Father Bear and Bobby Bear

  Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Dave Hobart and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

  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

  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 offire, 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 notnice for little boys and girls to hear. And there was little BobbyBear. His voice was sweet, for he was very young.

  All of the bears had lovely, brown skins. When the sun shone on themthey 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 arecalled forefeet and hindfeet--or front feet and back feet. Soinstead of finger nails and toe nails they have claws.

  But you are anxious to know something about Bobby Bear's home. Itwas 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, insteadof reading books like children and grown-ups, they just went rightoff to sleep.

  BOBBY GROWS UP

  Bobby Bear was growing to be a big bear, fast. Soon he would be abig-boy bear.

  Most of the time he stayed at home with Mother Bear, helping her inthe house when he wasn't playing.

  It wasn't much fun for Bobby Bear to play. He had no other littlebears for company. So he had to play and pretend bears were withhim.

  He would say, "You sit there, Little Gray Bear," or "Now, LittleBlack Bear, you be quiet."

  One day Bobby Bear wandered down by the river, lonesome and sad. Therippling waters seemed to say to him that some day he would have alittle playmate, just like little human children had.

  And when he was in the forest he would stop and listen to thewhispering of the trees. They, too, seemed to tell of the time whena little girl would bring a great joy to him--poor, lonely, littleBobby Bear.

  So, in his own way--the way that all bears have of thinking--he feltsure that some day he would not be lonely any more, nor quiet, norsad.

  It may have been that very day, while Bobby Bear wandered in theforest, that Jane Bird was thinking of him, too. Such things dosometimes happen.

  You see, Jane Bird lived with her father and mother, near the greatforest where the Bear family made their home.

  Jane Bird played with the other little children who lived near. Suchfun as they had--running, jumping, skipping. And they played"school," and "keeping house," and pretended they were grown-uppeople. 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 atdusk, when the sun was going down, away over by the dark woods,could have been seen three great forms. These were the bears goinghome to their cave.

  BOBBY BEAR HAS TO HELP IN THE HOUSE

  Early one morning, Bobby was wakened by his mother who calledsharply: "Come, it is time to get up. You know you must help me withthe dishes today. If you want to go with your father to get somecorn you must look sharp."

  My, but Bobby was sleepy, for he had walked so far in the woods theday before that he was quite tired out. So when his mother calledhim, instead of jumping right out of bed as he usually did, heturned over and went to sleep again.

  Ten minutes later, his mother went into his bedroom to see if he wasnearly dressed. Imagine how annoyed she was to find him stillasleep.

  "Bobby, Bobby, get up at once. I will not call you again. Yourfather is all ready to go, and you cannot go with him until you havehelped me around the house."

  "BOBBY, BOBBY, GET UP AT ONCE"]

  At this Bobby Bear jumped right up, for he had been looking forwardto the trip to the place where the corn grew. Besides he alwaysliked to go walking with his father because he loved him so much.

  It was a beautiful morning and Bobby soon forgot how tired he waswhen 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 washall 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 throatwhich seemed to be there all the time although he swallowed it overand over again.

  "Now, my boy," cried his father, "how much longer are you going tobe? I have almost finished my pipe. Just as soon as I am throughsmoking I am going to start."

  Bravely forcing back his tears, Bobby Bear hurried with the dryingof the dishes which by this time were all washed.

  A few minutes later, he cried joyfully: "All through! Now we'reready 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 hisfather, that he was skipping merrily about, just like a little dog.

  "You seem glad this morning," said Father Bear. Then, with a glanceat Mother Bear, who was standing by smiling he added: "Perhaps itis because you're all through with your house work, eh?"

  At this, Bobby Bear grew red in the face, for after all just washingdishes wasn't much help to his mother with the housework.

  He asked timidly, "Mother, perhaps before I go, I should help yousome 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 andI am very willing to have my little Bobby Bear run off now and enjoyhimself."

  THEY VISIT THE FARMER'S CORNFIELD

  "Where are you going to get the corn?" asked Bobby Bear, as hetrotted along beside his father that bright, sunny morning.

  "Why," Father Bear replied, "we have been invited by Farmer Jenkinsto 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 thanthe 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 arefeeling strong, my boy," replied Father Bear.

  At this Bobby proudly bent his right arm, to show how big his musclewas, 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 allseason."

  On they went, mile after mile. Soon it became hot. Father Bear,being big and strong, didn't get tired. Bobby, because he was soyoung, soon became weary.

  Do you think he showed it, though? Not he. He had been brought up tobear pain, and hard work, and cold, and heat, without complaining.

  My, how glad he was, though, to see the yellow mass some distanceahead 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 andacres of it."

  Bobby had heard his father talking to a bear neighbor one day, andthey had used the word "acre" when describing things. So he, justlike 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 notto notice it. So he simply answered, "Yes, there's surely a lot ofcorn 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 ontheir 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. Eachhad his arms full of corn.

  "How hot the sun--and how hard the road--and, oh, how far away homeis." 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, stretchingout, they both slept.

  It was Bobby who woke with a start. Old Man Snake was making offwith some of the corn.

  "Father! Father!" cried the boy-bear. "Quick, Old Man Snake isstealing my corn."

