XIX
THE LITTLE BEAR PETER
One day late in the summer Cuffy Bear went blackberrying. And on his wayhome he stopped at the deep pool where the hornets had chased him. Hestayed there for a little while to watch the speckled trout as theirbright sides flashed out of the depths of the clear water. As Cuffystood on the big boulder and looked down, he could see himself quiteplainly, reflected in the still surface of the water. He waved a paw.And the little bear in the brook waved _his_ paw too. Of course Cuffyknew that it was himself he saw. But he pretended for a time that it wassome other little bear who was playing with him. And he was having lotsof fun.
Cuffy Received a Slap on His Nose]
You see, Mr. Bear's family was the only bear family for miles and milesaround. And Cuffy often wished he had other little boy-bears to playwith. To be sure, he had his sister, Silkie. But she was a girl, andyounger than he was, besides.
Well! Cuffy danced a jig on the top of the big boulder. And the littlebear down below danced a jig, too. And Cuffy waved his paw again at thelittle bear in the water. And once more the little bear in the waterwaved a paw at _him_. It was great sport. And then Cuffy happened tolook up.
To his great surprise, there stood a little bear on the other bank ofthe brook, right opposite. Cuffy was astonished. The other little bearand the little bear in the brook looked as much alike as two peas.Cuffy had never known that he could see a picture of himself by lookinganywhere except into water. It was very strange, he thought. He waved apaw. And the little bear on the other bank waved _his_ paw. Cuffy kickedup one of his hind legs. And the other little bear kicked up, too.
Cuffy was puzzled. Was it really himself he was looking at? He noddedhis head. And the other little bear nodded _his_ head.
Then Cuffy tried something else. He stared very hard at the little bearopposite him, and called "Hello!"
"Hello, yerself!" the other little bear said. And then Cuffy knew thatit was a real, live boy-bear over there, and not just a reflection ofhimself. Cuffy was so delighted that he jumped down off the boulder andsplashed through the brook, he was in such a hurry to get over therewhere the strange bear stood.
"What's yer name?" the strange bear asked.
Cuffy told him. And he learned that the strange bear's name was Peter,and that he lived around on the other side of Blue Mountain, as many asten miles away.
"Aw--call me _Pete_," the new bear said, as Cuffy began to talk to him."They all calls me Pete." He stuffed his front paws into the pockets ofhis ragged trousers. "Say, Cuff--what was yer doin' up on that rock?"
"Playing!" Cuffy told him.
Pete gave a grunt. "That's no way ter play," he said. "I'll show yer howter have fun. Watch me!" He led the way to the bank. And sitting down,he slid and rolled all the way down the steep slope and landed _plump!_in the deep pool.
Now, Cuffy was not going to have Pete think that he couldn't do that,too. Although he was wearing his best trousers that day (for his motherwas mending his every-day pair), Cuffy sat down on the top of the bank.And in another moment he had slid and slipped down the bank and landed_ker-splash!_ in the water.
XX
LEARNING TO BOX
For some time Cuffy Bear and his new friend Pete, as he preferred to becalled, continued to slide down the bank of the brook into the water.They became plastered with mud from head to foot. And Cuffy's besttrousers had two big holes in them. But Cuffy was having a splendidtime.
"Let's box, Cuff!" Pete exclaimed, after a while.
"What's that?" Cuffy asked. He liked to be called "Cuff." Nobody hadever called him by that name before. He felt quite grown up.
"I'll show yer," Pete said. "Stand up in front of me."
Cuffy stood up on his hind legs.
"Now, hold up yer paws--so."
And Cuffy did as he was told.
"Now hit me!" Pete ordered.
And Cuffy struck out at his new friend. But to his surprise he didn'tsucceed in touching Pete at all. Instead, he received a stinging slapright on the end of his nose.
Cuffy didn't like that. In fact, it made him somewhat angry. And hestruck out at Pete once more. But Pete dodged; and he gave Cuffy a good,hard blow in the eye. And while Cuffy was holding onto his poor eye,Pete hit his other eye. And then Cuffy couldn't see a thing, exceptbright spots that made him think of stars. He tried not to cry. But afew tears _would_ go rolling down his cheeks. And he did not like it atall when Pete began to laugh.
