Chapter 2

Once in midsummer when wild roses were blooming along the river bank behind the Three Bears' house in the forest and wild birds were singing from every thicket, Father Bear built a raft and took his family floating downstream. The raft was made of logs firmly fastened together. It was big and strong, and had three rustic chairs on it--a big, big chair for the big Father Bear, a middle-sized chair for middle-sized Mother Bear, and a wee, wee chair for wee Little Bear. There were also poles to keep the raft from bumping against the river bank: a rather heavy pole made just for huge Father Bear, a middle-sized pole for middle-sized Mother Bear, and a long, light pole for Little Bear.

Soon they were far from home, but it was afternoon before anything special happened. There was a bend in the river, and when the raft came swishing and tumbling round that bend the Three Bears saw a little log house on a hillside and many children playing outside the door.

At that very moment, bump! went the raft into the bank, and there it stuck among the willows!

"Oh, please do not push the raft into the stream

for a few minutes!" whispered Little Bear. "Let us watch the children!"

"Yes, let us watch the children," added Mother Bear.

So Father Bear, being willing to please his family, seated himself in his huge chair, and Mother Bear seated herself in her middle-sized chair. But Little Bear stood on his tippytoes in his little chair, so that he could see better.

"Oh, I wish those children would let me play with them!" cried Little Bear, as the youngsters joined hands and danced round and round in a circle.

Plainly, the log building was a schoolhouse, for a moment later out stepped the schoolmaster and began to ring a bell.

The children straightway formed in line, boys first, girls behind. Then they all marched into the schoolroom, saying, "Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot," and their feet made a merry stamping.

After the children were all in the schoolhouse and the door was closed, a song came floating through the open windows.

When the singing was over, and the only sounds that the bears heard were the song of birds, the lapping of the water, and the humming of bees, Little Bear said to his father and mother, "I see a little path leading from the river to the schoolhouse, and I see bushes beside one of the windows. If I will go softly, softly, and climb softly, softly into the bushes, may I go and peep into the schoolhouse and see the children?"

"Oh, I do not know about that!" began Mother Bear.

But Father Bear said, "Oh, let him go! Only, Son Bear," he added, "if one of the children should happen to see you, and should say 'Bear,' you run straight down to the raft, and we shall be ready to push into the stream and get away!"

So Little Bear crept softly up the path on the hillside, climbed softly into the bushes, and peeped into the schoolroom. All the children were in their seats with their heads bent over books and slates. Then the teacher said sternly, "Primer class! Come forward!"

Two little girls and one little boy, with blue-covered books in their hands, went to a spot in front of the teacher's desk and stood with their toes on a crack in the floor. The little girls edged away from the boy as far as they could while the master looked at them. Little Bear was so much interested that he climbed closer to the window.

"Open your books," said the schoolmaster.

The three opened their blue-covered books.

"Joan, you may read the lesson first, if you please."

So Joan read, "I--see--a-cat."

"Good!" said the master. "Mary, you may read."

"I-see-a-cat," read Mary. She knew every word of that lesson.

"Now, Simon," spoke the master to the boy, "let us hear you read."

Little Bear was sure that Simon did not know his lesson. He was sure of it because Simon acted so foolish and looked so unhappy. He stood on one foot

and then on the other and twisted and squirmed until the girls giggled.

"Come, Simon," urged the master, "we are waiting." It happened that Little Bear felt so sorry for Simon that he forgot all about himself, and leaned forward until his paws rested on the window sill. No one noticed him then, because bushes clustered close round that window and he had made no sound.

"Simon," the master commanded at last, "read the lesson!"

"I-see," began Simon, "I-see-a-" Then he looked up, but instead of saying "cat," as the primer said, Simon, with eyes as large and round as saucers, dropped his book and cried, "Bear! I see a bear!"

Sure enough, he did. So did all the children. So did the master, because Little Bear was right up in the window, trying to tell Simon the word "cat"!

Down the hill ran Little Bear as fast as he could go, and scrambled on board the raft. Father Bear and Mother Bear used their poles and quickly pushed the raft into the middle of the stream, and away went all three of them, laughing. But Little Bear did not wish to visit school again that day-or that summer.

