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diff --git a/38733.txt b/38733.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2fd1d12 --- /dev/null +++ b/38733.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1413 @@ +Project Gutenberg's Father Bear and Bobby Bear, by Howard B. Famous + +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: Father Bear and Bobby Bear + +Author: Howard B. Famous + +Release Date: February 1, 2012 [EBook #38733] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FATHER BEAR AND BOBBY BEAR *** + + + + +Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Dave Hobart and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + [Illustration: RURAL SCENE] + + + + Printed in the + United States of America + By + Western Printing & Lithographing Co. + Racine, Wis. + + + + BEDTIME STORIES + + Father Bear and + Bobby Bear + + By + Howard B. Famous + + FULLY ILLUSTRATED + + + + [Illustration: FATHER BEAR AND BOBBY BEAR WERE ON THEIR WAY] + + + + +CONTENTS + + + PAGE + + THE BEARS' CAVE 9 + + BOBBY GROWS UP 11 + + BOBBY BEAR HAS TO HELP IN THE HOUSE 15 + + THEY VISIT THE FARMER'S CORNFIELD 19 + + OFF FOR THE HONEY 26 + + THE BEES CHASE BOBBY 40 + + BOBBY CATCHES A FISH AS BIG AS HIMSELF 47 + + THE FIGHT WITH THE WOLVES 55 + + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + + + FATHER BEAR AND BOBBY BEAR WERE ON THEIR WAY (_Frontispiece_) + PAGE + "BOBBY, BOBBY, GET UP AT ONCE" 14 + + THEY DRANK CIDER AND PLAYED CHECKERS 23 + + HIS FOOT CAUGHT IN A ROOT 35 + + INTO THE WATER HE FELL 51 + + + + +Bobby Bear + + + + +THE BEARS' CAVE + + +Over where the sun sank to rest every night like a great ball of +fire, there lived three brown bears. + +There was Father Bear, with a great, gruff voice. And Mother Bear, +whose voice, while not so loud nor so gruff as father's, yet was not +nice for little boys and girls to hear. And there was little Bobby +Bear. His voice was sweet, for he was very young. + +All of the bears had lovely, brown skins. When the sun shone on them +they looked like rich, brown velvet. And when they were curled up, +asleep, they looked like great balls of brown fur. + +The bears' eyes were big, and round, and black as coals. + +They had great, strong claws on all their paws. + +With bears, you know, hands and feet are very much alike, and are +called forefeet and hindfeet--or front feet and back feet. So +instead of finger nails and toe nails they have claws. + +But you are anxious to know something about Bobby Bear's home. It +was in a great, gloomy cave. Only the front part had the sunshine. +Away in the back part it was dark, pitch dark, like night. + +The bears didn't mind this, of course, for when night came, instead +of reading books like children and grown-ups, they just went right +off to sleep. + + + + +BOBBY GROWS UP + + +Bobby Bear was growing to be a big bear, fast. Soon he would be a +big-boy bear. + +Most of the time he stayed at home with Mother Bear, helping her in +the house when he wasn't playing. + +It wasn't much fun for Bobby Bear to play. He had no other little +bears for company. So he had to play and pretend bears were with +him. + +He would say, "You sit there, Little Gray Bear," or "Now, Little +Black Bear, you be quiet." + +One day Bobby Bear wandered down by the river, lonesome and sad. The +rippling waters seemed to say to him that some day he would have a +little playmate, just like little human children had. + +And when he was in the forest he would stop and listen to the +whispering of the trees. They, too, seemed to tell of the time when +a little girl would bring a great joy to him--poor, lonely, little +Bobby Bear. + +So, in his own way--the way that all bears have of thinking--he felt +sure that some day he would not be lonely any more, nor quiet, nor +sad. + +It may have been that very day, while Bobby Bear wandered in the +forest, that Jane Bird was thinking of him, too. Such things do +sometimes happen. + +You see, Jane Bird lived with her father and mother, near the great +forest where the Bear family made their home. + +Jane Bird played with the other little children who lived near. Such +fun as they had--running, jumping, skipping. And they played +"school," and "keeping house," and pretended they were grown-up +people. The days were full of laughter and of joy. + +Neither Jane Bird's father, nor Jane Bird's mother nor, of course, +Jane Bird herself, knew of what was soon going to happen. + +They should have feared something, though, for one evening, just at +dusk, when the sun was going down, away over by the dark woods, +could have been seen three great forms. These were the bears going +home to their cave. + + + + +BOBBY BEAR HAS TO HELP IN THE HOUSE + + +Early