The Seventeen Little Bears wept and wailed. Bunny and Susan came upstairs to see what was the matter.

Bunny said, "Never mind, I will tell you a story about my reading by candle-light."

Then the Seventeen Little Bears cried, "Oh, Bunny, tell us a new story, please."

Now, Bunny could not think of a new story to tell to save his life, so Susan said, "I will tell you about the Circus cookies that came alive."

Then, the Seventeen Little Bears shouted, "We know that story by heart, we know every word of it."

They took out their seventeen little red pocket handkerchiefs and cried and cried.

All this time Grandpa Grumbles was sitting in an easy chair by the fire. He grumbled,

"'Tis silly to make such a dreadful noise, You are worse than seventeen girls and boys."

Then he took his green cotton umbrella and went upstairs.

As soon as the Seventeen Little Bears caught sight of Grandpa Grumbles they set up a shout, "A story, a story, do tell us a story."

Grandpa Grumbles shook his green cotton umbrella fiercely and shouted,

"Every one must keep as still as a mouse, So you can hear a pin drop in the house."

Then, will you believe it? The Seventeen Little Bears were so still you could hear a pin drop.

Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes were so still they did not wink an eyelash.

They sat on two little stools in the corner.

Grandpa Grumbles said, "You can guess all day and you can guess all night, but you cannot one of you guess what kind of a shop I am going to open."

Then the Seventeen Little Bears begged for Bunny Cotton-Tail's thinking-cap. They put it on in turn and guessed and guessed what kind of a shop Grandpa Grumbles would open.

Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes said, "Will it be a candy-shop?"

Grandpa Grumbles shook his green cotton umbrella fiercely and grumbled, "I told you, you could not guess. I am going to open a Toy Shop!"

"A Toy Shop!" shouted the Seventeen Little Bears at the top of their lungs. "A Toy Shop!"

"Who is telling this story?" asked Grandpa Grumbles. He began to tell the story in real earnest. He said, "I am going to open a Toy Shop in the woods."

"Not a real Toy Shop," said Snubby Nose. "You don't mean a real Toy Shop," said Tippy Toes.

Grandpa Grumbles shook his green cotton umbrella and grumbled, "Now, I shall have to start all over again."

So he began once more, "I am going to open a Toy Shop in the woods."

"Will you make a rocking-horse?" asked the First Little Bear.

"Will you make drums?" asked the Second Little Bear.

"Will you make horns? Toot, toot, toot!" said the Third Little Bear.

Now, will you believe it? All the Seventeen Little Bears put their paws to their mouths as though they had horns and cried, "Toot, toot, toot!"

Grandpa Grumbles shook his umbrella fiercely and shouted,

"I will not tell the story to-day, I will take my umbrella and go away."

_Then the most surprising thing happened!_

Grandpa Grumbles held fast to the handle of the umbrella and sailed out through the open window!

"Oh," and "Ah," said Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes, "that was rather sudden!"

"Oh," and "Ah," said the Seventeen Little Bears, "how fast he went!"

Then they were as merry as you please. Whenever any one would cough or sneeze the other ones would say, "Let us talk about Grandpa Grumbles'

Toy Shop! Can you hear him hammer away? Can you hear him saw?"

Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes put on their hats and coats and danced this way, and that way, and said, "We will go and, visit Grandpa Grumbles'

Toy Shop."

At this very minute, to the surprise of all, Grandpa Grumbles came sailing in through the window. He said,

"If I were little and young and gay, I'd sail away for a year and a day."

The Seventeen Little Bears shouted, "Please tell us about the Toy Shop!"

Grandpa Grumbles shook his umbrella. Out fell a little rocking horse.

He shook it again. Out fell a horn. He shook it again. Out fell a drum.

The Seventeen Little Bears shouted, "Hurrah, hurrah! It is really true, Grandpa Grumbles, you are going to open a Toy Shop."

Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes and the Seventeen Little Bears did not know whether Grandpa Grumbles was teasing or not. They did not know if he meant to open a real Toy Shop.

The Seventeen Little Bears said, "Will you tell us the whole story to-morrow?"

CHAPTER X

The Seventeen Little Bears still had to stay in bed next day. Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes danced about the room and cried, "Grandpa Grumbles, do tell us the story of the Toy Shop!"

Grandpa Grumbles came upstairs leaning on his green cotton umbrella. He coughed six times and then he sat down in the rocking-chair by the Window. He said, "The story of the Toy Shop begins with a question."

The Seventeen Little Bears clapped their paws and shouted, "Hear, hear, the story is going to begin!"