One morning, when the Three Bears were floating downstream on their raft, they saw a farmhouse in the distance.

"Perhaps we shall never be so near a farmhouse again," said Mother Bear to Father Bear, "so I think we should buy some eggs of the farmer's wife."

"Do be sensible!" exclaimed Father Bear. "Remember that we have no money and that farmers do not love bears."

"That does not matter," said Mother Bear gently. "To-night, when we build our camp fire for the evening, we must have hens' eggs to roast for supper, and how can we have hens' eggs unless we buy them at the farmhouse?"

Father Bear made no answer, but pushed the raft against the bank and tied it to the willows with a rope of wild grapevine. He knew that Mother Bear would have her way, so he wasted no time trying to argue about the matter. "Now, then!" was all Father Bear said after that, as he sat in his huge chair and folded his arms to watch the fun.

'"Now, then,' is what I say, too," added Mother Bear, laughing. "Honey Cub," she said to Little Bear, who was wondering what would happen next, "jump off the raft and bring me many long, slim leaves of the cat-tails growing over there, and I will weave two baskets, one for the money, one for the eggs."

Little Bear hastened to obey. But when he returned with his arms full of cat-tail leaves, he said, "Mother Bear, I have made a wish. Please let us have the eggs for dinner, and let us have them scrambled. Father Bear and I like scrambled eggs better," and Little Bear winked at Father Bear and Father Bear winked back.

"We shall not make camp at noon so near a farmhouse," answered Mother Bear, "and the eggs shall be roasted. Now run along after some long grasses, Honey Cub, for me to weave into the baskets with the cat-tails."

Little Bear obeyed his mother, but he neither danced nor sang as he gathered the grasses. "Noon is the time for dinner," he told a big green frog, "and I wish for scrambled eggs at noon."

"Ker-plunk!" said the frog.

Quickly Mother Bear made two pretty green baskets. "One is for wild strawberries," she explained. "We will fill it to the brim and leave it for the farmer's wife,

instead of money. She will find it in a nest when she goes to gather the eggs."

"I'll gladly pick the berries," said Little Bear, "and I 'll go with you to find a hen's nest that has eggs in it to scramble."

"You will stay with your father while I go for the eggs," answered his mother.

So after Little Bear had filled one green basket with delicious wild strawberries, he stayed with his father while Mother Bear went for the eggs.

"Noon is the time for dinner," Little Bear said in grumbling tones, "and roasted eggs are not so good as scrambled."

"Son Bear," answered Father Bear sternly, "Mother Bear is always right!"

Soon back came Mother Bear, walking fast. And when Little Bear saw the eggs in her green basket, he was so much pleased that he forgot to be cross, although he did not forget his wish. While Father Bear untied the grapevine rope, Little Bear helped Mother Bear to cover the eggs with big green leaves, to keep them cool. He danced and sang as he worked.

"And now we are off for a morning's good fishing!" exclaimed Father Bear, as he pushed the raft into the middle of the stream and passed a wee fish pole to Little Bear, a middle-sized fish pole to Mother Bear, and straightway began fishing himself with his own huge pole and line.

The Three Bears fished all the morning and caught nothing. At noon, without warning, there was a great splashing in the river, and Father Bear exclaimed, "I have a bite!"

Well, he pulled, and pulled, and pulled, and could not land his fish. There was great excitement on

the raft, until suddenly Father Bear almost caught the fish. Up came the line, up bobbed the fish-a huge fish, almost the biggest fish Father Bear had ever caught. But back fell Father Bear, and bumped into Mother Bear, and she bumped into Little Bear, and he sat down in the basket of eggs, because the three were standing one behind another. Then the fish flopped back, splash! into the water--and the Three Bears were hungry!

"Something has happened to the eggs!" exclaimed Little Bear. "I am afraid they are all squashed."