one morning, Bobby was wakened by his mother who called +sharply: "Come, it is time to get up. You know you must help me with +the dishes today. If you want to go with your father to get some +corn you must look sharp." + +My, but Bobby was sleepy, for he had walked so far in the woods the +day before that he was quite tired out. So when his mother called +him, instead of jumping right out of bed as he usually did, he +turned over and went to sleep again. + +Ten minutes later, his mother went into his bedroom to see if he was +nearly dressed. Imagine how annoyed she was to find him still +asleep. + +"Bobby, Bobby, get up at once. I will not call you again. Your +father is all ready to go, and you cannot go with him until you have +helped me around the house." + +[Illustration: "BOBBY, BOBBY, GET UP AT ONCE"] + +At this Bobby Bear jumped right up, for he had been looking forward +to the trip to the place where the corn grew. Besides he always +liked to go walking with his father because he loved him so much. + +It was a beautiful morning and Bobby soon forgot how tired he was +when he saw the fine breakfast his mother set before him. But when, +breakfast over, he saw the pile of dishes and knew he had to wash +all those before he could go on his trip, he could not help crying. +Bobby Bear didn't like washing dishes. + +The tears would come somehow and there was a big lump in his throat +which seemed to be there all the time although he swallowed it over +and over again. + +"Now, my boy," cried his father, "how much longer are you going to +be? I have almost finished my pipe. Just as soon as I am through +smoking I am going to start." + +Bravely forcing back his tears, Bobby Bear hurried with the drying +of the dishes which by this time were all washed. + +A few minutes later, he cried joyfully: "All through! Now we're +ready to go," and he began to jump up and down, so pleased was he. + +"Wait, my boy, till I fill my pipe, for we have a long way to go." +Father Bear took the little tobacco bag from his trouser pocket, +filled his pipe, pushed the tobacco down with his thumb and, +striking a match, was soon puffing away contentedly. + +Bobby, meanwhile, was so glad to be going for a walk with his +father, that he was skipping merrily about, just like a little dog. + +"You seem glad this morning," said Father Bear. Then, with a glance +at Mother Bear, who was standing by smiling he added: "Perhaps it +is because you're all through with your house work, eh?" + +At this, Bobby Bear grew red in the face, for after all just washing +dishes wasn't much help to his mother with the housework. + +He asked timidly, "Mother, perhaps before I go, I should help you +some more." + +At this, both Father Bear and Mother Bear smiled. "Oh no, my boy," +said his mother kindly. "You have helped me quite a lot as it is and +I am very willing to have my little Bobby Bear run off now and enjoy +himself." + + + + +THEY VISIT THE FARMER'S CORNFIELD + + +"Where are you going to get the corn?" asked Bobby Bear, as he +trotted along beside his father that bright, sunny morning. + +"Why," Father Bear replied, "we have been invited by Farmer Jenkins +to go and take as much as we like." + +"He must be a kind man," answered Bobby. + +"He is. Not all farmers are as kind as he. Yet it is fine for him, +too, as nobody steals from him. In that way he is better off than +the farmers who never help raccoons or bears, or badgers." + +"How much corn can we have?" asked Bobby. + +"We may bring away with us all we can carry, so I hope you are +feeling strong, my boy," replied Father Bear. + +At this Bobby proudly bent his right arm, to show how big his muscle +was, just as lots of little boys do. + +His father smiled. "You'll need all the strength you have, Bobby, +for we want to get enough corn today to last your mother all +season." + +On they went, mile after mile. Soon it became hot. Father Bear, +being big and strong, didn't get tired. Bobby, because he was so +young, soon became weary. + +Do you think he showed it, though? Not he. He had been brought up to +bear pain, and hard work, and cold, and heat, without complaining. + +My, how glad he was, though, to see the yellow mass some distance +ahead which told him they were near their journey's end. + +"How do you like the looks of it, boy?" his father asked. + +"Fine! And what a lot there is. There must be acres and acres and +acres of it." + +Bobby had heard his father talking to a bear neighbor one day, and +they had used the word "acre" when describing things. So he, just +like lots of little boys, wanted to be "big" and he had used it now. + +When Father Bear heard Bobby use the word "acres" he pretended not +to notice it. So he