Greene County herald., 1913-03-28
.1.n 20 up there. saId BiIly. srhat's

4 III 30 up tu6TSs pdiu DAAAy' hde
easy for me"
And Sol put his paw to his mouth
and ohuckled, because he never had
any notion OF going up that tree.
Just put your paw In the hole.
Billy, pull out the honeycomb and
then come down and have the sweet
est supper you ever had in your life. :"
Billy was up to the hole in few
moments, peeripg in and licking his
chops.
Sol sat back in the bushes laugh
ing. He laughed so hard the tears
came to his eyes. Just as he looked
up, Billy put his paw in the hole and
pulled out, a great chunk of honey.
AT the same time poor Billy put up
the awfulest howl ever heard from a
bear! Thousands of bees were all
over him, peppering him with their
sharp little stings! When he opened
his mouth to say "Oof! oof!" the bees
stung him on the tongue.
All this time he was backing down
the tree as fast as he could, and ali
the time the busy little bees were
stinging him with their little stingers
that were as hot as fire. Billy ut
tered every sort of growl and scream
and snarl that bear ever thought OF.
while he was hurrying down the tree
and finally tumbled to the ground
with hard bump. He paved the air
and jumped about, shaking his head
and bowling, all to no purpose. Then
he started to run. He went through
the woods rolling like a big black
ball, and he never stopped running
and screaming until he got to the
river.
In he plunged and under the water
he went After a while he came out.
putting and tried to find soft place on
the bank where he could lie down ind
rest But no matter what side he
tried to lie on there we're lot of sore
spots So he concluded to stand up
and rest.
He certainly was a poor, detected.
looking bear. His lips were badly
swollen, one eye was closed and the
other half shut. All over his body
were sore spots that felt as Though
they had been made of hundreds OF
sharp wires. All this time Sol was
filing himself with the delicious
honey that Billy had thrown to the
ground.
'Tt's too bad" he said. ito laugh
at that Billy Bear, but | can't help 1t,
it was s. funny. Anyway, just to show
him / am not altogether bad, I'll take
a nice chunk of this honeycomh and
go and find him"
And what a woe-begone-lCUkine
bear he saw when he came upon Bill
ly! He tried to sympathize with the
poor afflicted bear and explain how
sorry he was to have permitted an
inexperienced friend to tackle such
a difficult job
Next time I'll show you how to
do it without getting you into such
trouble" he said.
Never mind" said Billy, "thereu
be no next time. When | want to
learn how to get honey out Of tree.
I'll have my good old Daddy show
me-"
Here's a nice chunk of honey I've
brought you," said Sol, "eat that and
you'll feel better"
mo, thank you, Mr. Solomon. You
eat your honey, I'll go back to my old
job hunting bugs and nuts and ber-
rfes. Maybe this kind Of food isn't as
sweet or as fattening as your lamb
and honey, but there are no stings in
it."
And Billy started off for home and
Sol went along with him for short
distance.
"I declare" said Sol, 'T am so fat
and full of good things it really tires
me to walk, so I'll just bid you good
night and hunt up nice bed here
In the canebrake."
Billy didn't even say goodnight,
but kept on until he got home.
Old Daddy bear did not scold him,
just laughed at him.
Maybe" said he, some of these
smart young bears have got way of
living without work But / notice all
the bears in this bottom that live to
good old age, go right along, tend
ing to their own business like bear
ought to do, and the smart
Listen! 1 hear the hounds! Let's
cut across the fringe of cane and get
on the other side of the river! It's
a good thing we are not too fat, and
can outrun the hounds!"
On came the hounds through the
woods at fun cry and at fast pacel
Crossing the river, old Daddy bear
and Billy Bear took a seat on piece
Of high ground.
"The hounds are driving down the
bottom" said Daddy Bear, "and from
this place we can see them pass and
then we can go on back home"