Sure enough! When Mother Bear took the leaves off the basket of eggs, what a sight she beheld! Every shell was broken. Then said Father Bear, laughing: "Roasted eggs are not so good as scrambled, and noon is the time for dinner! Mother Bear, let us go ashore and make camp. We have come a long way from the farmhouse."

"Father Bear is always right," said Mother Bear, as she emptied the broken eggs into the frying pan and began picking out pieces of the shells and tossing them into the water.

That is how it came about that the Three Bears built a camp fire at noon and dined on scrambled eggs. They had a jolly time eating dinner in the woods and talking about what a huge fish it was that Father Bear had almost pulled out of the stream in the morning.

But after dinner Little Bear laughed and sang:

"I had my wish! Because Daddy lost his fish! Ta-de-dum, Ta-de-dum, Ta-de-dum-dum-dum!"

until at last the three bears joined hands and danced round the camp fire singing together:

"Little Bear had his wish When Father Bear lost his fish! Ta-de-dum, Ta-de-dum, Ta-de-dum-dum-dum!"

Three Bears Come to Breakfast

From the day when the Three Bears discovered the Enchanted Land where bears may walk without fear of harm, and may safely poke their noses into any man's tent if they choose, from that day, Little Bear teased to go back.

"Then let us be off," exclaimed Father Bear at last. "Let us be off on a holiday journey, Mother Bear. Come, son, close the door of our little house and away we go!"

And away they went. Little Bear was so happy when the three jolly companions finally reached the Enchanted Land that he went to bed at sunset so that he might be up early in the morning to explore a country where rocks were painted in all colors of the rainbow, where springs of hot water bubbled through the earth, and where crystal-clear waterfalls filled his little heart with wonder.

Sure enough, Little Bear awoke in the early dawn, gave his father a friendly poke in the side, gave his mother's nose a friendly tweak, and thus merrily the day began.

"Let us take a walk before breakfast," suggested Little Bear.

"Very well," agreed Father Bear, "and let us catch fish for breakfast in a mountain stream!"

"And we shall cook the fish in the first hot spring along the way," added Mother Bear.

On through the glorious dawn went the Three Bears, crooning an old song and joyfully sniffing the air, when suddenly they came upon a sleeping camp, where the tents of the campers formed a big circle. In the center of the circle were the ashes of a campfire, and not far away was a cookstove standing near a covered wagon.

On that stove was a kettle. Over to that kettle pranced Little Bear. He lifted the cover and peeped in.

The kettle was full of something Little Bear had never seen before. Over walked Father Bear, over walked Mother Bear. They peeped in the kettle and shook their heads.

"It is something the cook forgot to put away!" remarked Father Bear in pompous tones.

"You may taste of it if you wish, Son Bear," said his mother.

Into the kettle went Little Bear's paw, and out it came filled with soft, brown, juicy fruit. He ate it, and it was good-so good he ate more and more. Father Bear ate the fruit, Mother Bear ate the fruit.

"What is it?" they said one to another. But although they could not answer the question, they liked that fruit so well they ate and ate until they ate it all up. They even forgot their manners and smacked their lips.

Suddenly there was a noise in one of the tents, and out popped the cook's wife, calling, "Oh, the bears are eating our prunes! Oh, the bears are eating our prunes! Shoo! Shoo! Shoo! They were eating our prunes!"

"So we were eating prunes!" exclaimed Mother Bear, as away went the Three Bears, laughing.

"And prunes are good!" piped up Little Bear, in his shrill, shrill voice.

But Daddy Bear pranced through the forest singing:

"Oh, let us sing some new, new tunes! All about her prunes, prunes, prunes!"

And "Prunes, prunes, prunes," the Three Bears sang all that merry day. "Prunes, prunes, prunes, prunes we had for breakfast!"

Little Bear had never heard of the Pied Piper of Hamelin who rid the town of rats, and then, when he went back for his promised pay, was only laughed at, so that he piped away all the children of Hamelin town and never piped them back again. Mother Bear had never told Little Bear that story. However, she had taught her child to keep his promises, which was very fortunate, because one day the Pied Piper appeared when Little Bear was alone in the sunbright clearing which was his favorite playground.

