“Oh, if I can only get the Plush Bear!” thought the Eskimo boy, as he stepped softly nearer and nearer to the workshop of Santa Claus.

It was not very dark in North Pole Land just then.  Though the sun had gone down, and the long winter had set in, still there were the Northern Lights, which glowed and flickered in the sky and made enough of a gleam for the Eskimo boy to see his way over the snow.  The snow, too, helped to make it less dark.

Ever since he had seen the Plush Bear through the window of Santa Claus’ workshop that day, the Eskimo boy had wanted the plaything.  So after his supper of seal fat and blubber, with a piece of tallow candle, which was to him what candy is to you, the boy, well wrapped in fur, started out from his igloo.

All this while, or at least after Santa Claus and his men had gone, the Plush Bear and the other toys were having fun among themselves.  As I have told you, the Polar Bear was getting ready to turn somersaults to amuse the other toys.

“Watch me now!” cried the Polar Bear, as he leaned over and got ready to stand on his head.

“Say, why don’t you turn some somersaults?” the Flannel Pig asked of the Plush Bear.

“Maybe I will after he gets through,” the Plush Bear answered.

The Eskimo boy was now at one of the windows of the shop—­a window which had for a pane a clear sheet of ice.  The Eskimo boy blew his warm breath on this window pane, close to the place where, inside, there was a catch to hold the window shut.

“Hoo!  Hoo!  Hoo!” breathed the Eskimo boy on the glass.  And his breath was warm, just as yours is when you melt the frost on your window glass at home.  Very soon the fur-clad boy had melted a hole in the ice pane.  After that it was easy for him to slip his hand in and turn back the window catch.

The Eskimo boy did not know it was wrong thus to take a toy from the workshop of Santa Claus.  He only knew that he wanted the Plush Bear, and that this was the easiest way to get it.

Softly he raised the window, after he had turned back the catch.  There, in front of him on one of the tables, stood the Plush Bear and many other Christmas toys.  But the Eskimo boy had eyes only for the Plush Bear.

“What fun I shall have with you!” whispered the Eskimo boy.  He reached forth his hand and took the wonderful plaything.

Just at this time the Polar Bear was turning a somersault, and the eyes of all the other toys were looking at him.

If they had not been looking at the Polar Bear they would have seen the Eskimo boy open the window.  And had he once looked at the toys they would have had to stop talking and moving.  But, as it happened, none of the toys saw him.

The Plush Bear had just been going to clap his paws together to applaud the Polar Bear’s trick of turning a somersault, when the Plush Bear felt himself lifted up.

“Oh!” he said faintly, and then he saw that he must not move or speak, for the Eskimo boy was looking straight at him.