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diff --git a/24489-h/24489-h.htm b/24489-h/24489-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3b0ef5f --- /dev/null +++ b/24489-h/24489-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3099 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Little White Fox and his Arctic Friends, by Roy J. Snell + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} + + h1,h2,h3 {text-align: center; clear: both;} + + hr {width: 65%; margin: 2em auto; clear: both;} + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + .td1 {text-align: right; padding-left: 4em; vertical-align: bottom;} + .td2 {text-align: left; padding-left: 1em; font-variant: small-caps;} + .td3 {text-align: right;} + .td4 {text-align: justify; width: 20em; padding-left: 2.5em; text-indent: -2em;} + + body {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; right: 1%; font-size: small; + font-style: normal; text-align: right; text-indent: 0em;} + + .block1 {margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .figcenter {margin: 3em auto; text-align: justify; font-size: small; width: 383px;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin: 1em 0 1em 1em; padding: 0; + text-align: center; font-size: small; width: 381px;} + + img {border: none;} + + a:link {text-decoration:none;} + a:visited {text-decoration:none;} + + .hd1 {text-align: center; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 3em; line-height: 1.5em;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Little White Fox and his Arctic Friends, by Roy J. Snell + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Little White Fox and his Arctic Friends + +Author: Roy J. Snell + +Illustrator: George F. Kerr + +Release Date: February 2, 2008 [EBook #24489] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LITTLE WHITE FOX *** + + + + +Produced by Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + +<h1><small>LITTLE WHITE FOX +AND HIS ARCTIC FRIENDS</small></h1> + +<hr /> + +<div class="figcenter"><a name="fronti" id="fronti"></a> +<img src="images/001.jpg" width="383" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +"Such ugly, bent noses I never saw before in all +my life, either." <span class="smcap">Frontispiece.</span> <i>See <a href="#Page_21">Page 21</a></i></div> + +<hr /> + +<h1>LITTLE WHITE FOX<br /> +AND HIS ARCTIC FRIENDS</h1> + +<p class="hd1">BY</p> + +<h2>ROY J. SNELL</h2> + +<p class="hd1"><small>WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY</small><br /> +GEORGE F. KERR</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 92px;"> +<img src="images/002.png" style="border: solid 2px;" width="88" height="129" alt="" title="" /> +</div> + +<p class="hd1">BOSTON<br /> +LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY<br /> +1916</p> + +<hr /> + +<p class="center"><small><i>Copyright, 1916</i>,<br /> +<span class="smcap">By Little, Brown, and Company</span>.<br /> +<br /> +<i>All rights reserved</i><br /> +<br /> +<br /> +Published, September, 1916</small></p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span></p> +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="center"><small><small>CHAPTER</small></small></td><td class="td1" colspan="2"><small><small>PAGE</small></small></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">I.</td><td class="td2">Little White Fox Makes a Discovery</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">II.</td><td class="td2">Little Miss Ptarmigan Fools Him</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_9">9</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">III.</td><td class="td2">He Gets his Head Thumped</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_19">19</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">IV.</td><td class="td2">When Little Foxes Quarrel</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_27">27</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">V.</td><td class="td2">Little White Fox Meets Barred Seal</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_34">34</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">VI.</td><td class="td2">Little White Fox Helps Himself</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_41">41</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">VII.</td><td class="td2">Little White Bear and Little Black Bear</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_48">48</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">VIII.</td><td class="td2">Trouble for Little White Bear</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_54">54</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">IX.</td><td class="td2">Little Black Bear's Discovery</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_61">61</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">X.</td><td class="td2">Fun for Two Little Bears</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_67">67</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">XI.</td><td class="td2">Big White Bear Meets Huskie</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_74">74</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">XII.</td><td class="td2">Little White Fox Goes Hunting</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_83">83</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">XIII.</td><td class="td2">Big White Bear's Kitchen</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_89">89</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">XIV.</td><td class="td2">Big White Bear Finds Little White Fox</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_95">95</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">XV.</td><td class="td2">Little White Fox Goes Fishing</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">XVI.</td><td class="td2">Little Brown Seal's Narrow Escape</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_108">108</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">XVII.</td><td class="td2">A Strange Journey</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_115">115</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td3">XVIII.</td><td class="td2">Little White Fox Comes Home</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_122">122</a></td></tr></table></div> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span></p> +<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td class="td4">"Such ugly, bent noses I never saw before in all my life, either."</td><td class="td1"><i><a href="#fronti">Frontispiece</a></i></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td4">"Now," he said, when he had finished fishing, "we will have dinner."</td><td class="td1"><small>PAGE</small> <a href="#Page_38">38</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td4">Little White Bear knew right away what he had done.</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_52">52</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td4">"I am going to make your teeth chatter so you can't call your master."</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_81">81</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td4">Big White Bear popped right up out of the ocean!</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_119">119</a></td></tr> +<tr><td class="td4">She was going back to his own dear beach.</td><td class="td1"><a href="#Page_128">128</a></td></tr></table></div> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span></p> +<h2>ACKNOWLEDGMENT</h2> + +<div class="block1"><p><span class="smcap">Six</span> of the Little White Fox Stories appeared +serially in the <i>Continent</i>, to whose +publishers my thanks are due for permission +to publish them in book form.</p></div> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> +<h1><small>LITTLE WHITE FOX AND HIS ARCTIC FRIENDS</small></h1> + +<h2 class="hd1">CHAPTER I</h2> + +<h3>LITTLE WHITE FOX MAKES A DISCOVERY</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Little White Fox</span> was very, very +much worried, for something dreadful +had happened, something he couldn't +account for at all: Tdariuk, the reindeer, +was dead!</p> + +<p>Tdariuk was not related to Little +White Fox. And he wasn't a bit in the +world like him. He was many times<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span> +bigger than Little White Fox would +ever be, and he was quite different +from him in every way. But all the +same, Little White Fox loved him. If +you had asked him why he loved the +big reindeer, he would probably have +told you that, for one thing, Tdariuk, +in spite of his huge body, was very +gentle and kind. None of the little +animals of the tundra was afraid of +him. Little Mrs. Ptarmigan calmly +hunted for dry blueberries and weed +seed right beside him while he cropped +his moss. And when he drew close to +the shore by the sea, Little Brown Seal +never thought of such a thing as slipping +off his rock and hiding in the +water. Even if there were no other<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span> +reason, wouldn't Tdariuk's gentleness alone +make Little White Fox love him?</p> + +<p>Now when Little White Fox discovered +that his big, kind friend was dead, +he ran home as fast as his legs could +carry him to tell his mother the sad +news.</p> + +<p>"Mother! Mother!" he called tumbling +into his home under the great rock, +"Tdariuk is dead!"</p> + +<p>"Tdariuk dead!" cried Madam White +Fox. "Who could have been mean enough +to kill him?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know who killed him, but he's +dead, I know that," said Little White Fox, +the tears running down his cheeks.</p> + +<p>"It must have been Old Man Gray +Wolf, or Omnok, the hunter," said Madam<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> +White Fox, wiping her eyes with her paw. +"For my part, I could easily wish them both +dead themselves. None of us is safe as +long as they are about. But who told you +Tdariuk was dead?"</p> + +<p>"No one told me. I found it out for myself," +boasted Little White Fox proudly, +quite forgetting his sorrow in thinking +what a wise young chap he was.</p> + +<p>"<i>You</i> found it out!" exclaimed his mother. +"Pray, tell me how?"</p> + +<p>"Why, you see," explained Little White +Fox, with an air of deep mystery, "I was +down on the tundra, at the foot of Saw +Tooth Mountain, looking all around to see +what I could see. And all of a sudden I +came right on one of Tdariuk's great, fine +antlers lying there in the snow. Now, what<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> +do you think of that? And when I went on +a little farther, there was the other one! +And then I knew, of course, that Tdariuk +was dead."</p> + +<p>When Madam White Fox heard that, she +smiled a little and stopped wiping her eyes. +But all she said was: "Keep your eyes wide +open, my son, and one of these days you will +see something very strange."</p> + +<p>Little White Fox thought that a queer way +to answer him. Why, she hadn't even told +him he was smart to discover about Tdariuk.</p> + +<p>"What do you mean, mother? What will +I see? Tell me what I will see! <i>Please</i> tell +me what I will see!" teased Little White +Fox.</p> + +<p>But not another word would Madam +Fox tell him. Little White Fox wondered<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> +why she dried her tears for Tdariuk so +quickly, but he couldn't find that out, either.</p> + +<p>And so every day and all day, Little White +Fox went peering curiously about everywhere, +just as his mother had told him to do, +trying to find the something that was +"very strange." He looked all around +among the sand dunes by the ocean, but +there was nothing strange there. He went +in and out among the big rocks at the foot +of Saw Tooth Mountain and came near +falling into one of Omnok's cruel traps, but +there was nothing strange there. He went +here and there, and back and forth, all over +the tundra, but there was nothing strange +there.</p> + +<p>Hunt as he would, Little White Fox +could find nothing strange anywhere. He<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> +had grown quite discouraged, when one +day, when he was searching down among +the scrub willows by the river, his ear caught +a familiar sound, "Ark! Ark! Ark!"</p> + +<p>Little White Fox couldn't believe his ears.</p> + +<p>"Why, that's queer!" he exclaimed. "It +sounds just like Tdariuk, the reindeer. +But it can't be Tdariuk. How could it be +Tdariuk, when Tdariuk's dead?"</p> + +<p>Then he heard it again, much louder this +time and quite close: "Ark! Ark! Ark!"</p> + +<p>Little White Fox, for once in his life, +was too astonished to say a word. He just +held his breath and waited. And in just +another moment out walked Tdariuk, as +big and gentle as ever, and very much alive +indeed. And—on his head he wore a brand +new pair of antlers, bigger than the others<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> +and all covered with velvet! My! how +handsome those antlers were!</p> + +<p>Little White Fox didn't stop to ask a +single question. He just gave Tdariuk one +long look and then whirled around and ran +home as fast as he could travel.