It was very very dark outside. Well, actually, there were a gazillion stars shining but Ping-Ping had his knit cap pulled down so far over his eyes that all he could see was yarn. Red wool yarn. It itched.

"Aa-ahhhh CHOOO!!" he sneezed, and promptly fell off his perch beside Santa Claus.

Santa, quicker of hand than he looked, caught PingPing and saved him from ending up in the cuff of his boot. "There you go little guy, grab onto my sleeve so you won't slip off again."

PingPing, though a proud and egotistical bear, wasn't too proud or egotistical to grasp the red velvet sleeve. He shoved his cap up a bit so he could see out of one eye and held on for dear life as the team of reindeer swooped around the rooftops of the town. He was glad he had worn his warmest fur coat over his gold lame' collar or else he might have been colder than he was. Which was pretty cold. He stifled a shiver.

"Not long now," Santa's voice rumbled in the air somewhere high over PingPing's head.

The sleigh made a huge, roundabout swoop....WHOOOOOSH! And landed with a thump on top of a snowy roof. PingPing had Santa's sleeve in a death grip. "Are - are we killed?" he quavered when the whooshing and thumping had stopped.

Santa's booming laugh rang out, "HO HO HO!! Not dead at all, young fella. Now let me put you in my pocket and we'll slide down this chimney with the toy sack." PingPing was lifted and slipped into Santa's breast pocket from where he could see, oh, well, just everything. It made him a little airsick, actually.

Santa stepped up to the chimney pot, which magically widened and opened for him, and then they were sliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiding down and down and down and doooowww.. THUD! They landed and dusty ash flew up all around them. None of it stained Santa's magic clothing, but PingPing ducked inside the pocket until the clouds of ash thinned out and he could see again. He popped his head up over the edge of the pocket, straightened his red knit cap and took a look around as Santa climbed out of the hearth.

They were in a large room that held a very grand Christmas tree covered in golden ornaments, blinking lights and marvelous icicles that shimmered in the darkened room. Soft music came from a hidden place and the whole room smelled deliciously of apples and cinnamon. This must be heaven, PingPing decided. Or very nearly.

"What did you bring me?" demanded a very snotty sounding voice. An elegant bear of cream mohair strode into view, his red velvet neck bow flowing around him like a royal robe. He stopped in front of Santa Claus and tapped one perfect cream foot, arms crossed on his chest. "Well? I don't have all night, you know."

PingPing stared at this beautiful but rude bear and straightened up just a bit so his gold ruff showed. It would not do for this cream bear to think he was speaking to just ANY miniature purple and white panda. PingPing, after all, was from panda royalty and a movie star to boot. "Hmmf," PingPing uttered softly, about to issue a really wonderful put-down to the stuck up bear.

Santa's chuckling laugh cut him off mid-hmmf. "Now, now, Theodore Bear, impatience doesn't suit a teddy, you know. Sit down and wait while I set the presents around the tree."

Theodore, for that was his name, scowled fiercely and remained standing, rudely watching every move Santa made until at last, when Santa was almost finished with the presents, he put a large box marked "Theo Bear" by the tree. Theodore ran over to it, snatched it up and dragged it to the far corner. He began ripping the paper off as fast as he could. He opened the box and took out a wooden rocking horse that was all hand carved and painted in lovely colors, just the right size for him. "Oh," he said, a look of disgust on his furry cream face, "A dumb rocking horse. I wanted a car." He thumped the horse down on the floor and stomped off.

"Golly, Santa," PingPing whispered, watching as Theodore flopped in his chair, picked up the remote control and turned on the supersized widescreen television. "He wasn't very nice about it was he?"

"Not everyone appreciates their gifts," was all Santa said, then they were busy whooshing UP the chimney and back into the sleigh before PingPing could say something clever or deep on that subject. They swooped to another house and set down on the snowy shingles with a softer thump, the reindeer having been given a rather stern look from St. Nick after the last rough landing. PingPing held on tight as they slid down yet another chimney and landed on yet another hearth.

