The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-08-27
A Little Baby Bear.


use them all, and still not be able to
tell me what l saw today. Do
you give it up? Well, it was
a tiny baby bear. A hunter had
caught him in the woods and brought
him to town in his arms. AS soon as l
heard of him l invited the baby to
spend part of day with me, and we
had great fun playing together.
Long ago used to have a picture Of
Santa Claus, a fat little man, all
dressed in fur suit, and when l saw
the baby bear l could almost believe
that my picture had come alive. He
mad the same short woolly legs and fat
roly-poly body; and there, too, was the
droll, grave face looking as if he were
trying to keep from laughing. He
came right into the house. as If he had
known me all the three weeks of his
life; and walked about under the chairs
ana tables, for ho was no larger than a
Dig cat. His little pointed black nose
went into everything that he saw; but
as soon as he had got a good smell he
trotted away and put his nose into
something else. He seemed to be hunt
ing for some smell that he had known
In the woods, where he was born and
mad lived so cozily, snuggled up to his
mothers nice black fur. When he got
through with the legs of things, he
went higher. Right up to the tip-top
OF a great armchair he climbed, and
hung himself across the back as if he
were hanging himself out to dry. There
ne rested little while; then, drawing
himself into ball, off he rolled on to
the floor with such a thump that l
thought he must have hurt himself.
But he thought not, for without even
waiting to rub his knees, he ran across
the floor to stand up on his hind feet
IN front of my bookcase. He reached
out one of his soft paws, and patted the
backs of the books, as if to say: ST
ike you very much, but 1 have not
time to read you just now"
am sure you would have thought
him very cunning if you had seen him
tipping about on his hind feet with a
tiny yellow orange in his arms. He
hugged 1t tight against his breast and |
set row of wee baby teeth in the skin |
But l did not catch a glimpse of his
tongue until l gave him the hand mir |
ror. The moment he saw the babv |
Dear IN the glass, pink tongue, like
a curled rose-leaf, came out and made
loving little smudges all over the
bright glass.
Again and again he lifted I'D the
glass and peeped underneath to find
Inc baby bear behind it. suppose he
wanted a good hug besides the kisses.
ana don't wonder, for he was soft
and nice to squeeze.
When his dinner time came gavo
llm his milk in bottle with a rubhar
.op. When he saw it he reached out
md whimpered for it just as a hungry
oaby does. He stood up and took the
bottle between his front paws and
lpplng 1t up, sucked away SO fast that
soon there was no milk left.
Then when he saw that il was all
zone he lifted up his little black coat-
iIeeVe and wiped off his milky month
Oh MS way back to his home +ba
'hlldren got abOl5 him on the stroa+
lnd laughed and jumped about him
tapping their hands; but he seemed to
Ike the fun and made them Iausb
ouder by standing up on Lis hind LEGS
mo walking like cunning little man.
lie wanted to stay out in the straet m
nay some more when he got homo
'ut you see 1t was past bear bedtime
nG ne mad to be taken in. I am glad
o De able to tell you that he did not
fy at all as he trotted in and found
us own little bed that must have
eemed nice and home-like, all ready
OF MIN In the corner.-Louise H. wall
st. Nicholas. - '" ''''