Waterbury Democrat., 1902-04-05

til you have digested that last meal of yours. Even if you wander away quite a distance shall not scold you.'
 "Tom always talked to the snake as if it could understand him, and there's no doubt the snake did comprehend the substance of what Tom said The snake was crawling away with look of content at getting vacation when an idea occurred to Tom.
 Remember he called after the snake, that bears have even more of a sweet tooth than snakes. If that upstart bear that humbled you the other night should happen to stumble when he was full of nitroglycerin and whisky he would go in little bits to the place provided for bad bears. And l wouldn't wonder if this evening when you return you could find both the glycerin and booze in the barn.
 "Tom always insists that the snake understood all he said. Maybe it did, and maybe it was only an accident. Maybe, as the deacon says, it was fate.
 Anyhow, that evening the deacon happened to feel thirsty. There was nothing unusual in this, but the worthy old man, being tired, decided to send the bear down to Tom Wil~ sons tavern for bottle of liquid joy, instead of going himself. The bear had made similar trips, so there was no reason why the deacon should blame himself for the tragedy which followed.
 sThe bear was on his way back from the tavern, carrying the bottle in his mouth, when right in the pathway he met the snake. At first the good bear was going to crush the snake. Then he noticed that in front of the snake was big cup of whisky.
 'sThe snake looked at the bear in a friendly way, as if inviting him to have q drink. The good bear loved booze. Of course, it was his duty to go right home with the bottle to the suffering deacon. But he couldn't withstand the temptation.
 'sSo he pushed the snake away and drank up all there was in the cup. Then he picked up the bottle in his teeth and was on the point of start ing home.
 But the treacherous snake got in front of the bear and began waving his head and beckoning in manner that showed plainly enough he was inviting the bearAto come with him and have some more. The bear hesi- tated. Then he turned his back on duty and the thirsty deacon and sham bled after the snake into the barn.
 'sIn the rear of the barn, right out on the floor, stood an open pail full of the bears faforite beverage. The bear applied himself to it in his hearty, earnest fashion.
 '.The bear had the capacity of four good men, but the pailful was consid- erable of contract at that. In the end he finished it. But by that time he was far from being bear that would have won blue ribbons at tenn perance meeting.
 fsAs soon as the treacherous snake saw that the bear was in a condition of blissful inebriety, he beckoned him over to another corner in which stood a small can of nitroglycerin. The bear swayed about over the can in man ner which made the snake far from comfortable, but in the end the bear lowered his head and tasted the glyc- erin Then he Tapped up every drop of the swedish stuff, the snake look ing on in an anxious but satisfied man. ner.
 ssWhen the bear was properly loaded the snake led the way out of the barn to the road. The bear followed, but wabbly. When they reached a place where steep, rocky bank sloped down from the side of the road, the snake turned off. He gave another wavy, beckoning motion of his head. Then he darted off.
 "The bear, trusting in the wicked, treacherous snake and filled with :. blissful visions of more drinks and sweet things, tried to break into a run so as to keep up with the snake. But the best of bears cannot run after drinking pailful of stuff that cheers and stimulates. The bear lost his foot ing, fell and went with a crash to the bottom of the rocky slope. siFor the next few seconds it rained good bear. The snake, too, was only a few feet from the bear when he ex- ploded and he had to enjoy his re- venge in small fragments.
 
 "Deacon Rodgers waited thirstily all night for the return of the bear and the bottle. In the morning he went out to search for both. He saw the hole in the ground and the little frag- ments of bear on the trees near by. The good deacon was puzzled.
 live heard of explosive tempers,' he said in sorrowing tones, but this is the first time I ever heard of an ex- plosiye bear. To think that a creature that I've taught and cherished should leave me in such an abrupt manner and take the bottle with him.
 Tt wasn't until Tom Wilson con- fessed, that people understood what had happened. Tom was grieved and sort of ve1ed, too.
 "'To think that any snake that I've trained he exclaimed, indignantly, wouldn't know better than to be traipsing over the country only few feet away from bear loaded with whisky and nitroglycerin.' "-N. Y. Sun.