This house was different. There was a tree all right, but it was a little bent and sad looking; although it was decorated with some handmade paper loops, some strings of popcorn and some icicles, it had only one string of lights. The red bulb near the top was burnt out, PingPing noticed. There was no soft music, no scent of cinnamon and apples and no elegant, snooty bear named Theodore. There WAS a bear, however, and he came hesitantly forward from a little wooden chair by the childrens' toybox.

"Hello," he said politely, looking up at PingPing, riding securely, high above his head in Santa's pocket.

PingPing looked down and waved, "Hi, I'm PingPing." The bear, who was made of blue wool fur and had no bow or hat or anything on, was just about his same size, PingPing noticed. He seemed friendly, so PingPing asked him, "What's your name?"

"Bearly," the bear answered, and smiled. He had a nice smile, it transformed him so you didn't notice the lack of bow or hat, PingPing saw, and made him look, well, almost as royal as PingPing.

Santa was setting out the last of the presents. He gave Bearly a regretful look. "I'm afraid there's nothing for you again this year, Bearly," he said in a sad tone.

Bearly blinked, sighed and nodded. "Well," he said in a very polite voice, "I expect I shall get to play with the wrappings from Timmy's truck or Mary's doll. That will be fine with me."

PingPing realized that there were very few presents around this tree and the whole house was very shabby although neat and clean. The folk who lived there must be Poor People. He had heard of such a thing, but never seen them before. He whispered to Santa, "Has he ever gotten a present?"

Santa ahem'd and whispered back as he munched a very nice pecan cookie that had been left for him, "Er, no. But he's never complained."

PingPing thought. He thought about Theodore, who had everything and didn't seem to appreciate any of it. He thought about Bearly, who had nothing - not even a bow! - but who was gracious and nice anyway. PingPing squirmed, then an idea came to him. "Santa," he asked, do you think...whisper whisper bzz bzz hmm?"

Santa, eyes twinkling and face alight with merriment, nodded and set PingPing down on the floor beside Bearly, who looked very honored to be so close to a Famous Bear. PingPing smiled at Bearly then reached back and unfastened his very best golden lame' ruff. He held it out to a startled looking Bearly. "For you," PingPing said, and grinned real wide. "Merry Christmas."

Bearly, after one awestruck moment, took the ruff with very careful paws and fastened it around his own neck. It was magical. He was suddenly a very VERY special bear indeed. He and PingPing grinned at each other in shared delight. "Thank you," Bearly said, his voice all funny and teary. PingPing nodded, having suddenly and surprisingly found that his own voice had gone all funny too.

Santa lifted PingPing back into his pocket, and they both waved as they walked to the hearth and prepared to swoosh up the chimney.

"Merry Christmas!" PingPing called, and he and Bearly exchanged another grin and wave as Santa took him up the chimney.

In the sleigh again as they swooped through the velvet dark night that was spangled with a gazillion twinkling stars, PingPing felt very warm and cozy inside. "Santa, I think I learned something tonight," PingPing finally ventured after some time spent in contemplation.

"And what might that be," Santa asked, although he thought he already knew the answer. It wouldn't do to interrupt a Young Bear who had Learned Something, it might stunt future learning.

"Well, Theodore Bear had everything...I sure liked that rocking horse! But he didn't appreciate any of it. He was rude and nasty and, well, I didn't like him much."

Santa nodded.

"But Bearly - he had nothing much at all. He didn't even have a bow or a hat or shoes or a rocking horse. But he was so nice! He had manners and he wasn't pushy or mean. So...so I guess what I learned is that it's not what you've got or what you get that matters, it's how you act and how you treat people." He gazed up at the bearded man and asked, "Isn't that right?"

Santa chuckled and patted PingPing softly, "Yes, Young Bear, that's exactly right. I'd say you learned something BEARY important tonight." And he laughed and laughed until PingPing just had to join in, it was so merry.

They swooped on through the night, their laughter echoing off the rooftops, now and then calling out "Merry Christmas! as they went.

------------ copyright 2008 by Marti Koeppe