Bear's Christmas Surprise

BEAR HAD A BIG PROBLEM! One winter, when he was very little, he got lost outdoors and he spent three very chilly, very long and very wet days under a blanket of snow. He was found and brought back home again, but he was cold all the time every day after that. Without a doubt, summer was his favourite season. Basking in the sun, he would almost feel warm. Sometimes.

During the spring and fall he shivered. During the winter, when most bears happily hibernate in a damp, dark cave, he searched for a warm, dry place to sleep.

The only things Bear loved about winter were the coloured lights twinkling on the Christmas tree and the dancing flames in the fireplace. But coloured lights are always packed away after Christmas. And fires – well, once he got too close to a fire and his singed fur got so smelly he was banished to the back of the closet for a whole week. So he spent most winter days and nights at the foot of the bed, trying to snuggle with the other toys, too cold to play.

One November night Bear was shivering so mightily that the small mouse squeaked, "Earthquake!" and woke all the other toys. After quite a commotion, they realized it was a Bear-shake, not an earthquake, and they decided something had to be done. An end-of-the-bed discussion ensued, and all the toys thought about ways to warm him up.

"Curling into a little ball keeps me cosy," said a calmed-down Mouse.

"I find that if I rock and rock, I warm up, even when there's a draft on my back," offered Rocking Horse.

"I swing from the lamp," Monkey laughed, "or turn 15 somersaults!"

"I like to chase my tail," Dog added.

"I jump, jump, jump, jump around and around," puffed Rabbit.

Bear tried every single idea but nothing helped. His teeth still chattered. He still shivered. He still felt too miserable to have fun with his friends. Even when his outside warmed up, his inside stayed cold.

The other toys fed Bear hot chicken soup. But it didn't warm him. They bundled him in blankets. It didn't work. They all piled on top of him to sleep. That did work, but some of the smaller toys worried that they would be squashed, so they stopped. Then they tried giving him hugs. Great big bear hugs! That worked!

Everyone celebrated for a day or two. But Bear soon realized no one could be hugged all day and all night. There were too many things for the other toys to do, too many games to play. So Bear stayed all alone, shivering at the foot of the bed.

As the winter weather got colder and colder, and Christmas closer and closer, the toys kept trying to think of a way to warm up Bear. Finally they came up with a very special, very secret plan. Dolly cut fleece from Lamb's woolly coat. Mouse spun the fleece into yarn and Dog dyed the yarn into many colors. Monkey knit and knit and knit. By Christmas Eve, it was done – a sweater made of love and hugs and warm, warm Lamb's wool.

On Christmas morning, all the toys gathered round Bear and, with great excitement, presented him with his new sweater. He was so surprised. He pulled it on, and after only a moment or two he was warm — inside and out. He was especially happy as he smiled down at the colours twinkling all around his fat tummy like a string of Christmas lights.

The toys were so delighted that they all recited a rhyme:

It fits just right,
All day, all night.
Now he only shivers with delight.

Only Lamb didn't join in. She was off in the corner by herself, looking in a mirror and wondering how long it would take for her wool to grow back!