"Huh! Don't be a cry-baby!" Pete said. "Yer want ter learn ter box,don't yer?"
"Y-es!" Cuffy answered.
"Well--quit yer cryin' and stand up here, then," Pete commanded.
So once more Cuffy straightened up and held his paws in front of him.And when he thought Pete wasn't watching, Cuffy tried again to hit him.Again Cuffy missed. His paw didn't reach Pete at all. But Pete gave hima terrible poke right in the stomach, and Cuffy sat down quickly on theground and began to groan.
Pete sat down on the ground too and he looked at Cuffy and grinned.
"Want any more?" he asked.
Cuffy shook his head.
"I'll have to go home now," he said. "Of course, I'd like to box somemore; but I haven't time to-day."
"First lesson's over, then," Pete announced. "Come back termorrer andI'll give yer another."
"How long will it be before I learn to box well?" Cuffy inquired.
"You might learn next time," Pete said, "Better try it, anyhow," headvised.
"All right!" Cuffy said. He hoped that another time he would be able toshow Pete how it felt to be pounded. "All right--I'll be here at thesame time to-morrow."
So Pete trotted off spryly in one direction; and Cuffy trotted off inanother, but not quite so spryly, for his head ached and one of his eyeswas closed tight.
"Mercy sakes!" Mrs. Bear said, when Cuffy came into the house. "Look atthose trousers!"
Cuffy looked at them as well as he could with his one good eye.
"And you're _covered_ with mud!" his mother added severely. "What's thematter with your eye?" she demanded.
"I've been having fun--" Cuffy began. "I've been boxing--"
"Fun! Boxing! You've _ruined_ your best trousers," she said. "You're anaughty little bear and you're going straight to bed. Who has beenplaying with you?" she asked.
Mrs. Bear was very much displeased when she learned about Cuffy's newfriend. "I know who he is," she said. "His people are very rough.They're not nice bears at all. And I forbid you aver to play with thatPeter again."
So Cuffy had to go to bed. And the next day when Pete arrived at thepool he found no Cuffy there. For some time he waited. But still therewas no Cuffy.
"Huh!" Pete grunted, as he went away at last. "He's afraid, he is. Andit's a good thing for him he didn't come back. If he had, I'd 'a' fixedhim. Yes, sir! I'd--" Whatever it was that Peter would have done toCuffy, I am sure it wouldn't have been at all pleasant, because therough little bear Peter scowled frightfully as he trotted off.
XXI
THE FOREST FIRE
It was quite late in the fall. And Blue Mountain looked very differentfrom the way it had looked all summer. The leaves had turned to brownand yellow and scarlet, except where there were clumps of fir-trees, asthere were around Mr. Bear's house. Indeed, Blue Mountain looked almostas if it were all aflame, so bright were the autumn colors. Mr. Bearremarked as much to Mrs. Bear one day.
"For goodness' sake, don't say that!" she exclaimed. "Don't mention fireto me. The very thought of it makes me nervous. Everything's _so_ dry!I shall be glad when it rains again."
"It _is_ dry," Mr. Bear agreed. "But don't worry. It's like this everyfall." And he went slowly down the mountain.
Cuffy and Silkie were playing together that morning. Cuffy was teachingSilkie to box, though, to be sure, he knew very little about boxing. Buthe found it easy to tap Silkie on the nose. And he had tapped her sohard that Mrs. Bear heard a sound very much like quarreling; and shecame to the door to see what was the troubl
e.
Mrs. Bear was just going to call to her children, when she noticed apeculiar odor in the air. And she stood quite still, and sniffed, justas Cuffy had when he smelled the haymakers' lunch. You remember that themore Cuffy sniffed, the less alarmed he had been. But it was differentwith Mrs. Bear. The longer she stood there, with her nose twitching, andsnuffing up the air, the more uneasy she became. And pretty soon she sawsomething that gave her a great start.
It was something white that Mrs. Bear saw, and it hung over thetree-tops; and where the wind had caught it it was spun out thin, like aveil.
