"Dot and Twaddles," Father Blossom informed her proudly. "But wait till you see the next."
"A Day at the Zoo" came next, and Aunt Polly had planned this to give each child a chance to play. There were six animals on the stage—five besides the cinnamon bear that was Dot and Twaddles—a lion, a tiger, a polar bear, a great flapping seal, and a zebra.
Each animal came forward and made a polite little bow, then recited some verses about what he thought of life in the Zoo.
When it came the polar bear's turn, he ambled to the front of the stage with an easy lope that convulsed the audience and started off bravely with this verse, which you may have heard before. Perhaps your mother knew it when she was a little girl:
"I'm a poor little bear, I belong to the show,
I stand here and sulk, but it's naughty, I know.
They want me to bow, to behave very nice,
But I long to go home and sleep on the ice."
The polar bear, wagging his red flannel tongue, recited very nicely till he came to the last line. Then a big sneeze suddenly shook him.
"Oh, dear!" said part of him, most distinctly.
And another section of him piped up quickly, "Please excuse me!"
The audience clapped and clapped and laughed. They wanted the polar bear to recite again, but he backed off and refused to come out. So they drew the curtains together again and opened them in a few minutes for the lion and the tiger to dance a pretty little waltz for which Aunt Polly played the music. Then the entertainment was over.
The animals, still in their covers, as Meg called them, came down among the audience and received many congratulations on their performance.