Teddy bear has lost its growl.(Chicago Tribune)

Q. The teddy bear pictured was received as a gift. It was brought from Germany 46 years ago. It used to make a kind of baaing sound when it was turned over, but doesn't anymore. I was wondering if it might possibly be worth anything today.

_Susan Astarita, Selden, N.Y.

A. Back in 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt went bear hunting in the Mississippi Delta. No bears were to be found, so the President's guides tied up a baby bear for him to shoot. Roosevelt declined. A popular cartoon of the day recorded the event, and it was not long before a Brooklyn couple made and sold their first "Teddy's Bear."

That's one story about the origin of this toy. …