</p> + +<p>He burst breathlessly into the cave and +started to tell his mother that Tdariuk +wasn't dead. But it wasn't news to her; +she had known it all the time. Little White +Fox, however, had found out the something +very strange that she had hoped he would +find, and had done it all by himself. Therefore +Madam Fox was very happy as she +curled down on the floor for her afternoon +nap.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER II</h2> + +<h3>LITTLE MISS PTARMIGAN FOOLS HIM</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Little White Fox saw that he had +really found out about Tdariuk, the reindeer, +all by himself, he became very wise. The +next time one of his friends disappeared +from the tundra, he didn't say a word about +it to his mother, but went searching, searching, +everywhere, every day.</p> + +<p>This time it was Little Miss Ptarmigan +who had disappeared. Probably you don't +know Miss Ptarmigan, for she lives only +in cold lands where there is plenty of snow. +But she is a very interesting young person.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> +She is a bit larger than Madam Partridge +and not quite so large as Madam Prairie +Hen. And a very dainty little lady she is, +too, for all winter—and that's just the time +Little White Fox had known her—she had +worn a perfectly white gown, quite as white +as the coat he wore himself. And if she +hadn't worn pink shoes and stockings, he +probably would never have been able to find +her in the snow at all.</p> + +<p>Now, if Little White Fox had been as old +as his mother, he would have been trying +all the time to catch Little Miss Ptarmigan +and carry her off to his home for mincemeat. +That is what grown-up foxes do to the Ptarmigan +folks when they get a chance. But +Little White Fox was a very small chap, and +didn't give much thought to mincemeat.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span> +All he thought about was having a good time, +so almost every day he hunted up Miss +Ptarmigan, and they had a grand game of +hide and seek. It was always an exciting +game, too, on account of Miss Ptarmigan's +white dress, and the only way Little White +Fox could find her was by watching for her +pink shoes and stockings as she hid away +in a snow bank. And when she sat on her +feet, he could almost never find her at all.</p> + +<p>"You just wait, Miss," cried Little White +Fox one day. "When summer comes, I'll +get you!"</p> + +<p>"You will, will you!" replied Miss Ptarmigan. +"How will you do it?"</p> + +<p>"Why, in the summer the snow will be +gone, and the ground will be all brown. +Then I will be able to find you anywhere!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> +Little White Fox gave a hop, skip and jump +that ended in a somersault, so tickled was he +with his own smartness.</p> + +<p>"Oh, indeed!" said Miss Ptarmigan, looking +very wise and mysterious.</p> + +<p>That was all she said, but Little White +Fox wasn't fussed. He hadn't lain curled +up on the grass mat in his home thinking +about it night after night for nothing.</p> + +<p>One day when the snow was nearly all +gone, Little Miss Ptarmigan suddenly disappeared. +Little White Fox didn't believe +she was dead. He remembered how he had +been fooled by Tdariuk, and he remembered, +too, how she had looked when he talked +about catching her. Also, he remembered +how he had found out the truth about +Tdariuk. Therefore, being a wise youngster,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> +as I have said, he didn't say a word about it +to his mother. He just went quietly about, +looking, looking everywhere for Miss Ptarmigan.</p> + +<p>In the meantime, Miss Ptarmigan had +been making trouble for herself. Silly old +Mrs. White Owl had been telling her all +winter how very well white suited her complexion. +And now summer had come, and +Mother Ptarmigan had forbidden her to go +outdoors at all till her new brown summer +suit was finished. Miss Ptarmigan hated +indoors, and she couldn't understand what +difference her dress made, anyway. But +she never thought of disobeying till one fine, +warm day when her mother was away from +home, Little Miss Ptarmigan grew very +lonesome.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I want to go out in the sunshine," she +kept saying to herself. "There can't be a +bit of harm in it. I am sure I would see +Old Mrs. White Owl, and she would say +something nice about my white dress."</p> + +<p>Down at the foot of the mountain was +some one else, a some one who didn't +think much about the sunshine and the +flowers. It was Master Black Fox. He +was thinking of his sausage grinder. It +hadn't been used much of late, and he was +afraid it might get lazy. "A plump chub +of a Ptarmigan would grind nicely," he said +to himself, smacking his lips, "but they all +wear brown dresses these days, and one +cannot tell them from the weeds and grass."</p> + +<p>Just then his eyes opened wide. "Can I +believe it?" he whispered. "Is that one of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> +them going down the mountain this minute—and +with a white dress on? Yes, sir, it +is!"</p> + +<p>Then Mr. Fox looked all about him very +sharply, this way and that, for his own +coat was black as coal, and could be seen +quite well against the brown grass when he +moved. But when he lay quite still, you +couldn't tell him from a stone. He was not +afraid that Little Miss Ptarmigan would see +him. He knew where she was, and could +hide behind rocks until he came close to +her.</p> + +<p>After Mr. Fox had looked all about him +very sharply, this way and that, he began +to creep around this rock and that one, all +the time drawing closer to innocent, foolish +Little Miss Ptarmigan, whose white dress<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> +showed plain as day against the brown +earth. And presently he was right behind +a big rock she must pass in just another +minute. And then he was so close that it +seemed almost as if she could hear him +breathe.</p> + +<p>But she didn't. She just walked along, +thinking about the fine things Madam White +Owl had said to her, till zing! something +sprang at her. She gave a frightened scream +and flew to one side, but she was too late. +Something sharp and cruel closed down on +the toe of her pink shoes. It was the teeth +of Mr. Black Fox's sausage grinder. But he +closed them down a little too hard, for it cut +the toe right off the pink shoe, and the tips +of Little Miss Ptarmigan's pink toes besides, +and away she flew, screaming with pain,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> +toward a white snow bank in the valley. +There each little hurt toe left a red spot +on the white snow, and my, how they did +ache!</p> + +<p>One day quite a while later, when Little +White Fox was over among the brown rocks +at the foot of Saw Tooth Mountain, he heard +a scratch, scratch! among the dry grasses +behind him. He turned around, and there +stood a little stranger dressed all in brown. +She looked wonderfully like Miss Ptarmigan. +She was just about the same size, and her +shoes and stockings were just the same shade +of pink.</p> + +<p>"Hello, Little White Fox!" she cried. +"I thought you said you could find me when +summer came and the ground was all brown. +You have been looking for me a whole week,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> +and I have been out here all the time. You +saw me yesterday, but you didn't know me, +because I had put on my summer clothes. +Oh, Little White Fox, you are a very wise +fellow! A very wise fellow, indeed!"</p> + +<p>It was Miss Ptarmigan. She had changed +her white gown for a brown one!</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER III</h2> + +<h3>HE GETS HIS HEAD THUMPED</h3> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">Who</span> put all those rocks there, I +wonder?" mused Little White Fox, scratching +his head and looking puzzled. "They are +white and all the same size. How queer!"</p> + +<p>Little White Fox had climbed almost to +the top of Cape Prince of Wales Mountain. +He had crept around among the rocks until +he was way out on a ledge looking out over +the great blue sea. And here he had found +these strange rocks, all gathered in one little +pile by themselves. As he looked around, +he presently saw more piles here and there,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> +and all just the same size. "Now, what do +you think of that!" he said to himself, +scratching his head again, and more puzzled +than ever.</p> + +<p>He was still rubbing his head thoughtfully, +when a sound behind him made him +look around, and his bright eyes fell on a +group of the strangest little people any small +fox ever came across. There were seven +of them. They all stood in a row, and each +was as straight up and down as the big +whalebone over the grave Omnok, the hunter, +had made for his father. Little White +Fox had seen some of these strange folks +when he was with his mother a few days +before. She had told him that they belonged +to the Sea Parrot family. "There is a very +large family of them," she had said. "They<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> +live almost anywhere on the ocean most of +the year, but they make Alaska their summer +home."</p> + +<p>These seven little black sea parrots all +stood up stiffly in a row, and not one word +did they say, either to Little White Fox +or to one another. But Little White Fox +felt that they were looking at him, and he +didn't like it a bit. "What business is it +of theirs if I walk around here and see what +I can see?" he thought to himself. "They +are very ugly little people, anyway. Look +at their faces! They are nearly all nose! +And such ugly, bent noses I never saw before +in all my life, either!"</p> + +<p>Just then a strange, pleasing smell came +to Little White Fox's quivering nostrils. +Could it come from those strange, round<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> +rocks? He would see. He walked up to +one of the piles, and, putting his nose down +close, gave a big, long sniff. Yes, sir, that's +just where it did come from! "How queer!" +thought he. "I never saw such rocks before. +Guess I'll push one of them around and +see what will happen." At that, he stretched +out one of his front paws, and began to roll +one of the rocks about. Bing! something +struck him an awful blow right on the top of +his head.</p> + +<p>"Ouch! What was that!" cried Little +White Fox, peering about and rubbing his +head.</p> + +<p>The seven strangers were standing still +stiff in a straight row. Not a word did they +say, but they had moved quite a bit closer to +Little White Fox.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I wonder," said Little White Fox. Then +he began to roll the rock again. Bing! +something struck his head, harder than +before. Little White Fox whirled about +quickly this time. One of the strangers +was straightening up.</p> + +<p>"What has she been doing?" he said to +himself. "I shouldn't wonder if she had +been hitting me with her ugly face. I +have a great mind to bite her! What business +is it of hers if I come up here and roll +these little stones around? Don't all the +stones in the world belong to anybody who +wants them?"</p> + +<p>He gave the rock a vigorous push this +time. It rolled over a small ledge, gave a +little squash! and broke in two in the +middle. Little White Fox could hardly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> +believe his eyes when he saw the inside of +the stone spread out on the ground, all +yellow and white! And <i>Ah-ne-ca!</i> how +strong it smelled! But the smell was the +most delicious that Little White Fox had +ever sniffed.</p> + +<p>"I'll just taste some of that good smelling +stuff," said Little White Fox happily, and +was about to poke his small nose right into +it, when ouch! something hit him a terrible +whack right on the top of his head. My, +how it hurt! It made his head ache so he +could hardly think straight. And this time +he knew who had done it. It was one of +those ugly Parrot people.</p> + +<p>"Now, I <i>will</i> bite her!" cried Little White +Fox, and straight at that stiff row he dashed. +And then at last the strangers found their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> +tongues. Such a screaming and chattering +Little White Fox had never heard before. +But he found he couldn't bite them, after +all, for every time he jumped at one of them, +she leaped right over his head and hit him +with her ugly face. So by and by Little +White Fox was glad to run away home and +leave the strange rocks to the ugly little +people who were so savage and so bold.</p> + +<p>Mother White Fox laughed and laughed +when she heard of her son's strange adventure.</p> + +<p>"But, mother," said Little White Fox, +looking very much puzzled, "What did +they care about those old rocks?"</p> + +<p>"Care, child!" cried his mother, holding +her sides, "those things were not rocks; they +were their eggs. And the ledge you were on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> +was their home. By and by those eggs will +turn into little Sea Parrots, and when their +wings and feet are strong, the babies will go +swimming and flying out over the shining +sea."