The Grange advance., 1873-10-29
THE BEARS IN BERNIE.

Several years ago, when we Were al
Berne, in Switzerland, we saw some
bears who were playing about very &C.
lively. The bear has such solemn
suspicious face, and he is often so fierce
that we were quite surprised to find
that ne can be so playful and silly. A
funnier sight than those bears in Berne
tumbling round in their playground "a
pit or cellar, built of stone, about fifteen
feet deep we think we never saw.
Each one seemed to be trying to see how
much more ridiculous he could behave
than the others. one of the younger
ones especially distinguishing himself.
He seemed to know that there was a
whole crowd Of children and good
many grown folks looking on, and he
capered around in his clumsy way up
and down the trunk of tree, on the
floor, and in the tank Of water, his
special plaything being large wooden
ball, all the while keeping the soberest
face in the world, and not seeming to
care bit that he was acting just as sill
ly as can be. You may be sure the
children threw him plenty of cakes,
candies and biscuits as a reward. but he
did not seem to care great deal for
them.
The city government of Berne always
keeps several living bears for the amuse-
ment of the people, and has done so for
several hundred years, the bear being
sort Of national animal. You see pic
lures and images of him everywhere, in
cakes and confectionery, in ornaments
Of various kinds, in statues large and
small, and even on the walls of the
churches. Well, one moonlight night,
good many years ago: a man, who had
been drinking liquor until he was quite
drunk, and was in every way very
wicked man, was passing the pit with
some companions, and seeing the bears
out Of their den, he said that he was
not afraid to go down and fight them.
Before his friends could stop him he
had jumped down and with many an
oath was defying the bears. At first
they let him alone, but by and-ty he
became moae daring, and they attacked
him. He could not get out of the pit,
and before his companions could get
back with ladder, the bears had killed
him, and so torn his limbs that they
hardly hung together.
Here is another story about these
same bears. A few years ago num-
Der Of children were watching them
from the wall above, among them quite
little girl, who was sitting on the wall,
her nurse holding her. Suddenly the
child fell-and right down among the
bears. Her nurse shrieked for help.
but there was no man near, and no
means of getting down at once to take
the child out. Then the nurse thought
of Him who can help when no human
hand can. She fell on her knees, and
prayed to God to save the child-and
He heard her prayer. One of the bears
came up and smelled around the child.
but did not touch it, A second and
third came, and did the same. Mean
while the keeper had been sent for and
he went down and brought the child
safely out.
A Boy eight years old, in one Of our
public schools having been told that
reptile is an animal that creeps," on
being asked to name one, on examina-
tion day, promptly and triumphantly
replied, "A baby"
OUR sympathies are with the second
boy in the following, most decidedly ::
AT a juvenile party one little fellow,
rejoicing in the splendor Of his new
: ~ Il a..
clothes, went up to an another with the
triumphant remark. e You ain't dress
ed as well IS I am .Well retorted