The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-23
THE BULL AND THE BEAR.
IThrough Mail.l


 And when it was thought that they that loved the bull did hold the bear by the tail, there was peace for time.
 But the bear was not that which he seemed. While he stood as he were sat is6ed, he gnashed his teeth and growled
 And the people ran uRto the queen saying: "Lo, the bear yieldeth us obe- dience for time, but he growleth, and fl our tail-hold breaketh, woe unto our dearly beloved bull"
 And the queen lifted up her voice and cried: Hold ye hard upon the bear and the tail thereof, for say unto you that we have him, and though be growleth and gnasheth his teeth, he is fast" But the bull was not made sure by the word of the queen, and he beloved yei again and did paw up the earth and threaten to gore the bear, which he saw was fast by the tail.
 The bear, hearing the great noise waxed wroth and did growl another growl, and when he saw the paving of the bull, he did yearn to be free by the tail but the more he did yearn, the less was he loose.
 And when the morning was come, the bear that had been fast by that which follcweth him-even by his tail-was loose, and did lie in the stall by the bull and show his teeth, insomuch that the people went again unto the queen, crying
 Lo tho hold which we held hath been broken, and the bear yieldeth unto us no longer, but hath entered in and now lieth in the stall which is called Afghanistan, which is so say the land of the Ameer, and lieth hard by the bull, which belloweth not"
 Then did the queen lift up her voice and weep, saying: "Lo the strength of mine arms waneth. Can it be that our bull, whom we love, hath died the death Doth he show no sign that he yet liveth, and hath he begun to mortify so that he stinketh ? Speak ye ofthat ye have seen 1"
 Then came the chiet man under the queen and stood apart frora the multi tude, and as he stood before the queen he bowed down his head and did make good obeisance, then arose and folded his hands upon his breast but spake not, and the queen was wroth with him and com. manded him saying
 "Why standeth thou silent before the queen2 What sorrow hath fallen upon my people that thou givest it no name in mine ears? What injury hath been done unto mine most sacred bull, that thou standeth mute before me and an- swereth not that which have asked of your Speak and tell me that thou knowest."
 Then did he whom they call Glad stone, the ctief of the queens ministers open his mouth and words did straight way proceed from out the caverns thereof " Most noble queen, the bear lieth with the bull in the stall, and as he growleth and licketh his chops, the bull moveth not that any one knoweth, and yet say unto you, that the bull hath not given up the ghost, but playeth upon the bear with that which the wise men call diplomacy, and pretendeth that which is rot"
 And when the queen heard that, she commanded him to proceed, and he did continue his speech unto the queen, say. ing: "Verily, the bull shammeth while he concentrateth his ideas and wondereth whether it be better to let the bear chew his tail that peace may brood among us, or whether it were preferable that there De war and the tall of our beloved bull be rescued from the wrath ot the bear. Verify there be much doubt among the doctors and these learned in the law"
 Then did the queen shake with anger and paint her cheeks with wroth, and she smote her chiefest among the ministers until the stars passed before his vision in dreis parade, ahd she returned unto the palace and did clothe herself in broad cloth and feha, with pasmentarie thereon, and she did rawhide greatly, and came again unto her minister and assuaged not her wrath, but cried unto him: Wherefore stand ye here while the bear lieth with the bull? Think no, to save the bull without his tail thereon for of such is not the kingdom of Britain, but save him whole, or let the hide go with the tail," and so it is.