Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-09-14
Little Bear and the
Lost Otter Baby

One morning, while Little Bear was
out camping with his father anc
mother, he went into the woods t.
pick daisies and bluebells. with which
to decorate the entrance to tfeil
cave. His hands were full of flow
ers and he was ready to go back witt
them to his mother. when he heard
a baby crying. Little Bear stood still
and listened then he knew that the
child who was crying was an Otter
baby; he had heard Otter babies cry
before
What is the matter, baby one?'
called Little Bear. What are you
crying about and where are you? Die
you bump your .nose?"
81 am lost! Come and find mel!
answered Baby Otter.
"You are hiding behind the oak
stump" exclaimed Little Bear, as he
scrambled through the thicket and
fairly bounced upon Baby Otter. 81
,py!" he shouted.
st isn't game!" walled the Otter
baby. II tell you, am lost! ] don't
know where my mother went and ]
can't find my father! want to go
home! Oh, boo-hoo-hoo!"
There, there, don't cry!" said
Little Bear. "Tell me whore your
camp is. and will take you home
just as fast as we can co.
But we do not live here" cont
planned the lost baby. Our home is
Brookside, a long way off across
country, and we are only camping
out, and l do not know whore our
camp is! Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo!"
Come, come, cheer up!" said
Little Bear. using the very words his
father often used when speaking to
him. Il tell you will take you home,
and If it is too far away I'll ask my
father to go. We are camping out,
ourselves, down the river a little way.
Now tell me how you happened to gel
lost"
So tha Otter baby told him that the
Otter family had gone out together
after breakfast that morning, and
that while they were laughing and
chatting Baby Otter had strayed away
from the path to pick flowers. The
next thirg he knew he had been alone.
and, not knowing what else to do, he
had sat down and cried.
well, wipe your eyes now, and
give me your paw" said Little Bear
in big, grownup tones. MY father
showed me your camp only yesterday,
and, If you are one Of the campers,
you live only little way from here
and can take you home"
OF course Baby Otter wiped his
eyes and walked happily behind Little
Bear; he wished to travel In single
file, otter fashion.
1t happened that Father Bear had
been teaching Little Bear how to fol
low the woods trails, and Little Beal
knew the Offers path, because they
anyways went round stumps and I'M
der logs; besides. their legs were
short and their bodies so heavy that
they left we1l-worn trails behind them.
At last Little Bear reached the end
Of the crooked path and Baby Otter.
without so much as saying, Thank
you!s to Little Bear, ran to the cave
by the river bank where his family
we're camping out.
Some people always forget their
Manners" said Little Bear to him.
self as he ran home to tell his father
and mother what he had done.
81 am glad you were good to the
baby" said Little Bears mother as
she took the bluebells and daisies
that he had brought and put them IN
to hollow stump beside the cave
door. She had filled the stump with
water from the spring while Little
Bear was gone.
"The flowers are lovely" said
Mother Bear. ~Now please run into
the woods for some green leaves and
vines to put with them, Little Bear."
Before he could do as she told him,
Uncle John Kingfisher came flying
to invite the three Bears to a party.
"The Otters." said he, request your
presence at fish dinner. Come
now"
I'VE thank you, Uncle John King
fisher" said Father Bear. ave will
start at once. Come, Little Bear
wash your hands and face and get
ready"
That is how 1t came about that the
three Bears dined with the Offers that
day, on trout, salmon, and cells, and
were served with only one bite from
each fish, and that bite taken from
the meat just behind the head. Moth
er Bear thought that the Offers chose
only one dainty morsel from each fish
just because they had invited COM
pany for dinner; but Father Bear told