It happened that day that Little Bear found his playground full of caterpillars, and he did not like caterpillars. They were everywhere--on the ground, on the grass, on flowers, on the trees, humping along and humping along, eating green leaves.

"Oh, you old humpty-humps," exclaimed Little Bear, "I wish you would go away!"

But the caterpillars would not go away. They even began crawling over Little Bear. He shook them off and was about to run away when along came that man, tall and thin, with a sharp chin and a mouth where the smiles went out and in, and two blue eyes each like a pin.

And he was dressed half in red and half in yellow, and as we have often been told, he really was the strangest fellow. Around his neck he wore a red and yellow ribbon, and on it was hung something like a flute, and his fingers went straying up and down it as if he wished to be playing.

"I understand that you do not like caterpillars," said this queer fellow to Little Bear. "Men call me the Pied Piper," he went on when he saw that Little Bear was too surprised to speak. "And I know a way to draw after me everything that walks or flies or swims! What will you give me if I rid your playground of caterpillars?"

"I shall give you my porridge bowl," answered Little Bear, "if you can take away these caterpillars."

Little Bear afterward told his father and mother that he did not believe that the Pied Piper could do it.

Straightway the Pied Piper put the long pipe to his lips and began to play a tune--a strange, high little tune. And before the pipe had uttered three shrill notes the caterpillars humped after the Piper--thin ones, plump ones, skinny ones, woolly ones, striped ones, plain ones, great caterpillars, small caterpillars, lean ones, brawny ones, brown caterpillars, black caterpillars, gray ones, tawny ones, they all followed the Piper for their lives until they came to the edge of the river. Then the Piper suddenly stepped aside and down they tumbled and--were--drowned!

Only one too-plump caterpillar came humping slowly back to the playground, making great lamentation.

"What is the matter with you?" asked Little Bear, who had laughed until he was obliged to wipe away tears with the back of his paw at the sight of so many caterpillars following the Pied Piper.

"Oh me, oh my!" wailed the mournful caterpillar. "He said we should sleep in cradles of silk and wake up with wings of purple! It has been the dream of my life to be a butterfly with wings of gold and purple!"

"Cheer up," comforted Little Bear, "you just spin yourself a cocoon caterpillar fashion and go to sleep, and you will surely find yourself turned into a butterfly when you wake up! Mother said so! Now there! Why didn't I remember that caterpillars turn into butterflies, before I promised to give away my porridge bowl! I should like to have my playground full of butterflies! I wish I had thought of that! Now those poor old caterpillars are gone and I promised to give away my bowl! Maybe the Pied Piper will not come back!"

But he did. "I should like my bowl!" said he.

"I know that a promise is a promise," agreed Little Bear promptly and sorrowfully. "You wait here until I run home after it and I shall give you my little bowl!"

And he did. As the Piper took the bowl and turned away, Father and Mother Bear came into the clearing.

"What are you doing with Little Bear's bowl?" they demanded, and would have followed the Pied Piper, but he put the pipe to his lips and began to play a little tune -a soft little tune, sweet and strange. And the music made Father Bear and Mother Bear stand still as if their feet had been tied to the ground.

"Oh, Little Bear!" they cried in terror. "It is the Pied Piper! Oh, Little Bear, do not follow him!"

"Indeed I could not if I wished to do so," answered Little Bear, "because my feet will not go! The music has made me stand still too, and I hear voices singing, 'Stay home with your father! Stay home with your mother! Stay home, Little Bear!'"

As the music grew faint in the distance, the Three Bears were once more able to walk about, and then Little Bear explained that he had promised to give his bowl to the Pied Piper if he would take away the caterpillars, and that he had kept the promise, sad as he felt about losing his treasure.

"Come," said Mother Bear, "I believe we better go home now before we meet any more strangers!"

When the Three Bears reached home, there was Little Bear's bowl on the doorstep, and the Pied Piper's pipe was heard playing softly far away.

After Father Bear told Little Bear the story of Hamelin town he was more glad than ever that he had kept his promise. So was his mother. So was his father.

