Part 2

At last pit-pat, pat, pat, patter—patter—patter down came big drops of rain. Suddenly two clouds rushed together over the little house in the forest, and they roared—crashety—crashety—bang—bang—bang! Little Bear knew that the sound was only thunder, and that the blinding flashes that soon came thick and fast were nothing but lightning, but he ran into the house and shut the door.

Big Bear had often told Little Bear that if ever he felt queer and lonely, the thing to do was to whistle. Little Bear felt queer and lonely now, so he puckered up his lips and whistled cheerily, although the storm made such an uproar that his best whistling sounded weak. Weaker still was a little pitiful whine outside the door, but Little Bear heard it, ran to the door, and opened it wide. A big, wet, shaggy dog tumbled into the room.

Little Bear was so glad to see the dog that he ran to the cupboard to get him some bread. When he came back he thought the poor dog was dead, but he came to life instantly, and winked at Little Bear. Then he laughed, and rolled over and over on a rug, and dried his wet fur.

"I believe I'll get him some fruit," Little Bear said to himself, as he took a clean dish and went to the cupboard. When he came back the dog was sitting in Big Bear's chair, playing Big Bear's flute!

Little Bear ran upstairs to get the dog a coat. When he came back, the dog was pretending to ride a goat! Sonny Bear then went to get him some shoes, and when he came back that dog was reading the news. Just for fun, Little Bear then looked for a key to fit in the lock, and sure enough, that dog began to wind the clock!

"Now I know who you are!" declared Little Bear. "You are Mother Hubbard's dog!"

And then the dog, because he was so glad that Little Bear knew him at last, began to dance a jig, and he did tricks, one after another, that kept Little Bear laughing until the storm was over.

Soon came Mother Hubbard, searching for her dog, "Oh, Little Bear," she said, "I thank you for being so kind to my dog! He hasn't had a bone for so long on account of my cupboard's being bare! He would have perished in the storm but for you, and without my dog I couldn't expect to get into another Christmas stocking! I wouldn't be worth mentioning if I were separated from my dog."

"Bow-wow!" answered the saucy dog. And then he did all his tricks again, and made Mother Hubbard, big Father Bear, middle-sized Mother Bear, and Little Bear all laugh.

That night Sonny Bear stirred and murmured in his sleep, "I am so glad I didn't go! I a-m s-o g-l-a-d!"

SONNY BEAR'S ADVENTURE IN GOLDILOCK'S CAMP

One summer Father Goldilocks and Mother Goldilocks took Little Goldilocks and went to the forest to camp out. Their tent was new and white, and they found that the forest was a delightful place for a home.

Early every morning Mother Goldilocks rose to get breakfast. One morning, when she had blackberries ready in three bowls on the table, Father Goldilocks said: "Let us go to the river and catch some fish for breakfast."

In a few moments Father Goldilocks, Mother Goldilocks, and Little Goldilocks were on their way to the river.

Then along came Little Bear, out for a morning walk. It happened he had never seen a tent before.

"It must be somebody's house," said Little Bear, as he knocked loudly on the front pole of the tent. Nobody answered his knock, so Little Bear opened the flap and walked in.

Near the table were three chairs in a row, a big, big camp chair for big, big Father Goldilocks, a middle-sized camp chair for middle-sized Mother Goldilocks, and a wee, wee chair for wee, wee Goldilocks.

After his long walk, Baby Bear was tired; so he sat down to rest in the big, big camp chair, but it was too high to be comfortable. He then tried the middle-sized camp chair, and that was too low to be comfortable. But when Little Bear tried the wee, wee camp chair for the wee, wee Goldilocks, it was neither too high nor too low; it was just right. So Little Bear sat hard in that wee, wee camp chair until he broke the bottom right out.

Then Little Bear decided to try the beds. In the tent were three beds, made of hemlock boughs and leaves, covered with blankets; a big, big bed for big, big Father Goldilocks, a middle-sized bed for Mother Goldilocks, and a wee, wee bed for the wee, wee Goldilocks.

First Little Bear tried the big, big bed, but it was too hard for him. Then he tried the middle-sized bed for Mother Goldilocks, and it was too soft for him. But when Little Bear cuddled down in the wee, wee bed for the wee, wee Goldilocks, it was neither too hard nor too soft; it was just right. So he went sound asleep.

