BILLY BEAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 77

BILLY BEAR.

(Special for the Otago Witness.) XVIII.

You will remember that last week Billy and Fluffy took toys round to the poor little children who had to spend their Christmas in hospital; and you will remember also how very well they behaved. The children were wild with delight, and made a terrific fuss of the bears who got better and better the more fuss that was made of them. Fluffy never seemed to mind when his tray of toys was empty ; whereas we were afraid that he would have tried to steal some for himself, being only a very young bear and having a great affection for toys. . However, all was well, and we got home tired but happy. Christmas came, and we had a very good time, the only bad patch being that Billy thought that it was funny to put a lump of coal in Fluffy’s stocking, with the result that the poor little animal got his face all black by rubbing his black paws all over it, and had to be scrubbed with awful plain yellow soap before he could eat his Christmas breakfast of sausages—which he adores. I don’t think he really got over the scrubbing, although we gave him an extra sausage (which Billy had to go without as a punishment!) for he kept a kind of timid look on all day, even when the Christmas tree was lit up and the presents given out. I don’t remember if I have e-ec told you that Billy had a money-box; but he has had one for more than a year now. We gave him two-pence a week, just the same as Rosemary (only she has six pence) and I don’t know exactly what the money is supposed to be saved for, but it certainly is saved. Billy didn’t have to use the money-box pennies to buy Christmas presents, as I gave him an extra half-a-crown, so that you can imagine how surprised we were when we found that his precious money-box was empty. “ What have you been doing with your money, Billy? ” asked Rosemary. But Billy only blinked, and pretended to be surprised there was none there. “ You’re a very bad boy to have taken it all out and. spent it,” I added. “ There must have been nearly ten shillings there! ”

“Yes, there was! Ten shillings and two pence! ” said Billy brightly; and then he remembered himself and kept silent again. I don’t know what we should have gone on thinking about the poor fellow if I hadn’t found a receipt from the children’s hospital for ten shillings which Billv had given them. Wasn't that sweet of him■