Volume 2 — The Roosevelt Bears arrive in Philadelphia

The Bears went out to a country place

To see a machine take its trial race;

Invented by a New Jersey man

And made to fly on a novel plan.

This trial trip was to prove that day

That machines that fly have come to stay.

When the hour arrived to cut the cord

There wasn’t a man who would go aboard.

The Bears said they would make the trip

And every racing record whip

If they only knew how to steer the ship.

“We’ve sailed before,” said TEDDY-B,

“We hit Chicago down a tree

From an old balloon that brought us there

From a Missouri town at a county fair.”

“I’m not afraid,” said TEDDY-G,

“I’d like to go to the moon to see

If the man up there charges entrance fees

And what he does with all the cheese.”

LXIVBut as they talked the machine got wise

And with buzz and whiz it began to rise

And broke the ropes that held it tight

And went towards the clouds and out of sight

With TEDDY-B and TEDDY-G

Grabbing at anything they could see:

The one on a bar beneath the sail

And the other on a rope to make a tail.

They started so quick and went so high

They hadn’t a chance to say good-bye.

LXV

They had ridden before and lively too,

On cow-boy horses and in frail canoe;

In an old balloon and a ’mobile car,

But this ride that day beat those by far.

LXVI

Copyright, 1907, by Edward Stern & Co., Inc. “‘We’ve sailed before,’ said TEDDY-B, ‘We hit Chicago down a tree.’”

LXVII

They went over town and farm and creek

In one straight line like a lightning streak,

And it wasn’t forty minutes when

They came in sight of William Penn

Looking so wise and straight and tall

On the top of Philadelphia’s city hall.

TEDDY-B called out from where he sat,

“There’s a man ahead; I see his hat;

His hand is out; he means to try

To catch the rope as we go by.”

And TEDDY-G in cow-boy style

Let out the rope, nearly half a mile,

And as it coiled he pulled with might

And William Penn he lassoed tight.

A crowd of children down below

Looked up and saw the Bears let go

And come from the clouds like sailors bold,

With not a thing but the rope to hold,

LXVIII

“They came from the clouds like sailors bold, with not a thing but the rope to hold.”

LXIX

And land all right on the old man’s hat,

Where both sat down to have a chat

And look about and view the town

And ask each other how they’d get down.

LXX

They looked over the brim to see Penn’s face

And ask him questions about the place:

What would happen if they should fall?

And how long it took to build the hall?

And what it cost and if he thought it nice

To pay so much for expert advice?

And one thing sure they’d like to know

Why this Quaker town was considered slow?

A crowd soon gathered round the square;

Police and engineers were there,

And business men and children too,

And each one wondering what to do;

For how to get the two Bears down

Was soon being asked by half the town.

LXXI

The Mayor came out with megaphone

And called aloud up the tower of stone

And promised Father Penn a dime

If he’d give the Bears a high old time.

LXXII

Not very far from where they sat

A door was opened in the Quaker hat

And a man put out his head to say

That the Roosevelt Bears could come that way,

But the door was small and it wouldn’t do

For neither Bear could be crowded through.

Said TEDDY-B, “Go to the street

And bring a rope six hundred feet

And William here will hold one end

While we to the square below descend.”

This plan was tried and in half an hour

The Bears had landed from the tower

And had shaken hands right then and there

With every child around the square.

From there they went, the papers say,

To a Broad Street bank to draw their pay,

Or to cash a check which TEDDY-G

Had got in New York as their circus fee.

When they asked for money the man inside

Said, “You’ll have to be identified:

Perhaps your names are what you say,

But prove it you must some other way.”

“Is that check good?” said TEDDY-B,

“Well, if it is, I’ll let you see

That G is he and B is me.”

But before he had time to act the bear

The check was taken and the cash was there.

To a shop they went on Chestnut Street

And dressed up new from head to feet

And got the bill and paid the fee

And started out the town to see.

LXXIII

Two little lads named Jack and Will

Had bought four tickets for vaudeville;

Four seats up front at a children’s show

That was given to help poor boys to go

To a training school where men are paid

To teach young lads a useful trade.

The boys had heard of the Roosevelt Bears

And they spent their money for the extra chairs

That very day on Chestnut Street

To give the Bears this special treat.

The boys had followed the Bears a square,

Intending to ask if they would care

To use up their time that day to go

With two little lads to the children’s show.

Jack was bravest and walked close behind

To see if the Bears were really kind.

“You speak to TEDDY-B,” said he,

“And I’ll put the question to TEDDY-G.”

“All right!” said Will, and he stepped ahead

And this to TEDDY-B he said:

“Mr. TEDDY-B, will you come with me

Right now a children’s show to see?

I have your ticket; it’s paid for too;

I bought it specially for you.”

“That was good of you; of course I’ll go,”

Said TEDDY-B, “to the children’s show;

We’re here to make the jolliest kind

Of fun for every child we find.”

“Me too,” said Jack; ’twas all he said;

His courage wasn’t in his head;

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“But TEDDY-G to answer Jack lifted him high up on his back.”

LXXV

But TEDDY-G to answer Jack

Lifted him high up on his back

And danced a jig right then and there

To show the crowd that a Roosevelt Bear

For serious people didn’t care;

They lived for fun and their fun they’d share

Free of expense and everywhere.

But the things that happened to Jack and Will

That afternoon at vaudeville

Were not on the program of the children’s show;

For the Roosevelt Bears, folks say who know,

Made the biggest hit of their lives that day

And put up an afternoon of play

The like of which was never seen

By old or young, by king or queen.

LXXVII