Chapter I

Teddy Bear lay on the grass in the meadow.

He lay there all day and he lay there all night.

Baby May had dropped him there and forgotten all about him.

So the little brown bear lay on the soft grass in the meadow.

Blacky Crow flew over the meadow and called to the bear.

"Caw, caw!" he said. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you liked to stay in the playroom with the rest of the toys."

Of course Teddy did like to stay in the playroom.

But if May dropped him in the meadow how could he get back to the house?

Mrs. Duck and all the little ducks waddled along the path that led to the brook.

"Quack, quack!" said Mrs. Duck. "Look here, look here! Where did you come from? What are you doing in this meadow?"

Teddy stared at the duck with his little black eyes, but he did not say a word.

Perhaps he did not like to tell her that May had forgotten all about her little playmate.

"Quack, quack!" said Mrs. Duck. "I teach my children to speak when they are spoken to."

Teddy just stared and stared, but he did not say a word.

"Very well," said Mrs. Duck, "I will go to the pond and see Mr. Green Frog.

"I will ask him if he knows who you are."

So off to the pond waddled Mrs. Duck, and all her children waddled after her.

"Bow-wow!" barked Jip as he ran through the meadow.

"I am trying to find some one to play with me.

"I wish I could find Bunny Rabbit. I should like to have a game of chase with him."

Just then Jip saw Teddy Bear.

"Bow-wow-wow!" he said. "What are you doing in this meadow?

"I thought you lived in the playroom."

Teddy Bear stared at Jip with his little black eyes, but he did not say a word.

I am sure he wished the dog would run away and not talk to him.

But Jip wanted to play. He thought it was fun to play with Teddy.

It was fun to pick him up and toss him into the air.

It was fun to hide him where May could not find him.

Jip picked Teddy up in his mouth and ran along through the meadow.

He ran through the meadow and into the woods.

"Bow-wow, bow-wow!" he said.

When Jip opened his mouth to bark, Teddy hopped out and fell to the ground.

Jip picked him up again. He tossed him up in the air and then caught him in his mouth.

He shook him, and shook him, but Teddy did not say a word.

Then Jip started along the path in the woods.

"I am going to hide Teddy where May will never find him," he said to himself.

"Then I can have him to play with every day."

But the next minute Jip forgot all about Teddy Bear, because he saw Bobby Gray Squirrel.

Bobby Gray Squirrel wag skipping over the ground hunting for nuts.

Jip liked to play tag with Bobby, so he dropped Teddy Bear and ran after the little gray squirrel.

But Bobby saw the dog coming and skipped up into the oak tree.

He sat down on the lowest branch and began to scold Jip.

"Chatter, chatter, chatter!" he said. "Why did you run after me? I had just found a nut for my breakfast."

"Bow-wow!" said Jip. "Come down out of that tree and play chase with me."

But Bobby would not come down and so at last Jip ran away home.

He forgot about Teddy and left him under the tree.

When Jip had run away, Bobby came down out of the tree.

He saw Teddy and ran over to speak to him.

"Good-morning," Bobby said to the little brown bear. "What are you doing under this tree?"

Teddy stared at the squirrel with his little black eyes, but he did not say a word.

"My mother taught me to speak when I am spoken to," said Bobby.

But Teddy did not speak, and so at last Bobby ran away and left him.