Little Bear at Work and at Play | Page 7

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!"
[Illustration: Little Bear crept softly up the path]
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
[Illustration: Little Bear leaned forward until his paws rested on the window sill]
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