Soon Father, Mother, and Little Goldilocks came home. The minute they opened the flap of the tent, Father Goldilocks exclaimed in a big, big voice: "Somebody has been sitting in my chair!"

"Somebody has been sitting in my chair!" exclaimed middle-sized Mother Goldilocks.

"And somebody has been sitting in my chair," added wee, wee Goldilocks, beginning to cry, "and he has sat the bottom right out!"

"Somebody has been lying in my bed!" thundered big Father Goldilocks, in a big, angry voice.

"Somebody has been lying in my bed!" declared dear, middle-sized Mother Goldilocks.

"Somebody has been lying in my bed," exclaimed wee, wee Goldilocks, in a shrill, shrill voice, "and there he is!"

When the Goldilocks family came home, Little Bear began to dream that a thunderstorm was raging in the forest, until wee Goldilocks stood beside him, and said in her shrill voice, "There he is!"

Little Bear awoke then, and when he saw good Father Goldilocks, Mother Goldilocks, and wee Goldilocks standing beside him, looking so angry, he sprang to his feet, and ran out of the tent, nor did he stop running until he reached his own home in the deep forest. When the three Goldilocks saw Little Bear run out of the tent they began to laugh. But Little Bear was so frightened he didn't go near the tent home again that summer.

WHAT FATHER BEAR SAID WHEN HE WAS TIRED

One day the big, big Father Bear said something when he was tired that made the middle-sized Mother Bear jump so she dropped a pan of apples off her lap, while Baby Bear danced around and laughed and laughed as if he never would stop.

It happened this way. These Three Bears who lived in the forest were so fond of blackberries they had planted a patch of blackberry bushes in their own garden. Father Bear then bought three hoes—a big, big hoe for himself; a middle-sized hoe for the middle-sized Mother Bear, and a wee, wee hoe for the wee, wee Baby Bear. He also bought three tin pails—a big, big tin pail for himself, a middle-sized tin pail for the middle-sized Mother Bear, and a wee, wee tin pail for the wee, wee Baby Bear.

Every cool June morning the Three Bears used to work in their garden. Big Father Bear used to hoe the earth around the roots of the big, big blackberry bushes; middle-sized Mother Bear used to hoe the earth around the middle-sized blackberry bushes, while wee, wee Baby Bear used to hoe the earth wherever he chose.

Every evening, except when it rained, the Three Bears went through the garden gate and down the path to the river, where they filled their pails with water. The big, big Father Bear carried water to pour around the roots of the blackberry bushes in his big, big pail, while the middle-sized Mother Bear carried water in her middle-sized pail, and the wee, wee Baby Bear carried water in his wee, wee pail.

One morning Mother Bear said it was too warm to work in the garden.

"But I wish to hoe in the garden!" exclaimed big, big Father Bear in his big, big voice.

"And I wish to hoe in the garden!" said the wee, wee Baby Bear in a shrill little voice.

Mother Bear stopped washing three porridge bowls long enough to say, "All right, Father Bear, but Baby Bear must stay in the house and play with his blocks until it is cooler out of doors!"

For a few minutes Baby Bear cried hard because he had to stay in the house, and then he settled down happily to play with his blocks.

Father Bear immediately put on his wide straw hat and went into the garden, where he hoed and hoed and hoed without saying a word. After a while Father Bear felt so warm and tired he stopped to rest a few minutes. He took off his big, big straw hat. He pulled out his red bandana handkerchief and wiped his face. Then he fanned himself with his big, wide hat, but he didn't say one word.

Soon Father Bear picked up his hoe again and hoed and hoed. At last, when he was too tired to hoe any longer, he left the garden and walked into the house.

Mother Bear was sitting in her middle-sized chair with her back to the door. She was paring apples to make apple sauce, and didn't see Father Bear when he kicked off his big, floppy slippers; but Baby Bear saw him, and smiled.

Then something happened! Father Bear, with a wink at Baby Bear, sat down in his big, big chair, hard and suddenly—bump! He sat down so hard the porridge bowls rattled in the cupboard! Next he put both feet on the table, pulled out his red bandana to wipe his face, and burst forth in a loud tone—"Oh, hum!"

