“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!”

Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes danced this way, and danced that way, and cried, “Hear, hear, the story is going to begin!”

Then the most surprising thing happened!

Grandpa Grumbles pointed his green cotton umbrella at Snubby Nose and asked, “Which of your toys did you break first at Christmas?”

Snubby Nose could not remember, so he cried and he screamed and he howled!