</p> + +<p>Little White Fox was far too young to +understand all this, but he could understand +how his head had been thumped. So you +may be sure it was a long, long time before +he went back to that cliff. When he did so, +the Sea Parrots were all gone, and so were +the strange things he had thought were +rocks.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER IV</h2> + +<h3>WHEN LITTLE FOXES QUARREL</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">There</span> apparently were more little Foxes +together on the tundra that afternoon +than there ever had been before. Little +White Fox had just come around a bunch +of muckluck grass and spied them, all very +much interested in something they had found.</p> + +<p>"Ha! Ha!" chuckled Little White Fox +to himself. "They'll get their heads pecked +good and hard pretty soon!" For those +little Foxes there on the tundra had found +some of those same round objects that Little +White Fox had thought were stones and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> +later learned were eggs. The only difference +was that these were much larger and +were out on the tundra near one of the salt +ponds.</p> + +<p>The young Foxes had been playing happily +together when they found the eggs. There +were the Silver Fox twins, the Black Fox +triplets, Reynard Red Fox, Violet Blue Fox, +and Baby Cross Fox. Rather a large gathering +of Foxes, I admit, but there are more of +the Fox family in Alaska than in any other +part of the world.</p> + +<p>Little White Fox slipped behind the +muckluck grass and listened. His relatives +were quarrelling over who should have the +extra egg. You see here were eight little +Foxes and nine eggs, so the question was +who should take the extra egg?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span></p> + +<p>"We should have the egg," said the Silver +Fox twins boastfully, "because we belong +to the most aristocratic branch of the family. +Our mother's coat alone is worth three hundred +dollars."</p> + +<p>"You have no more right to hold up your +heads than we have," one of the Black Fox +triplets answered him. "Our mother's coat +is worth quite as much as any Silver Fox's +that ever lived."</p> + +<p>"Fie! Fie! you are both wrong," reproved +Reynard Red Fox. "The best known +should always be considered first. Now +my father is known all over the world. +Whole books have been written about our +family."</p> + +<p>"I should have it, because I am a baby," +wailed Baby Cross Fox.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I'd like to see any of you get it," cried +Violet Blue Fox, seizing the egg and attempting +to carry it away. But the +greedy miss, while trying to carry it, let +go of the one she already had, so she was +not a whit ahead.</p> + +<p>The fact of the matter was that one of those +eggs was all any little Fox could carry, and +it certainly was all he could possibly eat. +But of course not one of them had thought +about that.</p> + +<p>Now Little White Fox had lain hid behind +the muckluck grass nearly splitting himself +with laughter at the thought of the whacking +their heads were going to get after awhile. +But when he had waited a long time and +no one had come to molest his cousins, he +began to want one of those eggs for himself.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> +It happened that this was the nest of Old +Mrs. Long Neck, the widgeon duck. And +Omnok, the hunter, had captured her two +days before, so she would never come back +to protect her eggs.</p> + +<p>Little White Fox stood it as long as he +could, and then he came marching boldly +out from his hiding place.</p> + +<p>"If you don't mind," he said very importantly, +"I'll take the extra egg, and that +will settle the difficulty."</p> + +<p>But that only started the discussion going +faster than ever. "You didn't!" "I did!" +"You can't!" "I can!" "I will!" "You +won't!" and so on and so on they went. +Probably they would be quarrelling yet, if +Little White Fox had not caught sight of a +very tall person coming through the muckluck<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> +grass. It was the dreadful Omnok, +the hunter!</p> + +<p>"Look out!" he cried.</p> + +<p>But he was too late. Bang! went the +hunter's terrible gun, and a hot bullet +whizzed by his ear. The Foxes scattered +in every direction, Little White Fox making +for his home as fast as his legs would carry +him. And his heart beat so fast that even +when he had been for half an hour safe +under the big flat rock, his breath still came +pantingly.</p> + +<p>"<i>Ah-ne-ca!</i>" cried Omnok, out on the +tundra. "What did I shoot at them for? +Their coats are not worth a penny till old +winter gets at them and makes them thick +and strong. My, but they were a fine +bunch! If I can catch half of them next<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> +winter, I can buy a whole herd of reindeer +and become a reindeer man. But what have +we here? Ho-ho! So this is what they +were making such a fuss about! Old Long +Neck's nest! Well, I guess nine good eggs +will be fine eating for my wife and the children."</p> + +<p>With that Omnok put the eggs in his +hunting sack and went stalking away.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER V</h2> + +<h3>LITTLE WHITE FOX MEETS BARRED +SEAL</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Little White Fox</span> was running all over +the ice that covered the ocean. It was +spring, and the sun was shining its best all +the time, but there was plenty of ice left. +When there is two miles of ice out on the +sand bar, and it is all six feet thick, you may +easily guess it takes the sun a long time to +loosen it up.</p> + +<p>Well, Little White Fox was skipping +about here and there to see what he could +see, and was not paying much attention<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> +where he was going when, <i>Ah-ne-ca!</i> down +he went! Down! Down! and splash! +right into the icy water! My! he was +frightened! How was he ever to get out +of that place? Six feet of ice wall, straight +as the sides of a house, was all about him. +But what was this he saw on one side. It +seemed to be a sort of little shelf. And, +yes sir! as Little White Fox swam over to +that side and began to climb up, his feet +caught on a ledge, and before he knew it he +was sitting in as neat a little room as you +ever saw, and all made out of ice! walls, +floor, and ceiling!</p> + +<p>"Now I wonder who lives here," said Little +White Fox to himself. "Whoever it is, I +suppose I shall have a great quarrel with +him when he comes home."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span></p> + +<p>But no one came, and very soon his coat +was quite dry and he found himself very +comfortable in this strange little ice palace. +But how was he ever to get out and go back +to his mother and friends?</p> + +<p>Just when he was thinking about that, he +saw the water get black all at once, and in +another moment he was looking right into +the face of a stranger who had popped up +out of the water, as if by magic.</p> + +<p>"Who are you?" asked Little White Fox, +shaking all over with fright.</p> + +<p>"I have many names." The stranger +grinned so broadly Little White Fox quite +lost his fear at once. "Some call me Barred +Seal," the stranger continued, "and some +call me Ring Seal. Others call me Rainbow +Seal, and still others call me Northern Lights.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> +You may call me what you like. But say, +there's room for us both up there, isn't +there? I am tired!"</p> + +<p>"But," said Little White Fox, when they +were both comfortably seated, "you look +very much like Little Brown Seal."</p> + +<p>"Yes," said the other, "he is my cousin, +so is Spotted Seal and Oogrook, the big seal, +and Little Light Brown Seal, and goodness +knows how many more! We are a large +family. I am told that we have cousins +living down in the Aleutian Islands who are +very aristocratic indeed. They go by the +name of Hair Seal. Why, their coats, I +am told, are so valuable that Omnok, the +hunter, would risk his life to get one of them! +For my part, I prefer this simple coat +which no man would steal, unless he needed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> +it to make a pair of boots. But you must be +hungry, and so am I. Just wait a minute."</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 385px;"> +<img src="images/003.jpg" width="385" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +"Now," he said, when he had finished fishing, +"we will have dinner." <i>Page <a href="#Page_38">38</a></i></div> + +<p>Master Barred Seal disappeared in the +water, reappearing from time to time with +a fish in his mouth.</p> + +<p>"Now," he said, when he had finished +fishing, "we will have dinner." Before +Little White Fox was spread the most tempting +array of fish he had ever seen.</p> + +<p>"This is the finest home in the world," +said Barred Seal proudly. "Your dinner +comes right to your front door. Look!"</p> + +<p>Little White Fox looked, and sure enough, +there in the water were plenty more fish +swimming round and round.</p> + +<p>"But what if Omnok, the hunter, should +find us here?" Little White Fox shivered +suddenly.</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span>"What if he should?" repeated the other. +"There are four feet of solid ice between us +and the top. He will not come down in the +water to get us, so what could he do?"</p> + +<p>"But very soon, Mother tells me," said +Little White Fox, "the ice will all melt, or +the wind will blow it out to sea."</p> + +<p>"Oh, well, in that case," replied Barred +Seal, smiling, "there is still the wild, free +ocean to live in as always."</p> + +<p>"Not for me!" said Little White Fox, +turning white in the face and losing his appetite +all at once. "How can I get out of +here?"</p> + +<p>"You don't want to go so soon," answered +Barred Seal. "Stay with me awhile. I +rather like you. And, as you see, we have +plenty of good fish to eat."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I thank you," said Little White Fox +very politely, "but I'd very much rather +go back home." And at that moment he +had a frightful vision of all that ice going +out, out to sea.</p> + +<p>"Very well," said Barred Seal, "I'll go +in the water and stand on my tail; then you +can climb out on my back. Only don't +dig in your toe nails."</p> + +<p>In another moment Little White Fox was +out in the bright sunshine, and you may be +very sure he was glad to be there. "I +guess the world was made about right," +he said to himself. "And I am glad the +hills, the tundra, and my own little home +are just as they are, and I am glad I am +Little White Fox."</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER VI</h2> + +<h3>LITTLE WHITE FOX HELPS HIMSELF</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Little White Fox</span> was hungry again, +and it was the hard, cold, winter time, when +all of the little folks of the tundra have to +hunt far and wide for food. He had asked +Tdariuk, the reindeer, to invite him out to +dinner. Tdariuk was very nice about it, but +said he had only some lichens, which men +call reindeer moss, to eat. When Little +White Fox tasted them, he said they were +not one bit good. The truth is they are +very bitter, and taste good only to Reindeer +and Caribou folks.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p> + +<p>So Little White Fox went scratching away +over the tundra and hillsides to see what he +could find. He was half way up the side of +Cape Prince of Wales Mountain when he +came on the tracks of a stranger. "He +must have come down from the higher +mountains," said Little White Fox to himself. +"I wonder who he is. I don't +believe he is any bigger than I am, for his +tracks are very close together."</p> + +<p>He followed the tracks, very curious to +know who this newcomer might be. Pretty +soon he came to a tunnel right into the snow. +There were several tracks in and out of +this, so he could not tell whether the +stranger were at home or not. Little White +Fox knew now that the other fellow was not +so large as he, for the tunnel was almost too<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> +small for him to enter. But he gathered +his coat close around him and crowded in. +He rather hoped that he would not find +the stranger at home, but that the table +would be set for dinner.</p> + +<p>And that was just the way it was! Little +White Fox knocked at the door, and when +no one answered, he walked right in. No,—the +table wasn't set, but in the storeroom +there was plenty of food. Little White Fox +did not make the least fuss but set the table +himself.</p> + +<p>Now you might think that Little White +Fox would eat only fresh eggs and fish, +but if you think so you are mistaken. He +likes berries and roots, and that is just +what he had to eat that day,—blueberries +from the hillsides and nice juicy roots and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> +bulbs from the tundra! My, they tasted +good!