It was then Mother Bear jumped so the apples rolled to the floor, and Baby Bear danced round and round and laughed and laughed as if he never would stop dancing and laughing.

"Well, father," said Mother Bear in a half-pleasant, half-cross, middle-sized voice, "don't do that again!"

Baby Bear loved fun, and that may be why he begged, "Oh, do it again! Please do it again!"

Father Bear nodded his head at Baby Bear, grinned, and said louder than ever, in the biggest, big bear voice, "Oh, hum! Oh, hum! Oh, hum-ey—hum—hum!"

Then the Three Bears laughed and laughed until they cried, and Big Bear had to pass around his big, red bandana to wipe away their tears! But he didn't hoe any more that day, because it certainly was too warm.

HOW LITTLE BEAR WENT TO A PICNIC

One time Little Bear went to a picnic to which he was not invited. It happened this way. On a lovely summer morning five big girls had a picnic, and left their baby brothers and sisters at home. The babies didn't cry, because they were all taking naps when the big sisters packed their picnic baskets and walked to the forest.

"I almost wish that I had brought my little sister," said one of the girls on reaching the woods.

"So do I," said another. "I feel lonesome without my little, laughing sister."

"And my baby brother," added another girl. "I thought he would be too much bother, but if he were only here, how happy he would be! I am lonely, too!"

"If we had brought our little brothers and sisters," said the fourth big girl, "we would have our picnic on the edge of the woods, without going a step farther!"

"They might have taken naps under the trees after dinner," agreed the fifth big sister.

Then, instead of spreading their tablecloth on the green grass on the edge of the forest, the five big girls walked on and on until they reached a beautiful clearing where sunshine streamed in and drove the shadows back among the trees. The girls didn't know that the beautiful clearing was Little Bear's favorite playground. They didn't know that a vine-covered path led from the clearing straight to the home of the Three Bears.

Quickly the big girls unpacked their picnic baskets. They spread a white tablecloth on the pine needles. One girl ran to the brook and filled a pail with clear, cold water. The others filled a wooden plate with sandwiches, and placed it on the table—ham sandwiches, jelly sandwiches, and peanut-butter sandwiches. On other wooden plates were cookies, doughnuts, chocolate cake, cream cake, and maple-sugar cake. One girl had brought a dish of honey, another a can of jelly, while the biggest girl untied a box of chocolates and put it on the table beside a saucer of fudge.

Then the girls gathered bunches of fringed gentians to decorate the white cloth. Birds were singing and butterflies were flitting about when the five big girls sat in a circle around their picnic dinner.

But before a girl had taken a bite of anything, somebody came to the picnic who hadn't been invited! That somebody was Little Bear. He walked across the clearing slowly and politely. Little Bear wasn't a bit afraid of five pretty girls sitting in a circle on his playground; he knew they wouldn't do _him_ any harm!

But when the girls saw Little Bear they jumped up and ran away, screaming, "A bear! A bear! A bear!"

Little Bear was so surprised he stood still and watched the five girls until the last pink ribbon and blue ribbon had disappeared. Then he doubled up, and laughed, and laughed, until Father Bear and Mother Bear came. They laughed, too, when Baby Bear explained the fun.

"Did they think I would eat them up?" asked Little Bear, in a shrill voice; and then he laughed again!

"Too bad you scared the girls away from their dinner," said Father Bear, in his big, gruff voice; "but come to the picnic, Sonny, come to the picnic!"

"Yes, come to the picnic," added Mother Bear, helping herself to a creamy chocolate.

"Come to the picnic!" called Baby Bear, after he had tasted everything on the table. "Come, squirrels, come, birds, come, butterflies, and share our picnic!"

Soon came troops of squirrels and rabbits and all the Three Bears' wildwood friends, and to this day there is gleeful talk in the forest of Little Bear's picnic.

As for those five girls, the next time they planned a picnic they took their baby brothers and sisters, and had a jolly time under the trees near the edge of the forest, and Baby Bear never heard a word about it.