simply answered, "Yes, there's surely a lot of +corn here." + +They had brought something to eat with them. Now they chose a big, +shady tree, and, sitting beneath it, munched away at the food. + +Bobby felt very grateful for the rest, and when they again got on +their feet he was ready for anything. + +Picking out that part of the field where the corn was richest, +Bobby Bear's father had him hold both arms out. + +Then Father Bear loaded his arms and off they started for home. Each +had his arms full of corn. + +"How hot the sun--and how hard the road--and, oh, how far away home +is." These were some of the thoughts in the young bear's mind. + +But did he think for a minute of giving up? Never-- + +Father Bear, however, saw how weary his little boy was and said, +kindly, "We'll rest awhile under the next shade tree we come to." + +Each of them piled his load of corn beside him, then, stretching +out, they both slept. + +It was Bobby who woke with a start. Old Man Snake was making off +with some of the corn. + +"Father! Father!" cried the boy-bear. "Quick, Old Man Snake is +stealing my corn." + +Awaking in an instant, Father Bear jumped up and with one blow +stretched the snake out--dead. + +"Just in time, my boy. A few seconds later and the snake would have +eaten our corn. Then we would have been short many ears of corn." + +Once more they started on the road home. This time they went +quicker, for the rest had done them good. + +When Mother Bear saw what a lot of fine, rich, golden corn they had +brought, she said, "I'm glad you got a lot, for uncle, aunt and the +little cousins are all coming for a corn feast. + +"Even then there will be lots over for us," she added. "I guess I'll +can it." + +Imagine that night. By the light of a great, white moon they +feasted and danced and sang songs, in bear language, of course. And +they drank cider and played checkers. + +[Illustration: THEY DRANK CIDER AND PLAYED CHECKERS] + +Being good bears, however, they didn't stay up very late, so no one +was all tired out when morning came. + +Bobby and his father felt as fresh as the morning dew. This was the +day they were to go and get the honey from the bees. + + + + +OFF FOR THE HONEY + + +"Father, what is honey? Have I ever eaten any?" asked Bobby Bear, as +they started on their journey. + +"Why, certainly you have," answered his father. "Don't you remember +that sweet, sticky stuff you had on your bread last year, when your +Uncle Grumpy came to visit us?" + +"Oh," said Bobby, astonished, "was that honey?" + +"Yes, and what we are going to get today will be just as nice, +perhaps nicer." + +"Father, where do we get honey? Do we dig it out of the ground? Or +does it grow on trees?" + +"Just wait and see. In a little while you will know," answered +Father Bear. + +By now they had left their cave far behind them. Bobby Bear did not +feel so tired today as he did the morning before. Perhaps he was +getting used to walking. + +The sun was not so hot, for there were some clouds in the sky and a +gentle breeze blew. + +Soon they reached a great clover field at the end of which were a +number of large trees. They made their way toward the tallest of +these, a very big tree, one that it would have taken Bobby quite a +little while to go around. + +"Father, what is that buzzing sound?" asked Bobby. + +His father had a twinkle in his eye as he replied: "Why, my boy, +that's the honey growing." + +This puzzled Bobby. "Honey growing, how do you mean?" + +"Wait," said Father Bear, "you'll see." + +"Oh, my, father," called out Bobby. "Look at all the flies! I can +count fifty hundred. Look, there's another. And here come some more. +Where are they all going?" + +His father had been standing watching with a smile upon his face. + +"You had better give up counting. There are far too many for me to +try to count. No little Bobby Bear could possibly do it. Now, my +boy, if you will look up in that tree you will see a great hole. Do +you see it?" + +"Where?" asked Bobby, bending his neck, so that he was looking at +the very tip-top of the tree, where the branches seemed to hit the +clouds. + +Father Bear smiled as he called out: "No, no, not there. You're +looking away too high. See, much lower," and he pointed to the place +where the hole was. + +"Oh, now I see it. I didn't look there. I thought you meant way up +high," said Bobby Bear. "What makes the hole so black, father? And +look, it's moving. Why, it's all flies." + +"Now, my boy, I'll tell you all about the honey. Those little black +things up there, of which there are so many, are not flies. They are +bees. There are thousands of those bees swarming in and around that +hole." + +"Why, where do they all come from?" asked the