“You must be more careful of your toys, Arthur,” said his mother, as, having thanked the man, she and her children went back to the hotel.

“I’ll never put him in a sand hole again,” promised the little fat boy.

That night, when Arthur and Nettie were snug in their beds, and the Plush Bear and the Rag Doll were in a closet by themselves, the Doll leaned over and said: 

“Wasn’t it terrible, Mr. Bear?”

“It certainly was,” agreed the Plush Bear.  “I’m full of grit as it is.  Sand is all over me, even though Arthur did brush me off with a little broom.  I seem to squeak instead of growling as I ought to.”

“Oh, well, maybe you’ll be better after a while,” said the Rag Doll.  Then she and the Plush Bear talked together in the darkness, but the Bear did not feel like playing.  He was too much shocked by having been buried in the sand.

“Now we’re going to have some fun, Plush Bear!” cried Arthur the next morning, as he took his toy from the closet.  “We’re going in swimming!”

“Swimming?  Swimming?” repeated the Plush Bear to himself.  “I wonder what that means?”

If he had been a real bear he would have known, for real bears, that live in the woods, are very fond of playing in the water.  But, being only a Santa Claus toy, the Plush Bear knew nothing of this.

A little later Arthur and Nettie were down on the sand in their bathing suits.  All along the beach were many other children and grown folk, too, in their bathing suits.  Nettie carried her Rag Doll and Arthur had his Plush Bear.

“Oh, Arthur! you aren’t going to take your toy into the water with you, are you?” asked his mother.

“No’m,” the little fat boy answered.  “I’m just going to play with him on the sand till Daddy comes to teach me to swim.  And I’m not going to put my Bear in a hole, either!”

“I’m glad of that, anyhow,” thought the Plush Bear, who heard all that was said.  “Once in a sand hole is enough for me.”

Arthur’s father was going to teach the little fat boy to swim, and while waiting for Daddy, Arthur played about on the sand with the Plush Bear, as Nettie played with her Rag Doll.

Now and then Arthur, with the Plush Bear in his arms, would wade out a little way into the water, and he would laugh, and run back, as the incoming tide would send a wave over his bare toes.

“Be careful, Sonny!” called his mother, as she watched him.  “The waves are getting higher and higher.  I wish your father would come and give you your swimming lesson.”

“Oh, I’m having fun!” laughed the fat boy.  “My Plush Bear likes me to carry him out, but I won’t let him fall in the ocean.”

Once more the little fat boy started to wade down the beach.  Nettie had gone back to sit with her mother and, for a moment, Arthur was all by himself.  Except, of course, he had the Plush Bear with him.

“Look and see how big the ocean is, Mr. Bear,” said Arthur, holding his toy up above the waves.  And just then a bigger wave than any that had yet rolled up the beach broke right at Arthur’s feet.