Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-02-09
Paset Newspaper Service.

| Copyright by Howard r. Garis.)
! "Beckie, i really think shall have
ito send for DR.. Postum" said Mrs.
Stubtail, the bear lady, one day, as
she walked up from her nap in the
winter cave and stretched herself a
little before turning over for another
sleep. Yes, Beckie DR.. Possum will
have to give you some medicine to
cure you"
Cure me OF what, MAJ" asked the
little bear cub girl. She and her
brother, Neddie, were in the cave
with the papa and mamma bears
waiting for winter to go away and for
spring to come. II haven't the
measles. chicken-cough or whooping-
pox," went on Beckie.
You have something which is al
most as bad" Beckie," said Mrs. Stub
tail. You have the very naughty hab-
it of biting your pawnails, and, not
only is it impolite, but it is harmful,
for it will make your paws Sore"
| "Oh, ma! I forgot all about biting
my pawnails." said Beckie. Il didn't
even know I was doing it,
THAT makes it all the worse" said
Mrs. Stubtail. IF you were a little
| wouldn't think so much of it, for
real children do funny things. But
you are bear cub girl and you will
need your pawnails when you grow
up to scratch honey out of trees and
make tree bark into long, thin threads
to sew up rips in your clothes.
But. if You bite your nails they
grow short and stubby, end not nice
and long and sharp as they ought to
grow. and your paws won't look nice
when you play the piano"
"Oh, ma, I will stop biting my
nails. | really will" promised Beckie
earnestly.
We'll. you have said that many
times before. and each time you for
get, and now l find you biting your
pawnails when | awake. Now please
try to remember" said her mamma.
Il WILL" promised Beckie.
1t was so nice and coy and warm
in the bears cave that soon Mrs.
Stubtsil was asleep again. Neddie
and .Beckie, the two bear cubs. had
been playing slide-down-hill on the
ironing and lap boards, and Neddie
had slid into the -four barrel as |
told you in the story before this one.
Now the two bear children were glad
to rest. They also slept for little
while
But finally Beckie awakened again
and before she knew it there she was
biting her pawnails with her teeth.
SNAP. Snap. Snap" went Beckie's
teeth on her nails.
Are you eating a lollypop?' asked
Neddie. who had also awakened, and
was anxious for more fun.
Indeed I'm mott" cried Beckle.
ooh, dear. There l go, biting my
nails again. l must stop it,
But Beckie would think about not
biting her nails for while, and then
she would forget her promise, and the
first thing she knew into her mouth
she would pop her paw again.
Bears who bite their pawnails are
almost as bad as boys and girls who
keep their thumb in their mouth all
the while.
ooh. Beckie!" cried Mrs Stubtail,
suddenly awakening. There you go
again. Your pawnails!"
ooh. maj; am SO sorry!' cried
Beckie.
1T is too late to be sorry now,
Beckie," said the old lady bear sor-
rowfully. "You have fallen into a very
bad habit, and, though it hurts me
very much to punish you, must 90
it for your own good"
ooh, ma, what are you going to dor
cried Beckie.
Don't shuff her ears; will you MAJ
pleaded Neddie, for sometimes, Wnen