</p> + +<p>He had just finished eating when something +disturbed him. He had been listening +to the noise the wind made blowing +across the entrance to the tunnel. Now +the wind didn't make any more noise,—not +so he could hear it, anyway. That +meant that some one had entered the tunnel.</p> + +<p>Now Little White Fox was not wishing to +see any one just then. "Guess I'd better +find the other door to this house and go +home," he said to himself. But there wasn't +any other door. Little White Fox wasn't +afraid, but then,—he just humped himself +all up in a corner and wished he didn't +have to meet the stranger, that was all.</p> + +<p>Well, sir! he had to laugh when he saw<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> +the stranger come in at the door. He was +the oddest little fellow you ever saw! He +looked just like Thunder, the big white +rabbit, only his ears were short, his coat +was yellow, and he was ever so much smaller. +Little White Fox knew who he was right +away, for he had heard his mother speak of +the Lemming family. And this was one of +the Lemmings! There could be no doubt of +it. And the Lemmings are great fighters, +if they happen to be in the mood for it. +Why, they have been known to jump right +into the ocean and try to swim across it.</p> + +<p>"Now I wonder what I'd better do," +thought Little White Fox to himself. But +just because he couldn't think of anything at +all to do, he did nothing. And that was the +very wisest way to behave just then. All<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> +bunched up the way he was, he looked very +large and strong. The longer Mr. Lemming +looked at him, the more sure he became that +Little White Fox was some relation of his. +And we must be very kind to all our relatives, +especially when they are bigger than we are!</p> + +<p>Mr. Lemming moved over to one side of +the room as if to say, "You may go out if +you like."</p> + +<p>Little White Fox moved half way to the +door and then stopped, which meant, "I'd +like you to move a little farther away."</p> + +<p>Mr. Lemming went back to the other side.</p> + +<p>Little White Fox went to the door, but +even then he did not go out, not right away, +he didn't. He turned and looked at Mr. +Lemming, which meant, "You won't bite +my heels, will you?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span></p> + +<p>Mr. Lemming didn't make a move.</p> + +<p>Little White Fox put his head out of the +door. Then you should have seen him get +out of that tunnel! I don't believe Little +White Fox ever went faster in the world. +When he was out on the snow, he looked +around and felt foolish, for Mr. Lemming +was not coming after him at all.</p> + +<p>That night Mr. Lemming closed up the +tunnel to his house and made a new one +under a rock, where he thought Little White +Fox would not be able to find it.</p> + +<p>Of course Little White Fox should have +waited until Mr. Lemming came home, and +then asked him for something to eat. But, +you know, he was very hungry, and besides +he was only a little white fox, after all.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2> + +<h3>LITTLE WHITE BEAR AND LITTLE +BLACK BEAR</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Little White Bear</span> stepped out from +behind a great boulder that was black as +black could be against the whitest of all +white worlds. And my! It was a lonesome +world! His mother had left him alone, +years and years ago, it seemed to him, to +find something to eat. At last he was so +lonesome he just had to get out into the sunshine +and see if there was any one in all +the wide, white world who would play with +a little white bear.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I wonder! I do wonder if there is any +one!" he said to himself.</p> + +<p>"Chee! Chee!" said a very small voice +right close to him. He looked and looked, +and at last he spied Little Snow Bunting +balancing herself on a salmon-berry bush.</p> + +<p>"What does she mean by that?" thought +Little White Bear. "Does she want to play +with me?" But when he came closer to her, +she said "Chee! Chee!" so loudly and +saucily he felt almost sure she didn't, and +when she spread her snowy wings and flew +far, far away, he was quite sure she didn't.</p> + +<p>"My! What a world!" said Little White +Bear. "I wonder—" But just then he +heard a strange sound,—crack—crack—crackety, +crackety, crack! What could it +be? In just a moment Tdariuk, the reindeer,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> +came trotting around the point, and +Little White Bear knew it was Tdariuk's +heels he had heard cracking. But Tdariuk +didn't give him time to say a word. He +just caught one whiff of bear smell, and away +he went faster than ever,—crack—crack—crackety, +crackety, crackety! Crack! +Crack!</p> + +<p>Down by the ocean things were no better. +When Little Brown Seal saw him coming, +he tumbled right into the ocean without +so much as saying "How do you do."</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 415px;"> +<img src="images/004.jpg" width="415" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +Little White Bear knew right away what he had +done. <i>Page <a href="#Page_52">52</a></i></div> + +<p>Little White Bear looked this way and +that, and suddenly he spied some little black +things going up and down, up and down, over +a little snow hill. Sometimes there were +four, sometimes three, sometimes two, and +sometimes none at all. "Must be Jim<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> +Raven and his crowd," said Little White +Bear. "Well, <i>they</i> won't get away from me! +I'll just slip up to that little hill and then +jump right over it so quick they won't +have time to fly away!" He slipped up +very quietly, Oh! just as quietly as any +little bear could. He crept round this little +hill and that little salmon-berry bush until +he was right under the snow hill. "Now," +he said to himself, "Now's the time!" He +couldn't see the black things going up and +down, but he knew they were there, so he +gave one big, big spring and then, "Oh! +Oh! Ow! Wow! E-e-e! Let me go!" he +cried, and bounded away as fast as he +could. What could have scratched him so? +Where had Jim Raven and his crowd gone? +Pretty soon he looked around, and right<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> +there in the snow where he had jumped was +a little bear just about his own size and a +great deal like him, but black as black could +be!</p> + +<p>"What'd you jump on my stomach for?" +said the stranger. Then Little White Bear +knew right away what he had done. The +black things he thought were Jim Raven and +his crowd were not those people at all, but +they were Little Black Bear's feet sticking +up over the hill, as he rolled around on the +snow, having a frolic all by himself.</p> + +<p>"Well," said Little White Bear, "where +did you come from?"</p> + +<p>"Oh! My home is just a little way up in +the hills," said Little Black Bear politely. +"We have a great many cousins in this cold +country; there is Little Brown Bear and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> +Big Barren Ground Grizzly Bear, and I +don't know how many more, but we seldom +get to see any of our white cousins. How +are you? I am glad to see you."</p> + +<p>"I think I shall be very fine when I get +over my scratches," smiled Little White +Bear. "You must have very sharp claws."</p> + +<p>"They are quite sharp," said Little Black +Bear slowly. "I am sorry I scratched you. +Let's find something to play, and you will +forget all about it."</p> + +<p>"All right!" said Little White Bear gleefully, +and away they went, looking for some +adventure in the great, white world.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER VIII</h2> + +<h3>TROUBLE FOR LITTLE WHITE BEAR</h3> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">Come</span> on," cried Little White Bear, almost +standing on his head in his eagerness +to be at play with this new friend.</p> + +<p>"Let's go exploring," said Little Black +Bear. "That's the most fun of all!"</p> + +<p>"All right," shouted Little White Bear, +turning a handspring. And away they went,—two +little bears out to see what they could +find in the great, white world.</p> + +<p>They went down by the lakes and saw +where Widgeon had made her nests in the +warm summer time; they wandered over<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> +the hills and said "Woof Woof!" in the +doorway to Little Mrs. White Fox's home; +they went here and there, but at last they +came upon something really very strange.</p> + +<p>"What can it be?" said Little White +Bear, standing on one foot and looking +very wise.</p> + +<p>"What <i>can</i> it be!" said Little Black Bear, +scratching his head. And what indeed could +it be? It was right down at the foot of the +mountain. There was a big, black, square +thing right in the snow, and in the middle +of that there was another little square that +was brown. Did any one in the wide world +ever hear of finding such a strange thing +in a great white wilderness? There wasn't +a square thing anywhere else on the whole +tundra. Things were round and crooked and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> +made of little angles, but who ever saw a +square thing in real tundra land?</p> + +<p>The two little Bears walked round and +round it and tried to think what it could +be. At last Little Black Bear put one +foot on it very timidly. "There!" he +said bravely, "I stepped on it! Do you +dare?"</p> + +<p>"Of course I do!" said Little White Bear, +walking right out on the big square. "See +me!" he shouted and went racing right +across the thing. That is, he started across, +but just when he was on the little brown +square, he felt his feet begin to sink. There +was a rip—ripping of something, and down +he went, till he struck kerwhack! on something +far below. He jumped to his feet +very quickly. Where was he? There were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> +brown walls all about him, like the walls +of the cave where his home was. And look +as he might, Little White Bear could see +no way to get out except to climb back up +through the hole he had made when he fell +in. And that was far, far above his head. +He could never get out that way. And what +was worst of all, as he began to look around, +he was more and more sure of one dreadful +thing. And that was that he was in the +house of Omnok the hunter. My! That +was a terrible thought. But it was true! +They had been playing on Omnok's roof, and +Little White Bear had fallen right through +the window in the roof. Omnok had made a +curtain out of the coats of many eider ducks, +and this was the brown square that Little +White Bear had started to run across.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span></p> + +<p>Well, there wasn't a thing he could do. +He just wandered round and round, but he +couldn't find the least little place where he +could get out. "What a strange place to +live!" he thought to himself. "How does +he ever get into it himself?"</p> + +<p>But Little White Bear wasn't the least bit +doubtful that Omnok would be able to +get into his house when he came home. And +you may be very sure he wasn't a bit happy. +He just went way over in the corner under +Omnok's bed and sucked his thumb while he +wished he was at home in his own dear cave. +All of a sudden he heard a noise. Omnok +was coming! Little White Bear heard his +voice, very big and very angry, outside! +"Who has stolen my 'pooksack'?" Omnok +growled. "Who has broken my window?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span></p> + +<p>How poor Little White Bear trembled. +He crouched down under the bed just as +far as he could. Now he could hear Omnok +come closer to his house. And then he +saw Omnok's face at the side of the wall. +Ah! Yes! There was a little curtain there! +Why had he not seen it! But suddenly +a happy thought came to Little White Bear. +Just when Omnok was standing up, with his +terrible gun in his hand, Little White Bear +rushed right at him and tumbled against +his feet so hard that Omnok went sprawling +to the floor, and his terrible gun went clattering +after.</p> + +<p>Little White Bear bounded out of the little +door. But there was just a little alley and +then another room with a window high up +in the wall. He looked quickly, and saw a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> +little shelf, like Omnok's bed, only higher +up, right under the window! Little White +Bear jumped up but tumbled back. He +tried it again and fell back. But the third +time he found himself on the shelf, and in +another minute he was out in the fine old +world, running as fast as ever he could for +home. And you may be very sure he was +glad to be with his mother safe in their cave +that night.