The Washington herald., 1911-05-28
Some Funny Bears
COPYRIGHT ny JAMES gLvERs0N

y
~ explained why a bear bites certain
trees when he is travelling. The
trees may be five or ilve hundred yards away
from his line of travel, but he never fails to
go out Of his way and bits piece out Of them.
Trees are sometimes found that have almost
been bitten in two by bears which have thus
stopped and chewed them.
When the black bear is serious, he is very
serious, but the other side to his nature is
more often seen. He has q strong fund of
humor, and keen sense Of the ridiculous,
and can always be depended upon to afford
fun and amusement.
At first sight, one would hardly suppose
this TO be the case. There is nothing about
the appearance Of. bear to make people
laugh. On the contrary, he is grave, digni-
fed and thoushtfullooking and might rather
be taken for q tragedian than for a low
comedian.
Innumerable stories have been told of this
uSsine characteristic, and it is not necessary
OF in his native wilds, the bear is comical,
only II is better to let him have his fun with
his own kind. What seems fun to him might
not strike some Of US that way
A benevolent natured man once came among
the bear hunters of Northern Pennsylvania,
and told them that although he had never
been. brought into contact with bears, he had
studied what books and newspapers said about
them. He had come to the conclusion that
the bear was not the savage and pugnacious
animal which he had been represented to be,
and that when hs- reared up and made as if
he was going to eat you, he was only banker
ing after fun. and wanted you to help him
enjoy it.
The next day the man said he would go
out into the woods and il he came across a
bear he would give him chance of getting
rid of the fun he was full of.
Sure enough, the next day the man went
hurrying toward bear that was standing on
its launches in the scrub oaks The bear
looked half astonished at the man, who was
bObbing toward him, with a grin on his face
and M his two hands saving the air.
The man got closer and closer, when sud-
denly one Of the bears paws slid out, and the
mau .seemed to rise six feet in the air and
then land in the brush, He had hardly got
on his feet, when the bear. which had fol-
man went over head and heels.
But he did not lie long, The bear was after
him again; so he scrambled up and ran, with
Bruin following.
cd. "Shoot him! Hold him back" -
The hunter raised his gun and fired, and
the bear fell.
The man with new ideas about bears was
able to walk around in few days. He still
but said that he was perfectly willing to
stand TO the side in the future and let some
body else do the experimenting.
A A,looker-on can enjoy good laugh over
bears comicalities especially young bear
A hunter once raised two cubs, the mother
Of which he had killed. They were exceed
ingiy funny little fellows. and one day they
We're skylarking about the cabin. A barrel,
One Of the bears rested his fore-paws -on the
top and looked in. Then he dropped to the
ground, picked up stone and threw it, with
: splash. into the water, Next he got another
stone and pitched that into the barrel
The other cub, which was playing little
distance away, was attracted by the noise,
and amble3> up to the barrel to see what the
tun was He. too, put his fore-paws on top
Of the the barrel , and stuck his head over to have
This. was just what the practical joker
wanted. He caught the inquisitive brother by
the heels, toppled him head first into the bar
rel and danced around as if wild with joy.
the commotion. and ran out in time to see
the victmized cub, hind-feet in the air, and
head and shoulders in the water, kicking and
Struggling. He hauled it out. while the other
alienable right to enjoyment.
Horses are very much afraid OF bears, and
can smell them long way off A bear knows
this, and takes a keen delight in frightening
: s horse. ,.a He He will bury himself. all but his
Of q backwoods road, thus destroying the
scent. When team is passing he will give
anort and rise from the hole, dripping with
the black ooxe. The horses are certain to run
away, and, if the driver had time to look
back, he would see the bear dancing in the
road, with his mouth wide open, as if he was
laughing fit to kill himself.
One day q farmers team was crossing the
hills, and the horses were frightened in Just
this way. They. ran over the rough road so
last that sack of flour was thrown from
in quieting them, he gave the w reins % to his
boy, who yeas with him, took his gun from
the wagon, and started back to find the bear.
When he had turned a. sharp bend in the
with laughter. The bear had found the sack
Of Hour, paved it over and emptied the con-