Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1905-01-26
RESPONDED TO LOVE
FIERCE BEAR MADE FRIENDS
WITH LONELY CHILD.
Shared Food and Bed with Boy, and
Refused to Harm Hlm-companion-
ship Existed for Many Days Before
Discovery Came.

About two hundred years ago rich
rold was duke of the province of Lor-
raine, says the Scottish-American.
The duke was fond of animals, and
among his savage pets was a great
bear named Marco. This bear was
housed in a rough hut in corner of
his royal masters park. He was sup
piled with the best of food by the
keeper of the animals, and on state
occasions he was led out by big
chain and made to dance for the
amusement of Duke Leopold's friends.
Marco was fierce, and when he
swung his shaggy head out of the
door of his hut and showed his white
teeth in an ugly snarl no one dared to
go near him, for one blow of his paw
would have knocked a man senseless,
and those white teeth of his were very
sharp.
One cold winter night Marco, hav-
ing swallowed his supper in a few
gulps, shambled back to, the furthest
corner of his hut and curled himself
up to sleep. He was Just at the fall
ing off, point when he heard a sound
at his door. He started up, and what
should he see but small boy, hop
ping first on one foot and then on the
other, shivering with cold. The poor
child was homeless, had lost his way
In the dukes forest and had run into
the bears hut for shelter. Marco did
not know who this newcomer might
be, bue he was so surprised that he
forgot to growl.
Then strange thing happened.
The boy ran over to Marco and peered
into his shaggy face. crying in glee.
why, you are the dukes funny bear
that I saw dancing the other day.
Won't you be my friend? I need you
so much" The bear Marco did not
understand what the boy said. but he
understood the kind hand that stroked
his head. That hand meant Il love
you," and Marco had never been loved
in all his rough, bearish life-at least.
not since the days before he had been
caught in the deep forest. a frightened
baby, screaming for his mother So
now a great answering love filed his
heart. He allowed the little lad to lie
down beside him, warmed by his furry
coat; then together they slept through
the night. In the morning the boy
went away, but came back to his new
friend in the evening. This happened
for several days. Marco shared his
food with his visitor and they became
great cronies.
One day the keeper was surprised to
see that Marco left his supper I'M
touched, so, instead of hurrying away
to feed the other animals, he stayed
to watch the bear, which sat in the
door patiently waiting for his boy.
The keeper offered to take away the
food, but he received such a fierce
look that he set it down again and
hid behind a tree to see what would
happen next. In a moment, to his
horror, child ran up to the bear,
ard, when the keeper tried to snatch
him out of harms way, the boy threw
his arms about his faithful friend and
in twinkling they finished the wait
ing supper together.
Duke Leopold was brought to the
hut to see this wonderful pair and
soon the story of the boy and the
bear spread throughout the land.
Duke Leopold gave orders that the
poor child should be brought to his
palace to be educated and cared for.