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER IX</h2> + +<h3>LITTLE BLACK BEAR'S DISCOVERY</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">What</span> was Little Black Bear doing all the +time Little White Bear was down in Omnok's +house, and what about Omnok's "pooksack"? +Well, Little Black Bear looked +down into Omnok's house and wished his +little playmate would hurry out, so they +could discover some more things. But when +he had waited what seemed a long, long time, +he went on a little exploring trip all by himself. +And he discovered something right +away. It had four legs like Tdariuk, the +reindeer. But it was ever so much larger<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> +than Tdariuk, and its legs were straighter. +Little Black Bear wasn't long in finding +out that this was not really any one at all, +but just a rack Omnok had made on which +to keep his meat. And there was meat up +there! Oh! strips and strips of it! But +it was all high out of reach. Little Black +Bear sniffed and sniffed, and My! It did +smell good! But even when he stood on +his tiptoes he couldn't reach the least little +mouthful. There <i>was</i> one thing closer to +the ground. And such a strange thing as +it was! It looked like a coat that had +belonged to one of Little Brown Seal's +cousins, but he couldn't be in the coat right +then, for the collar was tied up tight as could +be, and so were the sleeves.</p> + +<p>"If there was any one in that coat, he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> +would smother right away," said Little +Black Bear, scratching his head. "But +there is something in it! See how its sides +bulge out! I'll just give it a good poke +and see what happens."</p> + +<p>Now that strange thing was just hung +up by one string, and it swung about very +easily. When Little Black Bear gave it a +great poke, it went up in the air quickly! +It came down quickly too, and it hit Little +Black Bear square on his nose. He spun +about and tumbled down in the snow, and +at first he had a notion to be angry.</p> + +<p>When the thing had stopped swinging, he +stood on his tiptoes and smelled of it. +"E-ee-ee! How good it smells," he cried. +"I just believe that is Omnok's 'pooksack' +of seal oil which mother has been talking<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> +about!" Little Black Bear's mouth began +to water and water, for his mother had +told him there was nothing half so good in +the world as fine, rich seal oil.</p> + +<p>Now how was Little Black Bear going to +get that oil out of that "pooksack"? He +thought and thought and thought. At +last he remembered the sleeves which were +tied up. They were tied way down at the +ends, and there must be seal oil right down +to the very tips. His mouth was too small +to bite the "pooksack", but one of these +sleeves,—that was the very thing! He +would bite one of those, hard! with his sharp +teeth, and the oil would come right out into +his mouth!</p> + +<p>He had to stand on his tiptoes to reach, +but at last he set his teeth hard and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> +<i>Ah-ne-ca!</i> How good that seal oil did +taste! It went gurgle, gurgle, right down +his throat so fast he could hardly get time +to swallow.</p> + +<p>But very soon he began to feel as if he +had had quite enough. How was he going +to stop the seal oil from coming out? Well, +he couldn't do that. He would just have +to open his mouth and dodge right out of +the way quick. "That will be easy," he +thought to himself. Anyway, he took two +or three more swallows, then he opened his +mouth wide, and <i>Ah-ne-ca!</i> before he could +move one bit, that seal oil shot him right in +the eyes and ears and began to run down his +back so fast he couldn't even give one grunt. +You should have seen that little bear! He +was oil from head to foot! And as for his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> +fine, silky, glossy, black coat, he was just sure +it was ruined! He didn't stop a minute to +see if Little White Bear was out of Omnok's +house, but ran home as fast as ever he could.</p> + +<p>"Why! Why!" cried his mother, as he +came into the house. "Where have you +been?"</p> + +<p>Little Black Bear couldn't say a word. +He just crawled over in one corner and +looked down at his toes.</p> + +<p>And was his coat really ruined? Ask +puss if her coat is ruined some day when she +comes in out of the rain, and see what she +will say. Mother Black Bear cleaned that +coat up that very night so it looked better +then new, but how she did it I wouldn't +pretend to say.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER X</h2> + +<h3>FUN FOR TWO LITTLE BEARS</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Little White Bear</span> and Little Black +Bear met at the snow hill next day, but +Little White Bear didn't jump into Little +Black Bear's sharp claws, and you may +be very, very sure they didn't go exploring +around Omnok's house! They did go way, +way out on the white roof of the ocean. +There were splendid hills of ice to hide behind, +and everywhere were great ice boulders +over which they could play leap-frog.</p> + +<p>Little White Bear had just started to +leap over one fine, large boulder, and Little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> +Black Bear was coming right after him, +when all of a sudden Little White Bear turned +a backward somersault and tumbled right +into Little Black Bear.</p> + +<p>"Wow!" howled Little Black Bear. +"What's the matter?"</p> + +<p>"Shish!" whispered Little White Bear. +"I saw something!"</p> + +<p>"On the ice?" asked Little Black Bear, +beginning to be frightened.</p> + +<p>"Right out there a little bit farther," +whispered Little White Bear. "And it +was the biggest thing! Oh! My! I can't +tell how big it was!" Then Little Black +Bear was frightened! What could it be, +way out here on the ice, miles and miles +from shore? Little White Bear hadn't seen +it move, but how could it get way out<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> +here if it weren't alive? Trees and things +like that couldn't grow on the roof of the +ocean.</p> + +<p>They lay crouched down behind that +big ice boulder until Little White Bear's +foot had gone to sleep, and Little Black +Bear was catching cold from sitting on +the ice.</p> + +<p>"I am going to peek round and see if it +has moved," said Little White Bear bravely. +He looked, and it hadn't moved one little +bit, so it seemed as if it couldn't really be +alive! Perhaps it was something that +Omnok had left there. They crept up +toward it, little by little, until they were +right up to it, and what do you think? +It was nothing but Omnok's big whaling +boat he had left on the ice.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span></p> + +<p>They looked all around to see if Omnok +were about, then they tumbled right into +that boat for a frolic. There were a great +many things in the boat, but the most +interesting of all was a great, long "pooksack." +It wasn't full of seal oil. If it +had been, I am quite sure Little Black Bear +would have had nothing to do with it. It +was just full of air. Omnok had used it +for a sled when he drew his boat over the +roof of the ocean. And what a splendid +football it did make, and how they did +knock it about! First Little White Bear +would give it a boost with his big, clumsy +paws, then Little Black Bear would boost +it right over Little White Bear's head! +Then there would be a scramble to see who +would get to it first. But one time Little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> +Black Bear kicked it right over Little White +Bear's head so high that it tumbled off +the roof of the ocean and down into the +great dark sea. And Little White Bear +tumbled right into the ocean after it! +Yes, sir! Right into the water, and you +never saw water so cold in all your life! +Little White Bear didn't scramble out as +fast as ever he could! He just climbed +up on that "pooksack", happy as a clam, +and wanted Little Black Bear to come in +too! Little Black Bear, however, had a +notion that the water was cold, so he touched +it with his toe and "Um-m-m! Um-m-m!" +he didn't want any swim that day. But +Little White Bear wouldn't come out of the +water and play, so all Little Black Bear +could do was to skip along home and tell<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> +his mother that he was quite sure that Little +White Bear would freeze to death that +very night.</p> + +<p>"Oh, no!" said Madam Black Bear, +looking very wise. "Little White Bear +won't freeze to death."</p> + +<p>"Why," said Little Black Bear, opening +his eyes wide, "I'm sure I'd freeze right +away."</p> + +<p>"So you would," said his mother. "You +were a wise young fellow to try the water +before you ventured in. But Little White +Bear is quite different. He has a very +warm coat and is very fat. He is used to +the cold water and will live in it all winter. +But just you wait," she added, with a sly +wink. "You will have a surprise for him +some day! When he comes to look for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> +you some cold, cold time, won't he be surprised +to find you snugly tucked away in +bed and sleeping all day and all night? +Won't he, though?"</p> + +<p>Madam Black Bear laughed a big bear +laugh, and Little Black Bear laughed a little +bear laugh, so together they were after all +two of the happiest bears in all the world.</p> + +<p>When Omnok went out on the roof of +the sea to get his big boat, he saw what +Little White Bear and Little Black Bear +had done. He was very angry when he +saw that his "pooksack" was gone. He +thought Big White Bear had been there.</p> + +<p>"I'll go hunting for him to-morrow morning," +he said to himself. "And I'll take +Huskie, my Malemute dog, along!"</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER XI</h2> + +<h3>BIG WHITE BEAR MEETS HUSKIE</h3> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">Now</span>, I'll tell you," Omnok said to Huskie, +"Big White Bear is a great big bully. He +likes to fight all the little folks of the tundra +and sea because he is so big. It would be +a good thing if we could show him that he +isn't so awfully big, after all. Wouldn't +it?"</p> + +<p>"Ki, yi, yiyi," said Huskie, which meant +he thought it would.</p> + +<p>"Well, then, this is what you must do. +Go running about on the ocean ice everywhere +and hunt for him. I will be hunting<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> +too. If you find him first, run away, then +call me. I will shoot him. Do you see?"</p> + +<p>"Ki, yiyi," answered Huskie again, meaning +this time, "I do."</p> + +<p>Huskie ran up and down, in and out +among the ice piles, until his feet were sore. +He was very anxious to find Big White Bear. +Whenever a little fellow has a chance to +harm a big fellow he thinks is a bully, he +always wants to do it. Did you ever notice +that?</p> + +<p>So Huskie ran on and on, even if his feet +were sore.</p> + +<p>"Hello!" He had just gone around +something he thought was an ice pile when +he heard a voice.</p> + +<p>Looking up, he saw the face of Big White +Bear. What he was going around wasn't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> +ice at all. It was Big White Bear. And, +my! What a monster he was! Huskie +had to look away off at Cape Prince of Wales +Mountain and look again at Big White +Bear before he could tell which was the larger, +bear or mountain.</p> + +<p>He wanted to run away. But Big White +Bear was so very near he didn't dare to, +so he just said "Hello!" But to himself +he said, "Big White Bear is a big, big bully, +just as Omnok said. I am glad he is going +to get killed."</p> + +<p>"Who are you?" asked Big White Bear.</p> + +<p>"I'm Huskie, the Malemute dog. Who +are you?"</p> + +<p>"I am a Polar Bear. Where did you +come from?"</p> + +<p>"My home's over there on the shore,"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> +said Huskie, pointing his nose toward shore. +"Where'd you come from?"</p> + +<p>"I came from far, far North. I've never +been here before. Didn't mean to come +this time. Last night I went to sleep on +a corner of Old Ocean's blanket. Old +Ocean put up his knee in his sleep, and my +corner of the blanket slid right down here. +What do you think about that?"</p> + +<p>"Very strange."</p> + +<p>Now Huskie is a great fighter himself, +for a little fellow. And great fighters like +fight stories. He was just itching to know +all about Big White Bear's big fights.</p> + +<p>"Who'd you kill last?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Who did I kill?" said Big White Bear, +opening his eyes very wide.</p> + +<p>"Yes, was it a very bad fight?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span></p> + +<p>"A bad fight?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, you don't seem much scratched +up for a great fighter. Look at me; one +leg bent, nose split, and scarred up all over," +said Huskie proudly.</p> + +<p>"Do you think I'm a great fighter?"</p> + +<p>"Of course you are. Omnok says—" +Huskie caught himself just in time. If +Big White Bear knew all about Omnok, he'd +run away.</p> + +<p>"Why, I never fight anybody," said Big +White Bear gravely.</p> + +<p>"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Huskie. "That's +a good story. You never fight any one. +What a fib!"</p> + +<p>"It's the truth."