The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-19
A Bear and a Fairy.

so had gone on and on. and pretty soon when they too became very tired, and wished to retrace their steps, they did not know which direction to take. So, as is always the case with children who are lost, they took the wrong course. And so they went on and on, up long hill, then down 1t, then up another sleeper and greater one. And so the evening shadows began to fall, and still Tad and Bab were not in sight of their front gate with the vine growing over it.
 And so they began to cry softly, as, hand In hand, they went along. ''Oh, I want mamma,'' walled poor little Bab. "ob, want mamma, too." walled little Tad. Then they wept together.
 After a long, long time they came to a strange. wild path in the woods. It did not look like a path made by human been made by the soft paws of wild creatures. And so it had. Old Bruno's paws had helped in making that path.
 After following the path for some time Tad and Bab came to a clear, cool spring. The rising moon-which had come early to chase away the suD-was peepfng at herself In 1t, and Tad saw slimy little snake creeping close to the waters edge This gave him an extra fright, but he
  Bab. She was his baby sister, you know, and he felt that he must protect her
 But just as the tiny snake had hidden itself from sight there was the sound or heavy, soft paws coming on the path. In another instant Tad and Bab saw huge black creature coming toward them, coming down the steep path. Old Bruno saw them at the same instant and his eyes glowed wickedly. "Infants! he muttered to himself ''I can kill them with one stroke of my paw.''
 But you'll not Kill them" said little voice just above Bruno's head. You'll carry them home on your back. Come follow my instructions" Then the fairy flor the voice came from a sure-enough fairy in a tree-came to earth and ap- proached Tad and Bab. As children and fairies always know each other on sight, 1t did not take Tad and Bab long to agree to do anything that their good friend, the fairy, told them to. "Come. you old black bear" repeated the fairy, "lend your strength to carry these lost children home"
 And Bruno, like all wild creatures and children, loved fairies, even though he was q very fierce fellow, and be came willingly forward and stopped low so that Tad and Bab might mount upon his broad back. And the fairy flying above ms nedu made nlm go al very uVely gait, and before long the little ones came in sight of the village and their own home.
 At the outskirts of the village the fairy had them dismount, and pointing toward their house, said: Now, there is no danger of your becoming lost again. You can see even your own gate, and the moonlight is as daylight. Goodby, and never, never run away in search of wild blossoms again. Next time a fairy might not rescue you, and bear would cer- tainly make quick work of killing you. !"
 Then the fairy was gone. Also Old Bruno was fast disappearing up the mountain path. And then the children heard their mothers and fathers voices calling to them. And they ran home as fast as ever they could. and when they told their story their parents shook their heads, saying to one another: The dar- lings have been asleep in the meadow and have dreamt that fairy and bear brought them home"
 But Tad and Bab knew: and the fairy knew; and Old Bruno. sitting In his cave that night, knew. And he marveled most of all.