Little Bear did not like to hear any talk about Sleepy Cave, which was the name of the Three Bears' winter home, the year Jack Frost came late. There were three beds in Sleepy Cave, ready and waiting for the Three Bears-a big, big bed of boughs and moss for huge Father Bear, a middle-sized bed of fir boughs and moss for middle-sized Mother Bear, and a deep, deep bed of feathery moss for Little Bear.

There were also feathery moss blankets taken from fallen logs in the forest--one for huge Father Bear, one for Mother Bear, and the softest, warmest moss blanket of all for Little Bear.

Sleepy Cave was big and warm and dry. There was no chance for snow to drift in the doorway because it was sheltered by a broad overhanging rock, and its back was toward the wind. There was blackberry jam put away in that cave, and combs of honey and other good things to eat in case the family should wake up and feel hungry before spring.

But Little Bear did not like to hear a word about Sleepy Cave. It was the same old story with him, beginning, "I don't want to sleep all winter! Mrs. Maria Wildcat, she said, "Young cub, you won't be anything but a Baby Bear, eating porridge out of a little bowl, and sitting in a wee, wee chair, and sleeping in a wee, wee bed, for another hundred years if you lie around and sleep all winter! You'll never grow up!' She always says that! And Mr. Bob Wildcat, he said--"

"There, there," Mother Bear interrupted, "don't let me hear another word about Maria Wildcat or any of the Wildcat family! I think I said this to you once before!"

"But I don't want to sleep all winter," wailed Little Bear. "I want to stay in our own little house in the woods and see the snow in the evergreens. I'd love to play in the snow and go sliding on the ice. I want to stay here and eat porridge out of my little bowl and sit in my little chair and sleep in my little bed! Father Deer's children do not sleep all winter. They make tracks in the snow, and they lie down to rest in the evergreens and watch for their enemies in the middle of the day! Father Deer told me about it all over again! I want to stay here and play all winter like other folks! Sally Beaver's mother, she said--"

"Hush," advised Mother Bear, "you have said enough!"

Mother Bear spoke severely, but a moment later when the little fellow went out and sat on the doorstep to think, she said to Father Bear, "Suppose we have a surprise party for Little Bear?"

"A good idea!" agreed Father Bear. "But there is snow in the air, and if there is to be a party it had better be this afternoon. Whom do you wish to invite?"

Mother Bear smiled as she answered, "Let us invite the children of our hibernating friends. I think that will be pleasanter. We'll invite Auntie Cinnamon's children, and Uncle Brown Bear's family, and the Porcupine twins, and the Field Mice children, and the young Musk-rats. If you will do the inviting, I will make blackberry jam and honey cakes and get the house in order!"

Little Bear didn't even ask a question as Father Bear started out, looking rather proud of his new fur overcoat.

In the afternoon, as Father Bear and Mother Bear were happily waiting for Little Bear's company, there came a knock at the door, followed by the entrance of Auntie Cinnamon.

"I came to say," said she, "that my children cannot come to the party because they have gone to sleep for the winter. No, I cannot stay, I thank you, but I am glad to stop in a minute to say good night until spring."

"Sleepy heads!" exclaimed Little Bear when Auntie Cinnamon had gone on her way.

Next came Uncle Brown Bear. He was so plump he was out of breath from walking fast and had to rest a minute before he could say, "Our children are all asleep and cannot come to the party, but Auntie Brown sent me over to say we thank you, and good night until spring!" And away he went.

"The sleepy heads!" exclaimed Little Bear again, and how he laughed. "But where is the party, Mother Bear, and am I invited?"

Just then came another knock at the door, and Mother Porcupine walked in to say that the twins were tucked away in bed for the winter and so could not come to Little Bear's surprise party.

Little Bear was so delighted when he learned he was to have a surprise party that he wasn't disappointed when the laughing Blue Jay came with a message from the Field Mouse mother saying that the Field Mice children just couldn't keep their eyes open, they were so sleepy, and so of course they could not come to the party.

"I'll sit by the window and see who does come," said Little Bear, happy as he could be thinking of the party.