New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-04-30
JOHNNY AND THE BEAR.

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ONcE there was 8 little bow named
Johnny There are lots Of little bows
named Johnny, Of course, but this one.
may be known from all the other john
MES IS the particular little johnny who
met q bear. Is
And this was the way Of it: You see
no wanted to be hunter. No sto-
ries but g animal stories'' would go
down with Johnny, and the more saw
age they were, tho better it suited him.
Bear stories were his favorites. john
ny took to bear stories as duck
takes to water, and he thought nothing
would be SO fine as to grow up and kill
q bear.
The very first big toy he asked for
was an Indian bow and arrow, and he
used go to creep-crawlinq through the
woods and fields near his home, shoot
ing at chipmunks and pretending they
were bears. and popping away at
Dlack-birds in the orchard, and calling
them eagles. When Johnny got to be
twelve years old, what do you suppose
he wanted more than anything else in
the worldp
Dunno. Whatp
Look into your own heart and guess,
Master Charles: A shotgun.
And did he get itp''
You wait and see. One day last sum-
mer his father sent him on an errand to
friends house, two miles away from
the village, on farm. OF course, john
ny couldn't 60 in the road. though that
was the easiest way. But love the
fields so we'll that l don't blame him,for
going through them instead of along
the dusty road.
When he got about halfway there,
Ee turned q little to ono side to look at
two big chestnut trees and see how the
nuts were getting along. Just before
he reached them, there was clump of
tall blackberry bushes, and he stopped
70 see it there were any ripe berries.
But other things love blackberries be-
side boys, and before Johnny could pick
even one, the bushes opened, and out
stepped an enormous great bear
He wasn't one of the nny-loOking
little black bears, such as You see at
the shows, but q big cinnamon bear,
that stood full six feet high as he raised
himself up on his hind legs and looked
straight at Johnny with his sharp little
eyes. .
Well, suppose there never was
boy SO scared as Johnny was, not since
the bears came out of the woods and
made meal of the young sauceboxes
that called good old Elijah bad names.
johnny was too frightened even to
:" holler," and as for running. he
couldn't move any more than if he'd
been stuck to the ground with Spald-
ing's glue. He just stood and looked
at the bear, with his face pale, his eyes
sticking out, and his hair all creep
Gravity.
The bear didn't move nor say any
thing in particular. He just kept his
eye on Johnny, and opened his mouth
with what the boy would have called a
grin at any other time, and painted
with the heat holding his tongue out
like adog.
johnny thought pretty fast, can
tell you, as folks do when in danger.
He had heard the Bible story, and
tried to remember if he had told any
body to sect up, old bald head." No,
he hadn't, but he had called the school,
master old ap.locks,' for taking
his gun away, and thought perhaps
that was most as bad: for the master
was very good man.
He was so scared he didn't know
what he did say, but this was it:
s. Please, Mr.. Bear, don't eat me
up.''
The bear growled and shook his
paw.
"Just let me off this time and I'll
never call anybody no names agin,"
whimpered Johnny. .'1f you will"
hesaid, brjghteningup, "Pllgo straight
home and bring you back nice fat
little pig-honest and true will
ever so much fatter'n me. I'm most
all bones honestly, n0w-mother she
calls me her 'wash-board' every time
she scrubs my ribs; I run so much, she
says
The bear really laughed this time.
He stretched his mouth, ran out his
tongue, and then stuck it in his cheek,
rolled his little bright eyes, and then
actually began to dancaj Yes, to
dance. Something between waltz
step and march, Johnny thought, for
he-Johnny, not the bear-had been q
term in one of Mr.. Walkers nice
classes, and knew the step better than
his father did. Round and round the
bear went, nodding his head, and bob
bling his forepaws up and down like q
Shaker.
If Johnny was scared before, he wa,
astonished now. But speaking of run.
ming had made him think of his legs.
and he thought it would be q good
thing to ''get it, when the bears back
was turned. He hadn't taken three
steps, though, before he heard terri
BILE growl from the bear. and turning
his head saw the creature on all tours,
close after him.
8. Hold upr' yelled Johnny, 81 was
just goin' to get some more of the
fellers to see the show!''
U-r-ghv' said the bear.
All right said Johnny.
Then the bear stopped down and
picked up long stick, raised himself
on his hind legs again, and held the
stick tight by his side with one fore
paw, and hung the other straight down
just as Johnny had seen soldiers do
with their muskets on dress parade.
Then he passed the stick to the other
side, and then presented arms BY
holding it straight out with both paws.
No! nor cried Johnny, who had
watched the bears actions very closely;
), you may be sure I won't shoot you.
I amt got any gun yet, but pap said
he'd buy it next year, when I'm thir-
teen.' k=s
The bear again began dancing.
Oh. nor said Johnny, louder still
this time, 81 won't ever have any
gun Or shoot anythingl honestly /
Won'tr'
The bear fairly capered st this. He
danced faster than ever, and ended up
BY standing on his head.
Johnny had to rub his eyes to make
sure he wasn't dreaming.
But the bear came down on all tours,
and picking up little willow basket,