THREE BEARS IN THE ENCHANTED LAND

One time Father Bear and Mother Bear went on a long journey, and took Little Bear with them. After the Three Bears had traveled many days through the big forest, they reached the Enchanted Land. There were no fairies or witches or gnomes or brownies in this land; but there were springs of hot water and springs of cold water; there were straight, tall trees and bright flowers; there were rocks of many colors, and rugged mountains. Best of all, no hunters were allowed to harm the folks who lived in the Enchanted Land, or who, like the Three Bears, came there to enjoy their holidays.

When Father Bear and Mother Bear learned they were safe from guns, no matter what they did, they began to have a jolly time. They poked their noses into men's pockets; they peeped into tents; they grew more fearless every day. At last, one day, Father Bear and Mother Bear decided to walk into one of the big hotels in the Enchanted Land and see what it was like inside.

Little Bear was taking a nap in the sunshine when Father Bear and Mother Bear stepped into their hotel. No one was in sight. Father Bear and Mother Bear followed their noses until they reached a big dining room. On the table were bowls of sugar. Mother Bear and Father Bear helped themselves. At first they walked softly about, but soon they began stepping heavily and rattling dishes. Then came men—waiters. Now Father Bear was a big, big bear, and Mother Bear was a middle-sized bear, and the men were frightened.

"Come, come!" one of the men cried, waving a towel, "you get right out of this!"

Father Bear replied in a big, gruff voice. The men didn't understand what Father Bear said, but they didn't like his tone.

When it became known that two huge bears were helping themselves to sugar in the dining room, there was great excitement in the hotel. Perhaps if the head waiter had politely requested them to leave, they would have done so immediately; but when the pompous fellow began shouting and throwing things at them, Father Bear refused to budge, and Mother Bear stood firm.

Then two men, each dragging a hose, entered the dining room from the back and turned streams of water on Father Bear and Mother Bear. The water, cold, steady, and blinding, shot full in their faces—swish-bang? Then the bears were glad to run. Father Bear loves fun; so does Mother Bear. When Father Bear saw Mother Bear looking half scared and dripping, he laughed. When Mother Bear turned to see what amused Father Bear, and saw him looking so ridiculous, with streams of water pouring from his huge body, she laughed.

"Wouldn't Sonny laugh if he saw us now!" she chuckled. "Let's shake ourselves dry before we call him."

Father Bear and Mother Bear supposed that Little Bear was still fast asleep, at home. But that very minute Little Bear was having an adventure of his own. He had no way of knowing how long he had been asleep when a saucy squirrel nipped his ear and ran away.

Little Bear should have stayed where he was and waited for his father and mother to return. But Little Bear was restless, and he soon started off for a walk. Although he knew it was not yet dinner time at the bear's picnic grounds, he thought he would stroll over there.

The bear's picnic grounds are back of the hotels in the Enchanted Land. There Little Bear quickly found a small sirup can. In went his wee paw, and out it came, dripping with sirup. He was the only bear at the party when he found that can, although big bears and little bears soon gathered, to be in time for dinner.

At first Little Bear had a jolly time with his sirup can. But pretty soon instead of licking out the sirup with his tongue, he stuck his whole head into the can—and then he couldn't get it out! Then the fun began—for every one but Little Bear. Men with cameras took his picture as he danced around, trying to get that can off his head. First with one paw, then another, Little Bear tried to get rid of that sirup can. He bumped into other bears as he tried to get free, and was frightened by their growling and grumbling.

At last he got away from the picnic grounds. Then he met a dog that began sniffing at his coat. The next thing Little Bear knew, a kind, familiar voice was saying, "Stand still, Little Bear, and don't be afraid. I am Mother Hubbard, and I will help you. Hush—don't speak my name. I am traveling through the Enchanted Land as plain Mrs. Hubbard, in order not to attract attention. My dog knew you. There, now you are free. You need not thank me. You see, I haven't forgotten the time you befriended my dog when he was lost in the forest." Then she disappeared.

When Father Bear and Mother Bear found Little Bear soon afterward they told him their adventures. Then Little Bear told his. He declared he was homesick.

"We are, too," confessed Mother Bear, with a smile at Father Bear. "There is really no place like home."

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

1. Silently corrected simple spelling, grammar, and typographical errors. 2. Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed. 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_. 4. Superscripts are denoted by a carat before a single superscript character, e.g. M^r.

End of Project Gutenberg's Adventures of Sonny Bear, by Francis Margeret Fox