The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-05-05
The Foxes and the Bear.

=
years, the foxes finding the bear of great ,ad-
Vantage to them, for he contributed more than
the foxes did to the common support, and ne
did most of the fighting in great battle they
once had with the lion. But at last there arose
a family quarrel, and it came about in this way:
Wnen the winter came it was the habit OF the
bear to stop work and spend the whole OF the
time in the cave sucking his paws, and IN this
way he enjoyed himself hugely. The foxes
seeing how well the bear got on without work,
and how he enjoyed himself, commenced suck
ing their paws, but some how or other tney
found that they could not make living IN that
way as the bear could, and that on the whole It
didn'tpay; so they had to go out In the cold
and forage for victuals as usual. linen tneT
began to envy the bear, because he appeared to
enioy himself and live so much easier than they
did. and took violent hatred to him just be-
cause he sucked his paws. They passed law
that the sucking of paws should be abolished
forever among foxes, and then they began to
demonstrate with the bear upon the improprlety
of his conduct, and to petition him to give up
his horrible practice. But the bear said ne
would do no such thing that it was agreed up
on when they first went into partnership that
he should be allowed to suck his paws in peace;
that he had a constitutional right to do so !;
that it was necessary for his comfort and hap
piness, and that paw-suck would he to the end OF
time and the foxes had no right to interfere with
him. Then the foxes got up anti-paw- sucking
societies, which declared that paw-sucklng was
the sum of villainies, and preached at the bear:
petitioned him, and even went so far as to pull
his paws out of his mouth, at which the bear
got into such violent rage that he declared
that he would dissolve partnership with the
foxes and leave the cave, and go and set up
business for himself But the foxes said he had
no right to leave, and that he shouldn't leave
The bear said he would not ask them any odds !;
that he could whip thousand miserable little
foxes, and one morning he told the foxes good
bye, and proceeded to walk out of the cave and
leave it forever. But he had hardly got out of
the cave before the foxes set up tremendous
howl and fell upon him, and there was such
| fight as was hardly ever seen before. The bear
flung the foxes right and left, slapped them
over, crushed them, but the more foxes he Killed
the more they seemed to increase i'll numbers,
for the foxes finding that the bear was about to
get off, sent out and hired some foreign foxes to
help them, so that as fast as one set OF foxes
was killed other foxes were put in their place,
and the bear had no rest. But he stood at bay
and kept the foxes off as fast as they came up.
Finally, the foxes finding that they could not
whip him in fair fight, determined to starve
him out so they surrounded him completely, so
that he could get nothing to eat or drink. The
bear then began TO suffer severely and to grow
thin and weak, and in his distress called upon
the eagle and the lion to come over and help
him, but they told him that he must do his own
| fighting. At last the bear became so complete
ly exhausted by hunger and fatigue that he
could scarcely stand up, and the foxes think
ing that they might now make venture, col
lected together in great number and fell upon
the bear and walopped him, so that he stopped
fighting and cried Enough = and said he would
20 back into the cave again and CARRY on bpsl-
ness as before.
But the foxes told him to await awhile, he
must have his abilities removed. So they tied
him hand and foot with strong cords, and muz-
zled him, and, placed strong guard around,
and began to parley with him and persecute
him. They told him before he could so back
into the cave again he must take solemn oath
of allegiance to the fox government The bear
took the prescribed oath, and said, Now let me
in But the fox said not yet; you must take
another oath that paw-sucking is unconstitu-
tional, and swear never again to suck your
paws The bear took that oath also, and even
went SO far as to declare that paw-sucking had
been disadvantage to him, and that he was
glad that he had been forced to give up the
abominable practice After taking this oath
and making this confession, he said, "Now let
me in" But the foxes said, not yet, you must
eat little dirt first. At this the bear was in
dicnant-he declared that he had never eaten
any dirt in his life, and that it did not agree
with him; but the foxes said no matter, you
must eat little, just little; and the bear made
wry face, and took mouthful OF dirt and eat
it, and said, "Now let me in" But the foxes
said not yet you must eat more dirt; and the
bear eat more dirt, and said, "Now let me in. "
But the foxes said not yet; you haven't eaten
dirt enough The bear then began to eat dirt
ravenously, until his abdomen swelled cut like
Digger Indians, and said, "Now let me in. !"
But the foxes said dwait awhile longer, you must
become penitent and learn to bear and forbear.
The bear was now in most miserable plight f;
he was nearly starved to death, and was cover
ed with wounds and sores from the crown of
his head to the soles of his feet, and thousands
of hungry blue-bellied flies taking advantage OF
his defenceless condition, had settled upon him,
and were feeding on the sores and fattening on
his poverty; and every time the bear attempted
! to shake off these flies, the foxes said that he
was still rebellious, and was trying to get away,
and took occasion to tighten his cords and per-
secute him. They told him that he must not
disturb the flies, but must love them and let
them eat. And the bear let the flies alone and
let them eat, and said, "Now let me in." But
the foxes said, ."Wait little longer, we are
afraid if we let you in, you won't stay in, but
will rebel again and leave us and get back to
your old practice of paw-sucking,; you must
give us guarantees of your good behavlor.1-
And so the foxes kept putting off and tantaliz-
ing the Door bear, and he is outside of the cave
to this day, and if he complains the foxes make
fun of him and call him OLD SORE HEAD
Richmond Enquirer.
WoMANLY MoDEsTY-Man loves the mys-
terious A cloudlcss sky, the full-blown rose,
leave him .unmoved, but the violet which hides
its blushing beauties behind the bush, and the
moon when she cmerges from beneath a cloud,