</p> + +<p>"The truth? Ha! Ha! Of course that's +not true. You're a bear. All bears are<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> +fighters, and great big bullies, besides! Why! +I bet you've got claws three inches long."</p> + +<p>"You think so?" Big White Bear put +out his front paw which was as big as the +trunk of a small tree. Huskie dodged.</p> + +<p>"Look," said Big White Bear.</p> + +<p>Huskie looked at Big White Bear's claws. +They were not as long as his own. They +were broad and blunt, just sharp enough +for climbing over the ice.</p> + +<p>"I don't know why they name me Bear," +said Big White Bear; "Old Buster Grizzly, +Buster Brown, and Buster Black, now, are +very distant relatives of mine. Indeed, +they have long claws and are great fighters. +But my nearest relative, Tusks, the Walrus, +is no fighter at all, and believe me, neither +am I."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span></p> + +<p>But Huskie was a very quarrelsome and +suspicious fellow.</p> + +<p>"That will do to tell," said he; "but I +know it is not true. As for those claws of +yours, I can guess how that is. They look +very harmless now. But when you want +to fight, you run them out like a cat's."</p> + +<p>"It's no such thing," said Big White Bear.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes, it is. Omnok says it is. I am +going to tell him now, and he'll fix you!" +Vain boast! Huskie had forgotten himself.</p> + +<div class="figright" style="width: 379px;"> +<img src="images/005.jpg" width="379" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +"I am going to make your teeth chatter so you +can't call your master." <i>Page <a href="#Page_81">81</a></i></div> + +<p>In another instant, before he could dodge, +Big White Bear had grabbed him and hugged +him tight. Huskie could not call out at all. +His voice became the tiniest little squeak.</p> + +<p>"Let me go! Let me go!" he squeaked. +"I won't tell! I won't tell! Oh! Oh! +Please, Mr. Bear, let me go!"</p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span>But Big White Bear only grinned, and +said "Huh?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, I'll not kill you," said Big White +Bear finally. "It's just as I have told you. +I am no fighter. I never hurt anybody, +unless I am driven to do so. I'll not kill +you, but I am going to make your teeth +chatter so you can't call your master."</p> + +<p>At that, Big White Bear dropped right +down into the cold, cold water with Huskie +in his arms.</p> + +<p>Now Big White Bear lives half the time +in water, and he does not mind it a bit. +But poor Huskie! When Big White Bear +put him back on the ice, he couldn't have +said a word to save his life.</p> + +<p>"Now, go and tell your master that you +have seen Big White Bear," said Big White<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> +Bear, grinning. "But you don't know where +he is just now."</p> + +<p>Then he dropped into the water and disappeared.</p> + +<p>Huskie did not wait to hunt up his master. +He ran home as fast as he could go. +Try as he might, Omnok has never been +able to get him to go hunting for Big White +Bear again.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER XII</h2> + +<h3>LITTLE WHITE FOX GOES HUNTING</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Little White Fox</span> went hunting for Big +White Bear! And he didn't have a gun or +a spear or a bow and arrow! Now what do +you think of that! You see, it was this +way. It was winter time, and food was +becoming very scarce on the hills and the +tundra. All the delicious roots were frozen +hard in the earth, and the berries were all +gone. Little White Fox was very hungry, +and he told Little Mrs. White Fox about it.</p> + +<p>"Well," said his mother, "I guess we will +have to go and find a Big White Bear."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Find a Big White Bear!" cried Little +White Fox. "Why, he'd eat us!"</p> + +<p>"But you mustn't let him do that," said +Mrs. White Fox.</p> + +<p>"But what do we want to find him +for?" said Little White Fox, scratching his +head.</p> + +<p>"Listen," said Mrs. White Fox very +mysteriously. "Big White Bear is a very +wasteful fellow. He has a big, big kitchen, +and he has the greatest amount of food +stored there. Oh! piles and piles of it! He +doesn't like to eat his food in his kitchen. +He brings some out every day and always +leaves plenty. Now, if we can find him, we +will just follow him about until his dinner +hour. When he is gone, we will have plenty +to eat. See?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span></p> + +<p>Little White Fox did see and, though he +was half afraid of Big White Bear, he was +also very hungry, and so he was anxious to +go on the hunt right away.</p> + +<p>"You go one way, and I'll go the other," +said Madam White Fox. "When you find +Big White Bear, you come right back to +this rock. I will come back too, and we +will follow him about for weeks and weeks +and have plenty to eat."</p> + +<p>Away went Little White Fox, looking, +looking everywhere for Big White Bear! +He looked behind the cliff on the mountain. +But Big White Bear wasn't there. He +looked on the sand bars, but he wasn't +there. He went peering all around the little +lakes, but he wasn't there.</p> + +<p>And where do you think Big White Bear<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> +was? He wasn't in very good business, I +assure you. He was over on the other side +of the mountain. Tusks the Walrus had +just climbed out of the water and had gone +to sleep on the beach close to the mountain. +Tusks was a great, good natured fellow, with +a monstrous, heavy body and a pair of terrible +looking tusks, which were not really +terrible at all, for Tusks never used them +except for digging clams. Big White Bear +was up on the rocks, way, way above Tusks, +and he had a great rock in his powerful +paws, as big a rock as he could lift! He was +going to throw it right down on Tusks and +kill him. He had plenty to eat at home, +but he thought this would be a fine chance +to get some fresh meat.</p> + +<p>Just when he was getting ready to throw<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> +it, something happened. Little White Fox +came round the corner of the hill, looking +here, there, and everywhere for Big White +Bear. He came on round and round till +he was just above Big White Bear, and +then all at once he saw him! He was so +glad he had found Big White Bear, that he +stood right up on his two feet and gave one +big, big laugh, "Ho! Ho! Ha! Ha! Yak! +Yak! Yak!" just like that.</p> + +<p>There was never a worse scared bear than +Big White Bear in all the world! He had +a guilty conscience, for he knew it was not +right to throw a rock on poor, tired Tusks, +and when he heard Little White Fox laugh, +he didn't know who it was. It might be +some one very big and dangerous. It might +be Omnok, the hunter, with his terrible gun!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> +Big White Bear just trembled and trembled, +and the rock fell from his powerful paws +and went splashing into the water without +hurting Tusks at all. But when he looked +around to see who had laughed at him, he +couldn't see any one at all. Little White +Fox knew a whole lot better than to let +Big White Bear see him just then! But +just after that Little White Fox did a very +thoughtless thing. He was so hungry and +wanted so much to see where Big White +Bear had his kitchen, that he forgot all +about his mother telling him to come back +to the big rock, and away he went, after +Big White Bear all by himself.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER XIII</h2> + +<h3>BIG WHITE BEAR'S KITCHEN</h3> + +<p>"<span class="smcap">I mustn't</span> lose Big White Bear," thought +Little White Fox, "and I mustn't let him +see me. Oh! My! No! I mustn't do that, +for he is a big, big fellow and who knows +what he might do to me?" So he slipped +along behind very slyly, hiding behind this +rock and that one, behind this snow pile +and that one, very carefully indeed.</p> + +<p>But Big White Bear was nearly as badly +frightened as Little White Fox. "What +was that great big laugh?" he kept thinking +to himself. And every time he thought +of it, he looked behind him, and I am sure<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> +he really expected to see Omnok, the hunter, +step right out with his terrible gun. But +by and by, when he had gone down the mountain +and across the tundra and over the +little lakes, he was not so much afraid, and +he began to grow hungry. Now that was +just what Little White Fox hoped would +happen, for he was very hungry himself +and very curious besides to see where Big +White Bear kept his pantry. Where would +it be? Would it be in the tall mountains, +or on the tundra, or out on the roof of the +sea? How interesting it would be to know!</p> + +<p>Pretty soon Big White Bear began to go +straight ahead, without turning to one +side or the other. Then Little White Fox +was sure he had started for his kitchen, and +he was glad as could be! Big White Bear<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> +went right out on the roof to the ocean and +on and on and on, till Little White Fox was +good and tired. When he came to the dark, +dark waters of the ocean, Big White Bear +didn't stop one moment. He just tumbled +right into the water and disappeared all +at once!</p> + +<p>"My!" said Little White Fox, opening +his eyes very wide. "He will surely +be drowned." And then all at once he +thought of the fine dinner he had been expecting +to get and how far it was back to +the great rock where his mother was to wait +for him. And then, of course, he remembered +what his mother had said about +coming back to call her. How sorry he was +now that he had forgotten all about that. +Oh! if they could only find Big White Bear's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> +kitchen! Just then Little White Fox heard +a scratching on the ice and bounded behind +an ice boulder before he was seen. Big +White Bear had come right up out of the +ocean with the biggest dinner you have ever +seen. His kitchen was right down in the +water under the roof of the ocean, and he +had brought his dinner out on the ice to eat +it in the sunshine.</p> + +<p>Little White Fox thought Big White Bear +would never, never get through eating, but +he finally did. And there was quite a big +dinner left for Little White Fox. When +Big White Bear was fast asleep on the ice, +taking his after-dinner nap, Little White +Fox crept up and began to eat his dinner +too. "He didn't ask me," said Little White +Fox, "but then I didn't give him a chance,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> +I am sure he would if I had." It was a very +good dinner and how Little White Fox's +sides did stick out when he had finished! +But he didn't stay to say thank you, so I +guess he wasn't very sure that Big White +Bear would have invited him. He just hid +behind an ice boulder and waited for Big +White Bear to wake up. He mustn't lose +Big White Bear. He began to think about +that fine dinner he had just eaten and about +how he had found Big White Bear all by +himself and how he had frightened him. +It made him feel so good he just wanted to +laugh. The more he thought, the more he +wanted to laugh, and the first thing, before +he knew it, he was laughing right out loud, +"Ha! Ha! Yak! Yak! Yak! Yak!"</p> + +<p>Just that minute Big White Bear woke<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> +up, and he didn't stop to see who was laughing! +He tumbled right into the ocean and +went paddling away as fast as ever he could. +He didn't stop till he was almost out of sight, +then he looked back once for just a moment +and went paddling on and on, till he was +way out of sight. Little White Fox had +lost Big White Bear. All the fine dinners +he was to have in the future were lost, just +because he had laughed at the wrong time.</p> + +<p>I don't know what Little Mrs. White +Fox had to say to him when he came home, +for I wasn't there, but there are some very +fine switches made out of reindeer moss lying +all over the tundra. However, Little White +Fox was a very young fellow and had a +great many things to learn, so perhaps his +mother did not punish him very hard.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER XIV</h2> + +<h3>BIG WHITE BEAR FINDS LITTLE WHITE +FOX</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Omnok returned from hunting Big +White Bear he sat down and began to think. +"White bears about," he thought to himself. +"There must be white foxes about too, for +they always stay close to white bears. I +must go out and set some traps." And that +is just what he did the very next evening. +He threw the cruel looking traps, with their +ugly steel jaws, over his shoulder and went +out to look for a good place to set them. +At last he came to a place where there were +many white bear tracks. "I guess this will<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> +do," he said to himself. He took out his +great knife and cut out a cake of snow that +was nearly as hard as ice. He cut this +up into four little snow boards, very square +and very smooth. Then he made a little +hole in the snow and put a trap there. +Next he made a thin shingle of snow,—so +thin that the least touch would break it +right in two. He put this over the trap +and smoothed it over so carefully that no +one in all the world could tell there was a +trap hidden there. Then he made a little +house over it with the four boards,—a very +fine looking house with a roof and three sides, +and with one side left open for the door. He +put some nice pieces of meat inside of the +house, so when any little fox came to live +there he wouldn't have to go away hungry.