“How-de-do?” he said, smiling his broadest smile, and holding out his paw, which, however, was far too large for them to shake.
“How do you do, Mr. Bear?” replied Coppertop, in her best society manner, and feeling, somehow, that she was addressing her bed, which was rather absurd.
“Mr. Bear, indeed!” said the animal, and went off into peals of huge laughter. “Bare! Ho, ho! That’s a good one! Bare, indeed! With all this fur on! I’m not nearly as bare as you are!” And he rolled about and gurgled with mirth.
And the children laughed too, although not quite sure what the joke was.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“That’s just what I was going to ask you,” interrupted Tibbs, “because there aren’t any bears at the South Pole, you know.”
“That’s why we came,” replied the Bear. “We thought it was quite time they had some. But what about yourselves?”
“We’re looking for the Castle of the South Wind,” said Tibbs. “Perhaps you can tell us the nearest way.”
“That I can,” replied the Bear, good-humouredly. “Jump up on my back and I’ll give you a lift. I’m going that way myself.”
“How perfectly splendid!” cried Coppertop, joyfully, and scrambled up on to his back, followed by the others. And off they started at a big jog-trot.