little bear, "and what +are they doing up there? And where's the honey? I don't see any +honey." + +"Wait a moment and I'll tell you," answered Father Bear. "That hole +is the bees' home, just as the big cave is our house. And every +night the bees come to the hole to sleep. But they have been at home +many times in the day also. + +"Haven't you ever seen the bees flying around the flowers? Perhaps +you thought they were flies. Do you know what they were doing? They +were getting honey from the flowers." + +Bobby Bear was puzzled. "Honey from the flowers?" he repeated. "If +the flowers have honey, why do we have to come all this way to get +the honey? Why can't we go to the flowers the way the bee does and +get all the honey we want?" + +"If we did that, my boy," his father answered, "it would take us +many years to fill even a small cup with honey. No, there are +thousands and thousands of bees that come and go all day long and as +they do nothing else, very soon they have a lot of honey all in one +place. That is what we have come for today." + +Leaving that great tree, they went and looked at many others. Some +of the trees had big holes where bees buzzed around; most of them +had no bees at all. + +Bobby was getting impatient. "Why don't we get the honey, father? +Why do we walk around all day?" + +Father Bear replied: "All in good time, my boy. First of all, we +must find where the honey is, then we can come back and get it. +Besides the reason I have been going from tree to tree is because I +wish to find which one has most honey. You know I will have to climb +the tree and dig all the honey out, so I want to get as much honey +as I can at one time." + +"Look, father," cried Bobby Bear. "See all those bees over there. It +seems to me there are more at that tree than at any tree we have +seen yet." + +"I guess you are right," Father Bear replied. "We'll go a little +closer and see." + +Sure enough, when they got beneath the tree which Bobby had pointed +out, there were the bees swarming in hundreds. The buzzing noise +they made would have given the bears a headache, only bears don't +get such things. + +Father Bear certainly was pleased. "Why, my boy, from that tree +alone, if I am any judge, we can get enough honey to last us for +months. In fact, you can have bread and honey for breakfast every +morning, if you wish." + +Bobby replied: "I can't exactly remember what the honey was like +that Uncle Grumpy brought, for it is so long ago. But I don't think +I would like to have bread and honey every morning. Some mornings I +would like preserves, or eggs, or fish." + +His father laughed. "Well, you won't have to eat honey every morning +unless you wish. I only meant that there would be lots of it. Now +let us get started." + +Father Bear now looked carefully at all his claws to see that they +were quite sharp. In order to climb the tree he would have to dig +his claws deeply into the bark. + +Bobby Bear, noticing this, said: "Why do you look to see if your +claws are sharp, father? You filed them this morning before we came +away." + +"I know I did," his father answered, "and I am not worrying about +the claws on my hands. However, we have done such a lot of walking, +I thought perhaps the claws on my feet might have worn some on the +rough ground." + +Bobby looked up at the tree where all the bees were flying around +and around, keeping up a most noisy buzzing. Then he thought of his +father going all alone up the tree to take the honey from all those +bees, which surely would not want to part with it. + +Father Bear did not seem to be afraid. He had already dug his claws +into the thick bark at the foot of the tree and was about to climb. + +"Now, my boy," he said to Bobby, "when I get a little way up the +tree, you hand me the big brown jar. I can easily climb the rest of +the way with one hand, because the claws in my feet are very big +and strong." + +Bobby picked the jar up. My, but it was heavy. It was just about as +much as he could do to lift it. However, he managed to get it well +above his head and walked toward the tree. + +He was so anxious to reach his father, that he did not look where he +was going and his foot caught in a root, and down went Bobby, jar, +and all. + +[Illustration: HIS FOOT CAUGHT IN A ROOT] + +The terrible crash made Father Bear turn around and when he saw what +had happened he grew quite angry. + +"Dear me, what a careless boy you are. That was the biggest jar your +mother had. Now, not only shall we have to give up getting the honey +today, but when we come tomorrow we will have to bring two small +jars. This will mean you will have to carry one of the jars, as a +punishment." + +Bobby felt tears coming to his