Bobby took hold of the bag with his sharp little teeth and tore a big round hole.
He tore a hole big enough to put his paw through.
And then he was just like little Jack Horner.
He put in his thumb
And pulled out a plum,
And said, "What a big squirrel am I."
He pulled out the kind of plum he liked best of all. It was a peanut.
He pulled out one peanut, and then he pulled out another.
"This bag is full of peanuts," he said to himself. "There are so many here I can never eat them all."
[Illustration: "This bag is full of peanuts.">[
"I know what I can do. I can have a party."
Now squirrels must like to have parties just as well as little boys and girls.
Because when Bobby thought of the party he jumped up and down and clapped his hands.
Then he started off to invite all the other gray squirrels.
But he stopped when he reached the top of the wall.
He had just thought that some one might come while he was away and find the peanuts.
"I will hide them in the wall," he said to himself. "Then they will be out of sight."
So Bobby jumped down again and began to carry the nuts to a safe place.
It took so long, and Bobby worked so hard that he had to go back home to take a nap when he had finished.