Middletown transcript., 1902-03-22
The Good Bears Temptation.
sooooooooooooooo

i yOurscll III tuc ueius ana uieauOH6 III
| til you have digested that last me,
| Of yours. Even il you wander ava
| quite distance shall not scold you.'
tom always talked to the snake q
If it could understand him, and there
no doubt the snake did comprehend IL
| substance of what Tom said. The snak
was crawling away with look of cor
tent at getting vacation when an ide
occurred to Tom.
Remember lie called after tn
snake, that bears have even more Q
9 sweet tooth than snakes. IF that up
start bear that humbled you the othe
night should happen to stumble when h,
was full of nitro-glycerin and whisk,
he would 60 in little bits to the plact
provided for bad bears. And wouldn'
wonder il 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 Wilson's 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.
1.-The 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
ne noticed that in front of the snake
was big cup of whisky.
''The snake looked at the bear in a
friendly way, as If inviting him to have
a drink. The good bear loved booze.
OF course, it was his duty to 20 right
home with the bottle to the suffering
deacon. But he couldn't withstand the
$50 he pushed the snake away and
drank up all there was in the cup. Then
be picked up the bottle in his teeth
and was on the point of starting home.
but the treacherous snake got in
.ront OF the bear and began waving
ais head and beckoning in a manner
hat showed plainly enough he was
INVITING the bear TO come with him
md have some more. The bear hesi-
ated. Then he turned his back on |
luty and the thirsty deacon and sham. |
lied after the snake into the barn.
I'm the rear of the barn, right out
n the floor, stood an open pail full of
ne bears favorite beverage. The bear
ppiled himself to it in his hearty,
arnest fashion.
THE bear had the capacity of four
ood men, but the pailful was consid.
rable of contract at that. In the
nd ne finished it. But by that time
9 was far from being a bear that
'ould have won blue ribbons at a tenn
erance meeting.
"As soon as the treacherous snake
Iw that the bear was in a cordition
blissful inebriety, he beckoned him
yer to another corner in which stood ,
small can of nitro-glycerin. The bear ,
vayed about over the can in a man. ,
er which made the snake far from /,
but in the end the bear
wered his head and tasted the Give )
in. Then he Tapped up every drop J
the sweetish stuff, the snake look =
9 on in an anxious but satisfied man.
II.
"When the bear was properly loaded t
e snake led the way out of the barn {
the road. The bear followed, but O
'bbly. When they reached a place
'ere steep, rocky bank sloped down b
I'M the side of the road, the snake v
med off. He gave another wayy. |,
ckoning motion of his head. Then K
darted off. a,
The bear, trusting In the wicked. tl
acherous snake and filled with bliss. d
visions Of more drinks and sweet 3,
ngs, tried to break into q run so
TO keep up with the snake. But the Ia
It OF bears cannot run after drink c.
pailful of stuff that cheers and W
nulates. The bear lost his footing. al
and went with crash to the bottom | 81
he rocky slope. pl
For the next few seconds IL rained 90
d bear. The snake, too, was only 81
wv feet from the bear when he ex "a
led and he had to enjoy his revenge
small fragments. is
Deacon Todgers waited thirstily all ha
ut for the return of the bear and
bottle. In the morning he went est
to search for both. He saw the or
in the ground and the little frag- bo
Its OF bear on the trees near by. The eff
deacon was puzzled. re,
I've heard of explosive tempers' thl
said in sorrowing tones, but this is asl
first time ever heard of an ex. :
i've bear. To think that creature fal
I've taught and cherished should bu
g me in such an abrupt manner no
take the bottle with him. brl
[t wasn't until Tom Wilson confessed we
people understood what had hap is
ed. Tom was grieved and sort of ou
ed, too. is
10 think that any snake that I've ou
ned,' he exclaimed, Indignantly, ms
1ldn't know better than to be traips- nei
over the country only a few feet Gle
y from bear loaded with whisky ms
nitro-glycerin. IN Y. Sun. etc
... me
GA0a AAv;an