eyes, but being a brave little +bear, he struggled against crying. "I am very sorry, father, and I +will be more careful next time." + +"Being sorry won't bring the jar back," but you could see from his +face, he was not as angry as he had been at first when the jar +smashed. + +All the way home, Bobby was very quiet. Every once in a while his +father would look at him and think that Bobby was still worrying +about the broken jar. This was not a fact, however, for something +had happened which Bobby felt he could not tell his father. + +It had taken place while the two bears were walking from tree to +tree looking for the one that had the most honey. A small tree with +very bright green leaves had bent over and touched Bobby on the +shoulder and had whispered in his ear: "What about Jane Bird? Don't +forget, you must see her and must not give up until you find her." + +Perhaps this, as well as the root of the big tree had been one of +the causes of Bobby's stumbling when he went to give his father the +big brown jar. + +When Father Bear and Bobby Bear reached their cave, Mother Bear was +standing waiting for them. The first thing she said was: "Where's +the honey? Didn't you bring any?" + +Bobby said nothing. He was too ashamed of his carelessness. By this +time, Father Bear's anger had all gone and he felt sorry for Bobby. +So he said to Mother Bear: + +"The jar fell to the ground and broke. We're going again tomorrow. +It doesn't matter, we can take two small jars." + +This did not satisfy Mother Bear, however. "What am I going to do +for a big jar?" she asked. "I've had that one so long I can never +get along without it." + +"Don't worry, mother," Father Bear answered. "The next time I go to +the store, I'll get you one twice as big as the one that broke, if +you wish." + +After dinner, Bobby came timidly to his mother and asked: "Can I +help you wash the dishes?" + +"Oh, my, what's the matter with the boy? Did you hear that?" she +asked Father Bear. + +"Oh, that's nothing, mother. Aren't you always glad to have Bobby +help you?" Father Bear was having his after dinner smoke and never +liked to be bothered when he was enjoying himself that way. Besides +he felt he had scolded Bobby Bear enough and he didn't want Mother +Bear to know how the jar had really been broken. + +Soon after, both Mother Bear and Father Bear went for their +afternoon naps and Bobby ran out to play with another little +boy-bear who had come to visit him that afternoon. + +Bobby was not a very good playmate that afternoon, for he could not +help thinking from time to time of what the little tree with the +bright green leaves had said to him. + + + + +THE BEES CHASE BOBBY + + +A few mornings later, before the sun was up, Father Bear and Bobby +were at the bee tree. + +They had brought with them the large brown jar which Father Bear had +bought for Mother Bear, as he had promised her he would do. In order +to get the jar he had had to make a special trip to the store. + +There was really no need for Father Bear to have gone into town, as +the bear family had sufficient groceries to last another week, but +Bobby had urged his father so strongly to go and get the honey, that +he had made a special trip to town just to buy the jar. + +It surely was a big, brown jar, much bigger than the one that was +broken. Bobby tried to carry it, but it was too heavy for his +little arms. + +"How will you manage today, father? I can't reach the jar up to you, +it's too heavy. You will have to get the honey all alone." + +"That's all right, my boy. I could have done that yesterday just as +well as not. But I wanted to see what kind of a little helper my +Bobby was." + +Father Bear started up the tree. Bobby watched him climb. He was +very proud of his great, strong father. Bobby wondered when he would +be big enough and strong enough to go after honey alone. + +It was quite a distance from the ground to where the bees were, and +for some time the bees did not see Father Bear. + +When his great, shaggy head appeared in front of their house the +bees were very angry, and buzzed around making a very loud noise. + +"Father, father," cried Bobby, "be careful, they'll sting you. +Remember what you told me about what bees do to little bears." + +"Don't fear for me, Bobby. My skin is tough and no bee can possibly +hurt me. Just watch so that you will know how to get the honey when +you grow into a big, strong bear." + +Father Bear thrust the sharp claws of his two powerful feet into the +tree. He pressed the jar against the trunk, holding himself firmly +by his left hand. + +Then with a great blow of his other arm he scattered the bees right +and left. They roared louder than ever and thousands of them flew +around. + +Such a great, black cloud was in front of Father Bear's face that +Bobby Bear could hardly see him. This time, however, he did not call +out, for he had faith in his father and knew that he would get the +honey and reach the ground unharmed. + +A strong east wind was blowing which helped Father Bear somewhat, as +it was hard for the bees to keep on the wing against such a wind. +When it blew stronger than ever Bobby saw his father thrust a great +paw into the black hole in the tree. Great masses of golden, yellow +honey were put quickly into the jar. Again and again father put in +his hand just as though no bees were around at all. + +In fact Father Bear was actually laughing at the bees, so little was +he bothered by their angry attack. + +"Are you there, my boy?" he called, looking down. + +"Yes, father, I'm here," cheerily answered little Bobby. + +"All right then, I'm coming down and I have such a feast of honey in +this jar that it will make your mouth water." + +In a moment or two he reached the ground and Bobby saw such a sight +as he looked into the jar that his eyes opened wide as saucers. + +"My goodness, what a lot of honey! I don't know how you managed to +carry it. Why, even the empty jar was too much for me." + +"Yes, my boy," his father answered, "but you must remember you are +only a little fellow. Nobody expects little Bobby Bears to do the +things that big bears can do." + +"May I eat a little of the honey, or must I wait till I get home?" +asked Bobby. + +"No, go ahead and dip your hand in the jar. There's plenty of it." + +Bobby did so and began to eat. "Yum, yum, this is ever so much +better honey than what uncle brought. This is fine and sweet." + +Just at this moment his father uttered a cry of warning. + +"Run, my boy, as fast as you can. Here come the bees! I'll look +after the honey." + +Father Bear knew he could not keep the bees from stinging Bobby +whose skin was soft and tender. They couldn't hurt an old bear like +himself, as his skin was tough. That's why he told Bobby to run on +ahead. He thought he would fool the bees. They would all stop and +buzz around him and forget to follow Bobby. + +Little Bobby ran as fast as he could. Most of the bees stopped near +Father Bear, but a few caught up with Bobby and gave him a sting or +two. + +Soon, however, Father Bear drove the bees away with a great branch +of a tree. Then he hurried and caught up with Bobby and together +they ran as fast as the wind. Soon they reached home safely with +their great jar of delicious honey. + +When Father Bear told of their adventure, Mother Bear was anxious. + +"Didn't my little boy get stung by the bees?" she asked Bobby. + +"Oh," he replied, "one or two did bite me in the face. But it +doesn't hurt much." Bobby was brave, you see, and had been taught +not to complain about trifles. + +"Still, you had better let me put something on the stings," said his +mother, "or else they might grow worse." So she brought some +bear-liniment and rubbed it on the bites. + + + + +BOBBY CATCHES A FISH AS BIG AS HIMSELF + + +A few mornings later, Father Bear said: "Let's go fishing. We +haven't tasted nice, fresh fish for a long time." + +"That's a good idea," said Mother Bear. "The fish you get in cans +aren't anything like the fish you catch yourself." + +Bobby Bear didn't say anything at first. He was wondering whether +the fish would sting, as the bees did. + +"How about it, my boy?" his father asked. "Shall we go fishing?" + +"Surely, father. Let us go now. What do we have to take along?" + +"Well," replied Father Bear, "first, we must have lines and floats, +and hooks. We can cut a pole when we get to the river. But we must +have worms." + +"I saw worms in the garden, father, when mother was sowing seed last +Spring," said Bobby. + +"You did, eh? That's fine. Let us go and dig some up. Ask your +mother for an old tin can to put them in." + +It was a lovely day when, about an hour later, they started out +fishing. Father Bear had the lines, all fixed, in his trouser +pocket. He had been careful to push all the hooks into the cork +floats so no harm could be done. + +Bobby Bear was very proud to be carrying the worms. After they had +gotten almost a hundred they had put some soft, moist earth on top, +so you could see no worms. If you hadn't known they were there, +you'd have thought the can had nothing but dirt. + +It wasn't nearly as far to the river as it had been to the +cornfield. Bobby was glad of this. + +They found a nice, mossy bank to sit on. Bobby Bear rested while his +father got two poles. Taking the lines from his pocket, he tied one +to each of the fish poles and there they were, all ready to fish. + +"What do you do, father?" asked