Grandpa Grumbles said, “I cannot begin this story until I have nineteen questions answered.”

Tippy Toes said, “Grandpa Grumbles, I can tell you which toy I broke first, I broke my little rocking-horse.”

Then Snubby Nose shouted, “I broke my rocking-horse too.”

Grandpa Grumbles pointed to the First Little Bear and said, “Which toy did you break first?”

The First Little Bear said, “I broke my little red drum.”

Then the Seventeen Little Bears all held up their paws and said, “Let me tell, let me tell next which toy I broke at Christmas!”

Now, will you believe it?  They all made such a noise that Grandpa Grumbles could not sit still another minute.  He went downstairs shaking his green cotton umbrella, fiercely, and grumbling to himself as he went.

The Seventeen Little Bears cried, “Oh, come back and tell the story!  We will be good.”

Then Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes danced downstairs and said.  “We will, be good, indeed we will be good.”

Grandpa Grumbles still looked very cross.  He grumbled,

     “Speak into my other ear,
     ’Tis very hard indeed to hear.”

Then Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes shouted into his other ear, “Please come back upstairs and tell us about the Toy Shop.  We will be good, indeed we will.”

Grandpa Grumbles said,

     “Speak a little louder, please,
     If you do not want to tease.”

Bunny and Susan saw that something must be done to make Grandpa Grumbles happy again, so Susan made a bowl of fine soup for him, and Grandpa Grumbles drew up to the table.  He said,

     “In cooking you can never fail,
     Thank you, dear Susan Cotton-Tail.”

Then Bunny went upstairs and said to the Seventeen Little Bears, “You may get up and put on your little red wrappers and sit by the fire downstairs.”

So the Seventeen Little Bears got up and put on their little red wrappers and crept downstairs.  They crept down so softly that Grandpa Grumbles never heard a sound.

By and by when Grandpa Grumbles went back into the sitting-room there sat the Seventeen Little Bears on their seventeen little stools by the fire.  Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes sat on the arm of Grandpa Grumbles’ chair.  He was surprised you may be sure.

He began to tell his story quite as if nothing had happened.  He said, “Last Christmas I went about and picked up all the broken toys I could find and I said I would open a Toy Shop and mend them so you could not tell them from new toys!”

“Hear, hear!” cried the Seventeen Little Bears softly.

“Hush, hush!” said Snubby Nose and Tippy Toes, “Grandpa Grumbles is talking.”

Grandpa Grumbles went on, “On long winter evenings I sat and mended and glued and pasted the toys and soon they looked as good as new.”

“Rap-a-tap,” sounded on the door, “Rap-a-tap.”