It was exactly what Mrs. Bear had feared--it was smoke! The forest wasafire! And Mrs. Bear was very much alarmed. She sent Cuffy and Silkieinto the house, because she wanted to be sure that they wouldn't wanderoff into the woods. And then their mother stood in the doorway andwatched. She was looking for Mr. Bear. While she waited there the smokekept rising more and more until there were great clouds of it; and atlast Mrs. Bear could see red flames licking up to the tops of the trees.
Several deer came bounding past, and a great number of rabbits andsquirrels. And then followed other animals that couldn't run sofast--such as raccoons, and skunks, and woodchucks. Not for years hadMrs. Bear seen so many of the forest-people--and they were all sofrightened, and in such a hurry to get away from the fire, that not oneof them noticed Mrs. Bear as she stood in her doorway.
"Where are they going, Mother?" It was Cuffy who asked the question. Hehad crept up behind his mother and had been looking at the strange sightfor some time.
"They're going over to the lake, on the other side of the mountain,"Mrs. Bear said.
"Are they going fishing?" Cuffy inquired.
Mrs. Bear shook her head. And then Cuffy squeezed past her and saw whatwas happening.
"Oh-h, hurrah! hurrah!" he shouted.
His mother looked at him in astonishment.
"It's father's birthday!" he cried. You remember that Cuffy's mother hadtold him that Mr. Bear was born on the day of a great forest fire, andthat he never had a birthday except when the woods caught fire again."Now maybe father will bring home another little pig for a feast!" Cuffysaid hopefully.
XXII
THE RAIN COMES
Cuffy Bear was disappointed. For when at last his father came gallopingup to his house he brought no pig with him. Indeed he seemed to haveforgotten that it was his birthday.
"Get the children!" he shouted to Mrs. Bear, as soon as he came insight. And pretty soon Cuffy and Silkie and their father and mother werehurrying along on their way to the lake that lay on the other side ofthe mountain.
Cuffy was delighted. He thought that perhaps he would see the naughtylittle bear Peter again; for he remembered that Peter lived around themountain, right where they were going.
They had travelled several miles when Mr. Bear stopped suddenly. And hesaid, "Hah!" And he looked up at the sky. Something had hit him right inthe eye. You might think that Mr. Bear was angry. But no! He was veryglad. For it was a drop of rain that had fallen upon him. And in a fewminutes there were countless drops pattering down. Yes, soon it wasraining hard. And to Cuffy's great disappointment they all startedhomewards again, for Mr. Bear knew that the rain would soon put the fireout.
Mr. Bear had known all the time that his house wouldn't burn; for it wasmade of rock, and went straight into the side of the mountain. But heknew that if the woods all around caught fire it would be several daysbefore they could go out and get anything to eat, or even a drink ofwater. And that was why he had started to lead his family away.
When they were back in their house once more Cuffy could think of onlyone thing that would make up for his not having seen the small bearPeter again. And he climbed up on his father's knees and said--
"Will you go and get a little pig, Father?"
"A _pig_?" Mr. Bear exclaimed. "Well, now--why on earth do you want apig? What would you do with a pig?"
"I'd eat it," Cuffy answered promptly. "It's your birthday, you know.And we ought to have a pig so we can have a real feast."
Mr. Bear smiled. And pretty soon he went out of the house. He was gone along time. But at last he came back again, fairly staggering beneaththe load that he carried.
When Cuffy saw what his father dropped down onto the floor he hopped upand down in his delight. There was no pig there, but Cuffy didn't mindthat. For Mr. Bear had brought home four rabbits, and four squirrels,and four porcupines, and four raccoons. And Cuffy ate and ate until hisskin grew so tight that he was afraid it would burst. He ate all of onerabbit, and one squirrel, and one raccoon. But he never touched hisporcupine at all. It made him think of the time he had tried to kill aporcupine himself, and had got his paws stuck full of quills. But he hada real feast, just the same.
XXIII
CUFFY BEAR GROWS SLEEPY
Far up Blue Mountain, and down in the valley too, the leaves had longago fallen off the trees. And for some time the ground had been whitewith snow; for winter had come again. And Cuffy Bear's sister Silkie hadhad a birthday-party the very first day it snowed. Cuffy and Silkieshouted with glee each morning now, when they went out of doors, wherethe earth was covered with a snow-blanket. And they played and playedand had just as good a time as little boys and girls have when wintercomes. As they scampered about in the door-yard their feet left tracksthat looked exactly like the foot-prints of barefooted girls and boys.They played tag, and hide-and-seek, and turned somersaults. And one day,when Mrs. Bear called them into the house, they ate, each of them,several quarts of chestnuts which Mr. Bear had gathered and broughthome. In fact, before Mrs. Bear knew it they had eaten a great many morechestnuts than were good for them. And Cuffy, who had eaten the most,soon began to have a pain in his stomach.