the boy-bear. "How do you know when +you have a fish on the line?" + +His father answered, "First, we bait the hooks; that is, we put a +worm on each of our hooks, so when it hangs dangling in the water +the fish jump at it. + +"They, of course, don't know there's a hook inside. They think it's +a regular worm. When they pull at the worm you must jerk your rod +ever so little. This is so you will catch the hook in the fish's +mouth. He struggles to get away, and you pull him in. + +"There's one thing I want to be sure of, that is, that you don't let +the pole fly out of your hand. So, I'll tie it to your wrist." + +They started fishing. Father Bear got a bite. He pulled his pole up +quickly. No fish--but a clean hook. So he put another worm on, threw +the line in, and waited. + +This time when the fish bit Father Bear was too quick for it, and in +a moment he had it up on the bank. + +Bobby was all eagerness now. He wanted to catch a fish too. + +"Oh, father," he cried. "I've got a bite. Look at me--" + +But he didn't finish his sentence, for something heavy on his line +gave a jerk. He lost his balance and fell off the rock on which he +had been sitting. Into the water he fell--splash--but he hung +tightly to his rod. The current was swift and the big weight on his +line kept dragging him away from shore. + +[Illustration: INTO THE WATER HE FELL] + +Sure enough, Bobby Bear had a bite. + +Bobby Bear was struggling in the water, trying to swim to shore. It +was pretty hard work, for the fish on the end of his line was nearly +as big as he. + +At first Father Bear thought it was just an ordinary little fish on +Bobby's line. Besides he knew his boy could swim so he thought he +would let him get back to shore by himself. He wanted to teach Bobby +Bear to depend on himself on all occasions. + +Suddenly he saw a great fish flop up out of the water and then he +realized what a monster Bobby had on his line. He immediately threw +down his fish line and plunged in to his son's rescue. With a few +strokes of his powerful arms he reached Bobby Bear. + +Grasping the boy-bear around the waist, he drew him to land. The +fish, caught as it was on the hook, couldn't help coming too. + +My, but it was a wonderful fish. Bobby was indeed very proud to +think he had caught such a big fish. + +"No wonder I fell into the water, father, with such a big fellow on +my line," he said. + +"Yes," answered his father, "that's the biggest fish I have seen in +these parts for many a year. Your mother will certainly fix up a +feast for us with that fish. She can stuff it and add a few slices +of nice, sweet bacon." + +"Yum, yum," said Bobby, "it makes my mouth water to think about it. +Can't we go right home now?" + +"Oh, no," said his father. "The fish are biting so well today, we +had better stay a while longer. Besides it will give us a chance to +dry our clothes, sitting here in this hot sun. I don't want you to +catch cold, you know. It's shady all the way home through the +woods." + +"But what will we do with the big fish? He's liable to get away. +Just look at him flopping about on the bank." + +"Don't you worry about that fish. I'll fix him." So saying, Father +Bear took a stout cord from his pocket. One end he passed through +the fish's mouth--the other he tied around a young tree. Then he +threw the fish back into the river to keep it fresh until it was +time to go home. + +Being a bright, sunny day, Bobby and his father soon were dry. Bobby +rolled in the long grass, then sat on a stump in the sun. Father +Bear who laughed at cold and heat, and trouble, and danger, simply +shrugged his shoulders and lit his pipe. Then he went on fishing. + +Many more fish were caught before the sun going down warned them it +was time to go home. They rolled up their lines, threw the poles in +the river, then tossed the worms after them and started back through +the thick woods to their cave. + +Father Bear had a big string of fish. Bobby proudly carried the one +which had pulled him into the water. It was so heavy it made a load +in itself. He wanted his mother to see him with his first fish--and +a monster at that. + + + + +THE FIGHT WITH THE WOLVES + + +Perhaps it was the smell of the fish. Maybe it was because of the +noise that Bobby and his father made, singing and whistling as they +walked along. Whatever the cause, five gray wolves, gaunt and lean, +met them at the turn of a road. + +"Ho! ho! Here's supper for us. And we won't have to work to get it," +cried the biggest wolf, in a loud, gruff voice. + +"Fine, fresh fish," said the next largest wolf. "And all ready for +us to take." + +"Well, we surely are lucky," the third wolf cried. "I'll make short +work of my portion." + +"Let