A President and a Bear
The teddy bear is one of the most famous toys in the world, loved by children everywhere. But did you know it was named after a President of the United States? The story began in 1902, when President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt went on a hunting trip in Mississippi.
During the trip, the President failed to find any bears. His assistants wanted to help him, so they caught a bear, tied it to a tree, and invited the President to shoot it. Roosevelt refused. He said it was unsportsmanlike to kill a tied animal. A cartoonist drew a picture of this event for a newspaper, showing the President saving the bear.
A candy shop owner in New York saw the cartoon and had an idea. He asked his wife to make a stuffed toy bear. He put it in his shop window with a sign that said "Teddy's Bear." The toy became popular immediately. At the same time, a German company named Steiff also started making toy bears, not knowing about the American invention. Soon, teddy bears were being sold all over the world.
Why did President Roosevelt refuse to shoot the bear?
How did the candy shop owner get the idea for the toy?
What happened in Germany at the same time?
A President and a Bear
The teddy bear is one of the most famous toys in the world, loved by children everywhere. But did you know it was named after a President of the United States? The story began in 1902, when President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt went on a hunting trip in Mississippi.
During the trip, the President failed to find any bears. His assistants wanted to help him, so they caught a bear, tied it to a tree, and invited the President to shoot it. Roosevelt refused. He said it was unsportsmanlike to kill a tied animal. A cartoonist drew a picture of this event for a newspaper, showing the President saving the bear.
A candy shop owner in New York saw the cartoon and had an idea. He asked his wife to make a stuffed toy bear. He put it in his shop window with a sign that said "Teddy's Bear." The toy became popular immediately. At the same time, a German company named Steiff also started making toy bears, not knowing about the American invention. Soon, teddy bears were being sold all over the world.
Why did President Roosevelt refuse to shoot the bear?
How did the candy shop owner get the idea for the toy?
What happened in Germany at the same time?