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> +Finally he spilled a few drops of delicious +smelling seal oil around the house and went +away.</p> + +<p>Now who should happen by that way, +almost right away, but our own Little White +Fox, looking, looking everywhere for Big +White Bear. Right away the west wind +blew a little whiff of the rich seal oil in front +of his nose, and almost before he knew it, +Little White Fox was standing in front of +the little house that Omnok built, wondering +how it came there and how there happened +to be such delicious looking meat +inside of it. He wasn't quite sure it was +safe to go inside, so he just licked up all the +drops of seal oil around the outside. It +was very good, but it was only a taste, and +it made him hungrier than ever.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span></p> + +<p>"I just believe I am going to have that +meat!" he said to himself. He was about +to put his paw on the little snow shingle +that was so thin and would break so easily, +when he heard a great, gruff voice right +behind him.</p> + +<p>"Here! What you doing there?" Little +White Fox just tumbled a back somersault +away from the little house and ran as fast +as ever he could, for there, right behind him, +was Big White Bear! It's one thing to be +looking for some one very much larger than +yourself, but quite another thing for that +big person to be looking at you. Little +White Fox didn't take any chances. But +when he was a long distance away, and Big +White Bear wasn't following him, he turned +around to see what would happen to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> +little house. He wished Big White Bear +would go away, so he could get all that +delicious meat.</p> + +<p>But Big White Bear did not go away. He +bent his long neck and put his great nose +right up to the little house and gave a great +"Woof!" The little house was far too +small for Big White Bear to enter, so he +put out one of his ponderous, powerful paws +and sent the little house flying every way. +But his ponderous, powerful paw went too +deep. It touched the thin shingle, and +Snap! the trap came down on Big White +Bear's paw. Came down hard too! +Ow-e-e-e! How it did hurt! How Big +White Bear roared! One might have +thought he was being killed! He ran limping +to the ocean, dragging the little fox<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> +trap after him. When he got there, he +stuck his paw up in the air, and moved it +round and round, round and round, till +the chain on the trap went Ziz! Ziz! Ziz! +just like that. All of a sudden the trap +came loose and tumbled into the sea, and I +think Steadfast Starfish's children are playing +with it still.</p> + +<p>Little White Fox ran straight home to +tell his mother how he had found Big White +Bear and all the things that had happened.</p> + +<p>"Well," said his mother, "I think Big +White Bear has found you, and I am sure +it is a good thing he did!" Then she sat +down and told Little White Fox all about +the dangers of nice smelling meat and the +little houses that Omnok builds.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER XV</h2> + +<h3>LITTLE WHITE FOX GOES FISHING</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Little White Fox</span> was hungry again. +It would seem that a little white fox is hungry +most of the time. He went wandering all +over the tundra, looking for something to +eat. At last he came to the bank of the +river. He was sniffing about there when he +spied a door right in the ground near the +ice roof of the river. "Hello!" said he, +stopping short, "I wonder who made that +door in there." He looked into the door +but could see no one. It was too dark. +He shouted into the door, but no one answered.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> +He crept part way down the stairway. +Then he stopped and listened. He +heard nothing, so he ventured on, and almost +before he knew it, he found himself +in one of the biggest caves he had ever +seen. It was as wide as half the river and +as long as he could see in each direction. +It had an ice roof and a good solid floor. +Only the floor stopped pretty soon, and +then there was water.</p> + +<p>"I don't believe anybody in the world +could build a house like this!" said Little +White Fox. "I guess it just happened to be +here, and some one has discovered it. I +wonder who it could be?"</p> + +<p>He walked down close to where the water +was, and there he found tracks. Oh! hundreds +and hundreds of them! But he could<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> +not tell whose tracks they were. He had +never seen such tracks before.</p> + +<p>"Anyway, I believe there is something +good to eat in that water," he said to himself. +"If there wasn't, that fellow wouldn't +come down here and stand around so much. +It is nice and warm down here out of the +wind, and I guess I'll stand around a little +myself and see what will happen."</p> + +<p>Meanwhile, down below in the river, +two of the little river people were having a +talk all by themselves. They were Unfortunate +Flounder and Mr. Salmon Trout. +Salmon Trout is a very graceful fellow who +always holds himself erect in the water. +When he swims, he goes so swiftly that you +can hardly see him. But Unfortunate Flounder +goes floating around on one side all the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> +time, and looks more like a dead leaf than +any member of the fish family.</p> + +<p>"Why do you not stand straight up in the +water as I do?" said Salmon Trout.</p> + +<p>"Well," said Unfortunate Flounder, "it's +only a little my fault. Can't you see that +my eyes are on one of my flat sides and my +stomach on the other? It wouldn't be +very pleasant to go about looking one way +and going another, would it? When I was +going south, I'd be looking west; don't you +see?"</p> + +<p>"How does it happen that you are that +way?"</p> + +<p>"I was born that way. All my children +are the same, and so were my parents before +me. You see, it's really a matter of ancestry. +Way back somewhere, one of my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> +great grandparents found out it was easier +to lop around sidewise in the water than +to stand straight up as you do, so he lopped +around all his life long. His son followed +his example and lopped around a little worse. +So it went on, until to-day we could not +straighten up if we were to try. At least, +it would take whole generations before we +could balance ourselves as well as you do. +As for me, I don't see as it matters much, +for, after all, I quite agree with my great +grandfather that it is best to be comfortable, +even if it does make you ugly, ungraceful, +and slow."</p> + +<p>But just then Unfortunate Flounder +learned what an unhappy thing it was to +be slow. Little White Fox from his station +on the bank had been watching, watching<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> +very sharply two dark spots that had +appeared in the water. He had watched +them come closer and closer. At last he +thought he could reach out and grab one +of them without getting in the water.</p> + +<p>"Look out!" cried Salmon Trout, as he +glided swiftly away. But poor Unfortunate +Flounder was too slow, and he felt Little +White Fox's sharp teeth close down on him.</p> + +<p>Just then something happened. "Here! +what are you doing in my fishing house?" +demanded an angry voice. It frightened +Little White Fox so badly that he dropped +Unfortunate Flounder back into the river +and looked around.</p> + +<p>It was Mr. Golden Marten, and this was +his fishing house. At least, he called it his, +for he had made the stairway down to it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> +It took Little White Fox only a moment +to discover that while Golden Marten was +not quite as large as he was, his teeth were +very sharp. The door to the stairway was +quite close to him, and before Golden Marten +could stop him Little White Fox was out +of the door and racing for home as fast as +his little legs could carry him.</p> + +<p>"All the same," he said to his mother +that night, after he had told her of the cave, +"when I am as old as you are, I am going to +have a fish house all my own!"</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER XVI</h2> + +<h3>LITTLE BROWN SEAL'S NARROW ESCAPE</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">One</span> day Little White Fox was out in +front of his house sunning himself. He and +his mother were living off the bounty of +Big White Bear these days, so there was +nothing to worry about. He just stretched +himself out there on the white snow and +looked away at the wide, white world, as +contented as could be. But all at once he +saw a strange, strange thing. Out on the +roof of the silent sea, Little Brown Seal +was sunning himself too, right close to the +door of his home. He was taking little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> +"cat" naps. You see, Little Brown Seal +could not sleep down in his house in the +ocean. It was far too damp down there. +So he was lying there by his door, sleeping +just two or three minutes at a time, then +looking up to see if there was any danger +near.</p> + +<p>Now that wasn't such a strange thing. +Little White Fox had seen Little Brown +Seal do that nearly every day, but the +strange thing was that there was some one +else out on the ice who seemed to be doing +the very same thing that Little Brown +Seal was doing,—taking "cat" naps. And +stranger still, he did not seem to be one +of Little Brown Seal's relatives! He was +too long, and he didn't wiggle his body +right!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span></p> + +<p>Little White Fox could see all that, but +Little Brown Seal was so low down on the +ice that all he could see was the stranger's +head. He might have known even then +that it was not one of his cousins, if he had +had as sharp eyes as Little White Fox. But +he didn't, for his eyes were very poor. So +Little Brown Seal thought it was one of +his own cousins taking a nap now and then, +just as he was. Once it looked to Little +White Fox as if he were beginning to understand +that the stranger was not one of his +cousins, for he stayed awake a long, long +time and looked and looked and looked. +The stranger seemed to be sleeping a long +time, and that made Little Brown Seal +suspicious. But just then the stranger +bobbed his head and looked all around this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> +way and that way, just as any real, wise +seal would do, and Little Brown Seal decided +it was all right, that this stranger was one +of his really truly cousins.</p> + +<p>And who do you think the stranger, who +acted so very much like a seal, was? It +was Omnok, the hunter, with his terrible +gun sliding right along beside him! He +had learned how Little Brown Seal took his +"cat" naps, and he was going to slip right +up to him and kill him. He kept creeping +up closer, closer, closer. But Little Brown +Seal had made up his mind that it was one +of his cousins, and so he didn't ask himself +any more questions about it. He just kept +on taking his little "cat" naps and waking +up to look all around, this way and that +way, but never paying any attention to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> +this stranger who was coming nearer all +the time.</p> + +<p>"My," Little White Fox thought to himself, +"he will surely be killed. Yes, sir! +I am very, very sure Little Brown Seal is +going to be killed!"</p> + +<p>But just when Omnok was getting very +close, and just before he was going to raise +his terrible gun and kill Little Brown Seal, +a strange thing happened. I don't know +how it happened. Perhaps Little White +Fox was sorry the sun was going down so +soon that day, or perhaps he was lonesome +for his mother. Perhaps he was sorry for +Little Brown Seal, because he was going +to get killed in just another minute; but +whatever it was, Little White Fox began to +feel bad all at once. He wanted to cry,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> +and he <i>did</i> cry! He lifted his pink little +nose into the air and cried, "Ah! Ah! Ah! +Yak! Yak! Yak!"</p> + +<p>Now Little Brown Seal may not have +very good eyes, but he has very good ears, +and he had just wakened from a "cat" +nap when he heard that lonesome wail +from Little White Fox. And he didn't +wait one minute, nor one second! He +tumbled down into his house in the ocean +as quick as a wink, just as Omnok the +hunter was getting ready to shoot him!