us see, let us see. Five gray wolves, to two bears. This will +be an easy job for us." So spoke wolf number four. + +"I'm so hungry, oh, so hungry. When are we going to start eating the +fish?" wailed the smallest wolf of the lot. + +All the time the wolves were talking they were slinking around +Father Bear and Bobby. + +Now they rushed forward, thinking it would be very easy to overcome +the bears and take the fish for themselves. But they reckoned wrong. +They didn't know that Father Bear had won many prizes as the +greatest fighting bear for miles around. + +Why, he even had been known to conquer a lion--so strong were his +great arms and legs, and so powerful his jaws. So, when four gray +wolves rushed at him at once he was ready for them. Wolf number one +went down with a blow which killed him at once. The next two were +cruelly wounded by Father Bear's powerful claws. And the fourth, +seeing how badly the rest were getting on, ran away, as fast as he +could. + +What about little Bobby Bear all this time? Remember, he had a fish +to guard, and this fish was almost as big as himself. The fifth wolf +had attacked Bobby, who never had seen such awful white teeth and +angry eyes. + +He hardly knew what to do. One thing he was determined on, though, +and that was that this boy-wolf would never get the fish from him. +What, the fish he had caught himself? The idea. + +So he quickly struck with all his might at the wolf, grabbing him as +he stumbled. Then the wolf found out how strong Bobby was. + +"Please, Mr. Bear, let me go, and I'll never again try to harm you," +he called out. + +"Will you run right away and never come near me again?" Bobby +panted, for he was using all his strength. + +"Yes, yes, anything, only let me go," said the little wolf. + +With this Bobby let go. The wolf fell to the ground--he was so +tired. He lay there a few moments, then with much grunting got on +his feet and ran off. + +For some time Father Bear had been watching his boy. Very proud +indeed was he of what was going on. + +Now that all danger was past he rushed over and embraced Bobby. "My +boy, how well you fought. You're a credit to Bearland." + +Gathering up their fish, they once more started for home. + +The battle with the wolves had not taken more than a few minutes, +although, as Bobby now told his father, it had seemed a long, long +while to him. + +"I was so afraid the little wolf would steal my fish," said Bobby. + +"It is well to be able to take care of yourself, isn't it?" asked +Father Bear. + +"Yes," said Bobby. "If you keep on taking me out with you every +day, I shall grow up to be a very strong bear. I can see that." + +His father said nothing, but smiled to hear his little boy talk so +wisely. + +It was almost dark when they got home, but there still was light +enough for the two tired bears to see Mother Bear. + +She, growing anxious, had thrown a red shawl over her shoulders and +was sitting in a rocking chair, outside the cave, watching for the +return of the fishermen. + +How proud she was to see her boy with such a great fish which was +nearly as big as Bobby himself. She threw her arms around him and +kissed him. Such a fine boy-bear, he was! + +"Mother," grunted Father Bear, "let's have fish for supper. And let +it be the fish that Bobby caught. The others we can eat for +breakfast." + +So Mother Bear busied herself cleaning Bobby's big fish, and in a +very little while it was stuffed and baked and supper was ready. + +They all enjoyed it--especially the one who had caught it. How much +nicer a thing tastes when one has had some trouble in getting it. + +Bobby dreamed much that night. If you think he dreamed about the +fish you are mistaken, for it was to little Jane Bird and her sweet +face, that his fancies wandered. + + + * * * * * + + + + + GET + + Briggs' Cartoons + IN BOOK FORM + + Mr. and Mrs. + + Ain't It + a Grand + and Glorious + Feeling? + +The King-pin of cartoonists. His wonderful cartoons are put out in +handy and popular sizes but at about half the price of other cartoon +books. + + _Briggs at His Best + A Laugh On Every Page_ + +[Illustration: GIRL SAT BY POND, SURROUNDED BY ANIMALS] + + + * * * * * + + + + +Transcriber's note: + + +Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without notification. + +For consistency with the rest of the book, 'boy bear' was replaced +with 'boy-bear' in Bobby Catches a Fish: "Grasping the _boy-bear_ +around". + +Illustration caption was changed from "BOBBY, GET UP AT ONCE" to +"BOBBY, BOBBY, GET UP AT ONCE" to match the list of illustrations. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Father Bear and Bobby Bear, by Howard B. 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