Samuel E. Lowe

“ 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. ”

“ 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." ”

“ 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 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. ”

“ 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." ”

“ 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." ”

“ 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." ”

“ 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. ”