</p> + +<p>Perhaps you think Omnok wasn't angry! +But he had heard Little White Fox cry. He +would get Little White Fox's coat. Then +he would be even. But Little White Fox +was nowhere about when Omnok climbed +the hill. No, you may be sure he wasn't!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> +He was way under the great rock in his own +little home, where Omnok couldn't get near +him. So all Omnok could do was to put his +terrible gun over his shoulder and go back +home.</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER XVII</h2> + +<h3>A STRANGE JOURNEY</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">Little White Fox</span> went on a strange +journey one day, and when he arrived at its +end, he didn't know where he was! You +see, he had been living for a long time with +his mother off the bounty of Big White +Bear. Now the snow had almost all gone +from the mountains and the tundra. Little +Mrs. White Fox had gone over to the land +and told Little White Fox to watch sharp +and see if Big White Bear came up out of +his kitchen and left anything for them to +eat. She was going over to see if she<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> +could find any perfectly good blueberries +which had been hidden all winter under +the snow.</p> + +<p>Little White Fox loitered about on the +roof to the ocean and dreamed, as little folks +will in the springtime. The weather was +fine, and the sun was shining now, all day +and all night. A great deal of the roof to +the ocean had floated mysteriously away, +one night, but there was a great deal of it +left, and Little White Fox felt very safe. +But all of a sudden, Scratch! Scratch! he +heard Big White Bear come up out of his +kitchen. Then he knew that there was +going to be a feast, just as there had been so +many times before. He waited and waited +until Swish, Swish he heard Big White Bear +tumble back into the water and swim away.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> +Then such a feast as he did have! Well, +Little White Fox ate so much and the sun +shone so brightly, that he began to feel +very, very sleepy, and almost before he +knew anything about it, he was curled up +on the roof to the ocean fast asleep, dreaming +as hard as ever a white fox dreamed.</p> + +<p>I don't know how long Little White Fox +slept; hours and hours I imagine. But +when he awoke and looked about him, all +he could see was the dark, deep ocean everywhere. +He jumped to his feet and peered +this side of him and that side, but it was all +the same dark, deep water. There was +nothing but ocean everywhere. The big +waves had come along and carried off the +part of the roof to the ocean that Little +White Fox was sleeping on!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span></p> + +<p>What was Little White Fox to do? He +could not swim very far, and it was a long +way to land; in fact, he could not see any +land at all. Besides, the water was very, +very cold. He couldn't think of a thing +to do. He just curled up in a heap and +shivered and shivered and shivered, he was +so lonesome and frightened.</p> + +<p>"Hello!" shouted Tusks the Walrus, sticking +his head out of the water. He looked +and looked. "That's strange," he said to +himself. "I thought I saw Little White Fox +over here on a piece of the ocean's roof. +Guess not, though. I don't see him now." +And away he swam for a frolic with one of +his cousins.</p> + +<div class="figright"> +<img src="images/006.jpg" width="381" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +Big White Bear popped right up out of the +ocean! <i>Page <a href="#Page_119">119</a></i></div> + +<p>"Hello!" cried Little Brown Seal, turning +a somersault in the water. When he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> +turned the somersault, he looked at the +piece of the ocean's roof. "My! My!" +he sighed. "These eyes of mine must be +getting very bad indeed! I thought I saw +Little White Fox on that piece of roof." +And he too went paddling away to play.</p> + +<p>And all the time Little White Fox was +hiding his nose in a little snow bank, and +closing his pink eyes because he was so very +much afraid of every one, even his best +friends, out here on the silent, lonesome sea. +Very soon he was nearly frightened to death. +Big White Bear popped right up out of the +ocean! He climbed up on one end of the +piece of roof and tipped it up so Little White +Fox thought he would surely be tipped into +the sea. But he dug in his toes and hid +his nose, and closed his eyes very tight.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> +Pretty soon Big White Bear thought of +something he wanted to do and tumbled +back into the sea.</p> + +<p>Little White Fox floated on and on, for +hours and hours and hours, over the silent +sea. But by and by when he was very, +very hungry and very sure that he would +never see his dear home and his dear mother +again, there came a dreadful storm. Little +White Fox had to dig his toe nails in +tight, again, and once the piece of the roof +broke right in two and nearly threw him +into the sea! But finally he felt a bump. +His piece of roof had struck something hard. +Bump! Bump! He nearly stood on his +head, and in a minute the piece of roof +was perfectly still. Little White Fox looked +up, and right by the piece of roof was the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> +finest sandy beach you ever saw. He gave +one big run and jumped on the beach, and +scampered away, as fast as ever he could, +just before a big wave came and carried the +piece of roof back to sea.</p> + +<p>It wasn't any time at all until he was up +on the edge of the finest hill, eating the +richest, juiciest blueberries that had ever +been kept under a snow bank all the long +winter through. And pretty soon he was +all dry, and feeling fine and not hungry at +all.</p> + +<p>"But where in the world am I?" thought +Little White Fox, scratching his head. +"I'll have to see if I can find some of my +friends who can tell me how to go home. +It must be a long, long way."</p> + +<hr /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span></p> +<h2>CHAPTER XVIII</h2> + +<h3>LITTLE WHITE FOX COMES HOME</h3> + +<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Little White Fox looked all around +him very carefully, this way and that, and +didn't see a thing he had ever seen before +and not a person who knew him in all this +new tundra and all these new hills, he felt +very blue, you may be sure. But he didn't +cry about it. He was too happy at being +off that bit of roof to the great ocean for +that. So he looked as far as he could see in +every direction, and at last he spied some +little lakes way down on the tundra. "I'll +just go over there and see if there is any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> +one I know," he said to himself, and went +trotting away as fast as ever he could. He +came right down by the lakes and at last +he saw some one he had met in his own home +land. It was Mr. Widgeon Junior, a son of +Old Mrs. Widgeon Duck, who was killed by +Omnok the hunter.</p> + +<p>"Hello," said Little White Fox.</p> + +<p>Widgeon Junior looked up quick, in a +frightened sort of way, but he never said a +word. He just stretched out his long neck +and flapped his strong wings and began +to fly. And all the time he pointed with +his bill straight ahead and with his feet +straight behind, as if to say, "Follow me; +this is the way home."</p> + +<p>"I just believe that <i>is</i> the way home!" +said Little White Fox. "His mother had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> +her nest right down on our tundra last +summer, and I believe he is going there +right now!" So he picked up his feet lively +and ran along behind Widgeon Junior but +he couldn't near keep up! It wasn't any +time at all before he was so far behind that he +couldn't see Widgeon Junior at all! And +before long he was just as badly lost as +before. But he trotted on cheerfully, "For," +he said to himself, "I'll see some one else +I know very soon."</p> + +<p>And sure enough, all of a sudden there +was a clap, clap of wings, and some one that +looked just like Who-Who, the big white +owl, went soaring over his head. But when +Little White Fox shouted "Hello" in his +very best voice, the great white owl never +answered a word, but went flapping on till<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> +he lit on the top of a whalebone which one +of Omnok's relatives had put up to mark +a grave.</p> + +<p>"Well," said Little White Fox to himself, +"I guess that isn't Who-Who, but anyway, +it is one of his cousins, and he is very wise. +All the Owl folks are. He will tell me the +way home."</p> + +<p>So he hurried over to the foot of the whalebone +and said, "Please, Mr. White Owl, +won't you tell me the way home?"</p> + +<p>The big white owl never answered a word, +but he winked his eye very cunningly, as +much as to say, "Look, I'll show you." +Then he flapped his great, white wings, and +away he flew, and away after him, as fast +as ever he could trot, came Little White +Fox, never once looking this way or that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> +to see where he was going, so proud was he +to be able almost to keep up with this new +friend. He ran and ran and ran until he +was out of breath, when he saw the big, +white owl spread his wings out straight and +light on a whalebone sticking right out of +the ground and looking for all the world +like the one he had flown away from just +a little while before. Little White Fox +ran up to the whalebone and looked up at +the big white owl.</p> + +<p>The big white owl closed one eye and +winked very knowingly as if to say, "Am +I not a very wise old owl?"</p> + +<p>Little White Fox looked all around at +the tundra and the hills, and sure enough, +that was the very same whalebone, sticking +up out of the ground! The big white owl<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> +had led him a long way, all around in a +circle! You may be sure Little White +Fox was disgusted. He would never ask +another thing of a big white owl again, if he +lived a thousand years! But away he +trotted toward some other little ponds he +had seen some time before.</p> + +<div class="figright"> +<img src="images/007.jpg" width="381" height="500" alt="" title="" /> +She was going back to his own dear beach. +<i>Page <a href="#Page_128">128</a></i></div> + +<p>He was slipping along as quietly as he +could in the grass when he heard a splash, +splash in the water, and there was Mrs. +Swan. Of all the people in all the world, +besides his own dear mother, Little White +Fox liked Mrs. Swan best! Her white +gown was always so smooth and tidy, her +neck so graceful, and she seemed so kind, +that Little White Fox thought she was +just the most perfect lady that ever was! +To be sure he had been tempted once to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> +steal one of the big eggs out of her great +nest, on the beach the summer before, but +he hadn't done it, and now, you may be very +sure, he was glad he hadn't, for perhaps +she would tell him the way home.</p> + +<p>"Please, Mrs. Swan," he said, making +a very graceful bow, "will you tell me the +way home?" Mrs. Swan looked at him very +kindly but never said a word. Very soon she +flapped her great, white wings, and putting +her bill right out before her and her feet +straight behind, out she went flapping away to +the northward. Then Little White Fox knew +that was the way home, for she was going +back to his own dear beach to make a new nest +and to hatch out some more little Swanfolks.</p> + +<p>I wish I had time to tell you of all the +adventures that befell Little White Fox<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span> +on his way home, but I haven't. Perhaps +some other time we will hear all about that. +But one day, when the sun was shining +brightly and the flowers were beginning to +bloom, who should little Mrs. White Fox +see come trotting up the path by the big +rock but her own long-lost son, Little White +Fox. And you may well believe that she +was glad to see him! She had thought she +would never see him again. And the things +he had to tell her! How she did listen, and +how the other little Foxes, Violet Blue Fox +and Little Cross Fox and the Silver Fox +twins and all the rest, how they listened! +Oh, Little White Fox was quite a person +in his family that evening! But when he +had been given a good dinner with a piece +of blueberry pie such as only Little Mrs.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> +White Fox can make, and had curled himself +up on the moss cot by the side of the +great rock, he went to sleep thinking that +after all there was no place in all the world +like his own home under the big rock, and +no one in all the world quite so good as his +own mother; and he felt very, very sure +that he would be careful in the future and +not let anything carry him away from her.</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Little White Fox and his Arctic Friends, by +Roy J. 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