Judge, 1907-06-01 · page 7 of 16
Judge — June 1, 1907 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a whimsical children's story, not political satire. "Teddy bears"—the toys named after President Theodore Roosevelt—encounter a real bear with an organ grinder. The narrative follows the toys' fear, the bear's playful antics, and a street performance where the bear's handler passes a hat for donations. The bears receive half the collection. The humor relies on contrasting stuffed toys with an actual animal, and the surprise that "Old Bruin" performs tricks and shares money. The 1907 date places this during the peak of teddy bear popularity following Roosevelt's 1902 hunting incident. The story celebrates innocence and working-class street entertainment, with no apparent political commentary—it's simply entertainment featuring the era's beloved toy phenomenon.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE TEDDY BEARS. THEY RUN IN WITH A BIG DANCING, REAL BEAR AND MAVE THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES. 1. The Teds rush out with all their might To have a look at this strange sight: For they have never seen a bear That's so much bigger than they are. 2. They crowd up close and silent gaze At the huge fellow and his ways: And every Teddy knows, at least, That Bruin is no sawdust beast. . Old Bruin, just to see them stare, Acts as mad as a March hare. ‘The Teddies are most scared to death, And even Johnny gasps for breath. 4, And then he laughs at what he's done, And Teddies see ‘twas all in fun. Old Bruin now takes up the six And goes through some of his best tricks. . The organ-grinder next breaks in, And up and down the street the din Of dance and music fills the air, And people flock from everywhere. 6. Of course the Teddies pass the hat— Trust to old Bruin’s man for that— And when the big bear gave them half, You should have heard the Teddies laugh. COPYRIGHT 1907 BY JUDGE COMPANY, PUBLISMERS, 225 FOURTH AVE, NEW YORK. comicbooks.com