And whirled around so quick in space He didn’t remember just what took place. “I caught that ball, all right,” said he, When the officer questioned TEDDY-G;
“But I don’t like catching balls like that; My place I think is at the bat. Next time you pitch don’t throw so quick; You struck me like a load of brick.”
Said the officer, “For bravery shown We’ll give you a title all your own; You can drop your Harvard L and D And be known as Colonel TEDDY-G.”
The boys got out the fife and drum And made things all around them hum As they marched ahead of the Roosevelt Bears In army step down the flight of stairs
To take the ferry at half-past four Across the river to the other shore, Where a train was waiting to take them down The eastern bank and back to town.
“Let us go to-morrow,” said TEDDY-G, “And a first-class game of baseball see; That ball they pitched at West Point school Had hardly time enough to cool; It struck my paws so fiery hot I thought for a minute that I was shot.”
The Bears were invited by Muddy Pete To go with him to an East Side street To visit children who never see Either grass or field or flower or tree. They loaded up like old Saint Nick With bundles piled on high and thick; Bouquets of flowers for children sick And toys and candy for those at play, And a hundred other things, folks say, Who saw them on the street that day.
They went around from door to door, Where bears had never been before; Climbed flights of stairs and bumped their heads To cheer up lads who were sick in beds; Threw bouquets into windows high, And picked nice toys and let them fly, And candy boxes and twigs of green, Wherever boys and girls were seen.
“They loaded up like old Saint Nick, with bundles piled on high and thick.” ]
Copyright, 1907, by Edward Stern & Co., Inc.
“TEDDY-B threw the monkey and made him yell, And caught him every time he fell.” ]
But the jolliest sport of the day began When they met an organ-grinder man With a monkey trained to act the clown And pick up pennies boys throw down. TEDDY-G asked the man if he could go With his monkey band for an hour or so; TEDDY-B said he the troupe would join And see that rich folks shelled out coin.
He’d give the monkey double pay: Five cents an hour for half a day. And the organ man may go, said they, And join some other kind of play. “Or if you’re tired,” the two Bears said, “Go home for the day and go to bed; We’ll use your organ and monkey clown And pay you half a dollar down And two dollars more when we are through And return your band as good as new.