And that is just what Neddie did. All of a sudden into the barrel he went, head over paws and everything. “Ker-bunko!” went Neddie.
Everybody laughed when he went down inside the barrel, and when he bobbed up again, holding the candy in his paws, the animal children laughed more than ever. For Neddie was all covered over with white. He looked just like Mr. Whitewash, the Polar bear gentleman, only smaller.
“Oh, Neddie, what happened to you,” asked Beckie, in surprise.
“I know!” exclaimed Kittie Kat. “That barrel had flour in it, and I didn’t dust it all out. The white flour is all over Neddie’s fur.”
And so it was, but no one minded.
“I don’t care. I got the candy anyhow,” said Neddie as he jumped out of the barrel. Then he gave all the animal children some of the sweet stuff, and when a few more games were played it was time to go home.
Neddie and Beckie went through the forest, and when they were almost at the bear cave, Beckie said:
“Some one is following us through the woods. Maybe it’s a bad lion.”
“Bur-r-r-r-r! I hope not!” cried Neddie. He turned around to look, and there it was, a bad circus lion. But an instant later the lion roared out:
“Oh, excuse me, Mr. Whitewash, I didn’t know it was you!” and then the lion ran away. You see he looked at the white flour still on Neddie’s fur, and the bad lion thought he saw the big, strong Polar bear gentleman, while it was really only little Neddie. Then the bear children ran safely home.