Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-03

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you would have been even more scared
than he was!
Suddenly-though the little boy had
really been watching the bears roll
about and wrestle with each other fol
an awfully long time-suddenly Don
aid heard voice calling him:
Hello, Donald Hello, little man!
it said. Don't you know me? Here
look here--right down at your feet!
Well, we'll, thought sure you'd not
forget me after our nice little chat the
other week when l told you why
monkeys have curls in their tails
I'm the Old Man of the Woods"
"Oh!" cried Donald, really delighted
but feeling dreadfully ashamed that he
had failed to recognize his strange
friend. And he was strange, too, oh
so queer looking! He had funny
knobby little head as bald as a billiard
ball with two little horns on It,. He
, was dressed in the most amazing
clothes you ever heard of--fur from
Polar bears and various animals that
roam the forest and over his shoulders
he had flung a cloak dazzling and
beautiful in It's trimmings of humming
birds wings.
"Ah.a!" cried the funny little Old
Man in voice that seemed just bub-
bling over with laughter and kindness
that's better! You haven't forgotten
me entirely, / see. Now-but wait q
moment-let me hop up on the rail
beside you and I won't have to scream
my lungs out for you to hear me- So,
suiting the action to the word he
gave a flap or two to- his tiny cloak
and sailed right up to the railing upon
which Donald was leaning, as lightly
as bird.
There that's better now!" he
chuckled. Lets talk. What shall
tell you about-what? The bears?
Certainly, for you seem very much in
terested in them. Well, to begin with.
bears are wild, ferocious thisSs. Don
ald-you must never forget that and
stand too. close to their cages. But
when they are back in their own cool;
green woods, they really act toward
each other much as human beings do.
Now-ah, I have an ideae Maybe |
could! Donald; would you like TO
hear those bears in their talking to
each other?"
Poor Donald was simply amazed.
Would he! Well, wouldn't you!
ooh, goody, goody!" he cried clap
ping his hands. "And can l really
hear all they are saying, Mr.. Man OF
the Woods?"
Eyes, indeed, Donald. Just wait a
moment until wave my cloak around
a few times and then you can-can
-can-there! Now, listen"
81 won't! I won't! I WON'T" Don
aid heard voice crying-and 1t seem
ed to come straight from the little
fuzzy, brown cub that was balancing
himself on the edge Of the swimming
pool within the bear cage while severa!
of the older, grown-up bears seemed
to be trying to push him on into the
water.
"sh-s-ssh!" cautioned the Old Man
in a low voice. THAT'S little Brownie.
He's Just bear cub real little TEL
low, and he's never been In swimming.
He's afraid too-just like little boys
are. Listen!"
saw, you're a nice bear, you are!"
grumbled huge, deep, grln voice
that came from the shaggy, nerce-
looking bear on the right Of the poor,
trembling little fellow. "Humpn!
Nice bear you'll be, won't you, when
you grow up and are scared OF the
water! Humph! You're afraid OF
your own shadow! You ought to have
been little boy-you're just like most
of them, afraid to stay alone in dark
ROOM" 49,
ooh. Oh! OH" walled Brownie. II
can't swim and I'll drown! know
how deep that water is! I've seen
you, snaggle-Tooth, go all the way
under until couldn't see you at all!
No! No! I can't!
"Well, what do you know about
that" This time 1t was the big black
bear on his right speaking. THE
baby! How do you expect to swim
If YOU don't get in the water-you
can't swim on dry land, can you!'
"But-but- bue-1'm-' moaned
Brownie.
And Just then-something happen
ed to him!
"Oh!" cried Donald. ooh, Mr. Old
Man help him, help him quick, quick"
But the Old Man OF the Woods was
laughing and laughing, doubled up
like a iack-knife and holding onto MS
sides. .
The two big bears, you see n9u
suddenly looked at each other with
their sharp swapping little black eyes
and then turned together and push
ed poor little Brownie overheard!
No wonder Donald cried out, for
lust imagine how you would feel If
someone pushed YOU into deep, deep
water and yon knew you couldn't
swim a stroke! ...
Brownie went down-down-down.
Then he came up again, coughing
and spluttering and splashing around
and calling out the bear word that
means, Help! Help!'
He splashed and struggled and
slashed around until finally his paw
touched the side Of the pool and,
with a cry of relief, he started to
draw himself I'D when-what DO you
think happened?
Why. those two big bears pushed
him right back again! And then they
lust laughed and laughed!
ooh, Mr. Old Man. make them stop!
Make them stop!' cried Donald
They'll drown him, they'll drown
him. ....
The Old Man of the Woods stopped