  Awaking in an instant, Father Bear jumped up and with one blowstretched the snake out--dead.

  "Just in time, my boy. A few seconds later and the snake would haveeaten our corn. Then we would have been short many ears of corn."

  Once more they started on the road home. This time they wentquicker, for the rest had done them good.

  When Mother Bear saw what a lot of fine, rich, golden corn they hadbrought, she said, "I'm glad you got a lot, for uncle, aunt and thelittle cousins are all coming for a corn feast.

  "Even then there will be lots over for us," she added. "I guess I'llcan it."

  Imagine that night. By the light of a great, white moon theyfeasted and danced and sang songs, in bear language, of course. Andthey drank cider and played checkers.

  THEY DRANK CIDER AND PLAYED CHECKERS]

  Being good bears, however, they didn't stay up very late, so no onewas all tired out when morning came.

  Bobby and his father felt as fresh as the morning dew. This was theday 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, asthey started on their journey.

  "Why, certainly you have," answered his father. "Don't you rememberthat sweet, sticky stuff you had on your bread last year, when yourUncle 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? Ordoes it grow on trees?"

  "Just wait and see. In a little while you will know," answeredFather Bear.

  By now they had left their cave far behind them. Bobby Bear did notfeel so tired today as he did the morning before. Perhaps he wasgetting used to walking.

  The sun was not so hot, for there were some clouds in the sky and agentle breeze blew.

  Soon they reached a great clover field at the end of which were anumber of large trees. They made their way toward the tallest ofthese, a very big tree, one that it would have taken Bobby quite alittle 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 cancount 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 totry to count. No little Bobby Bear could possibly do it. Now, myboy, if you will look up in that tree you will see a great hole. Doyou see it?"

  "Where?" asked Bobby, bending his neck, so that he was looking atthe very tip-top of the tree, where the branches seemed to hit theclouds.

  Father Bear smiled as he called out: "No, no, not there. You'relooking away too high. See, much lower," and he pointed to the placewhere the hole was.

  "Oh, now I see it. I didn't look there. I thought you meant way uphigh," said Bobby Bear. "What makes the hole so black, father? Andlook, it's moving. Why, it's all flies."

  "Now, my boy, I'll tell you all about the honey. Those little blackthings up there, of which there are so many, are not flies. They arebees. There are thousands of those bees swarming in and around thathole."

  "Why, where do they all come from?" asked the little bear, "and whatare they doing up there? And where's the honey? I don't see anyhoney."

  "Wait a moment and I'll tell you," answered Father Bear. "That holeis the bees' home, just as the big cave is our house. And everynight the bees come to the hole to sleep. But they have been at homemany times in the day also.

  "Haven't you ever seen the bees flying around the flowers? Perhapsyou thought they were flies. Do you know what they were doing? Theywere getting honey from the flowers."

  Bobby Bear was puzzled. "Honey from the flowers?" he repeated. "Ifthe flowers have honey, why do we have to come all this way to getthe honey? Why can't we go to the flowers the way the bee does andget all the honey we want?"

  "If we did that, my boy," his father answered, "it would take usmany years to fill even a small cup with honey. No, there arethousands and thousands of bees that come and go all day long and asthey do nothing else, very soon they have a lot of honey all in oneplace. That is what we have come for today."

  Leaving that great tree, they went and looked at many others. Someof the trees had big holes where bees buzzed around; most of themhad 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, wemust 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 Iwish to find which one has most honey. You know I will have to climbthe tree and dig all the honey out, so I want to get as much honeyas I can at one time."

  "Look, father," cried Bobby Bear. "See all those bees over there. Itseems to me there are more at that tree than at any tree we haveseen yet."

  "I guess you are right," Father Bear replied. "We'll go a littlecloser and see."

  Sure enough, when they got beneath the tree which Bobby had pointedout,
there were the bees swarming in hundreds. The buzzing noisethey made would have given the bears a headache, only bears don'tget such things.

  Father Bear certainly was pleased. "Why, my boy, from that treealone, if I am any judge, we can get enough honey to last us formonths. In fact, you can have bread and honey for breakfast everymorning, if you wish."

  Bobby replied: "I can't exactly remember what the honey was likethat Uncle Grumpy brought, for it is so long ago. But I don't thinkI would like to have bread and honey every morning. Some mornings Iwould like preserves, or eggs, or fish."

  His father laughed. "Well, you won't have to eat honey every morningunless you wish. I only meant that there would be lots of it. Nowlet us get started."

  Father Bear now looked carefully at all his claws to see that theywere quite sharp. In order to climb the tree he would have to dighis claws deeply into the bark.

  Bobby Bear, noticing this, said: "Why do you look to see if yourclaws are sharp, father? You filed them this morning before we cameaway."

  "I know I did," his father answered, "and I am not worrying aboutthe 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 therough ground."

  Bobby looked up at the tree where all the bees were flying aroundand around, keeping up a most noisy buzzing. Then he thought of hisfather going all alone up the tree to take the honey from all thosebees, which surely would not want to part with it.

  Father Bear did not seem to be afraid. He had already dug his clawsinto the thick bark at the foot of the tree and was about to climb.