"That's what you get for being greedy," his mother told him.
"I didn't eat many chestnuts," Cuffy said.
Mrs. Bear pointed to the floor.
"What do you call those?" she asked.
"Chestnut-shells," Cuffy replied, hanging his head. There was a greatheap of shells on the floor where Cuffy had sat.
"Pick them all up--every one of them," his mother ordered. "And whenyou have finished you may take a nap--both of you."
Cuffy yawned.
"What do you say?" Mrs. Bear asked severely.
"Excuse me!" Cuffy said hastily.
"That's better!" said Mrs. Bear. "Now do as I say. You'll be asleepbefore you know it. And I don't intend to have those chestnut shellslying on the floor all winter."
You may think that that was a queer thing for Mrs. Bear to say. But whenyou see what happened, you'll understand what Mrs. Bear meant.
As Cuffy and Silkie sat down on the floor and began gathering up thechestnut-shells they both yawned and yawned. And since Mrs. Bear hadleft the room they didn't bother to say "Excuse me!" They were _so_sleepy! And before little Silkie had finished picking up her shells shejust rolled herself up into a round ball and fell fast asleep. As forCuffy, being a little older, he managed to stay awake just long enoughto get the floor all nice and clean. And then _he_ rolled himself into aball and _he_ went to sleep, right there on the floor.
So Mrs. Bear found them when she came back into the room. She smiled asshe saw them. And picking up first one and then the other she carriedthem into their little bed-chamber and put them down gently and coveredthem over with leaves, so they would be snug and warm. Yes, Mrs. Bearwanted her children to be warm, for she knew that they would not wake upagain until spring. She had noticed for several days that Cuffy andSilkie were growing sleepy. And to tell the truth, Mrs. Bear wasbecoming sleepy herself. That very night she and Mr. Bear went to bed awhole hour earlier than usual. And the next day they never minded at allhow cold it grew outside or how much the wind howled. For not one of Mr.Bear's family waked up at all! They just slept and slept and slept, thewhole winter long.
THE END
A WORD TO GROWN UPS
To you;--parents, guardians, teachers and all others upon whom devolvesthe supremely i
mportant responsibility of directing the early years ofdevelopment of childhood, this series of TUCK-ME-IN TALES which sketchsuch vivid and delightful scenes of the vibrant life of meadow andwoodland should have tremendous appeal. In this collection of storiesyou will find precisely the sort of healthy, imaginative entertainmentthat is an essential in stimulating thought-germs in the child mind.
Merely from the standpoint of their desirability for helping the growingtot to pass an idle half hour, any one of these volumes would be worthyour while. But the author had something further than that in mind. Hehas, with simplicity and grace, worthy of high commendation, sought toconvey a two-fold lesson throughout the entire series, the first basedupon natural history and the second upon the elementary principles ofliving which should be made clear to every child at the earliest age ofunderstanding.
The first of these aims he has accomplished by adapting every one of hisbird characters to its living counterpart in the realm of biology. Thechild learns very definite truths about which the story is woven; learnsin such a fascinating manner that he will not quickly forget, and isbrought into such pleasant intimacy that his immediate sympathy isaroused.
The author accomplishes the purpose of driving home simple lessons ongood conduct by attributing the many of the same traits of character tohis feathered heroes and heroines that are to be found wherever thehuman race made its habitation. The praise-worthy qualities of courage,love, unselfishness, truth, industry, and humility are portrayed in thedealings of the field and forest folk and the consequential reward ofthese virtues is clearly shown; he also reveals the unhappy results ofgreed, jealousy, trickery and other character weaknesses. The effect isto impress indelibly upon the imagination of the child that certaindeeds are their own desirable reward while certain others are muchbetter left undone.
The Tale of Cuffy Bear Page 4