The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-20
BURGESS BED-
 TIME STORIES
BOXER AND WOoF WOOF SMELL SOMETHING GOOD Who by his appetite Is ruled In wisdom Is but poorly schooled.
 Mother Bear,
By THORNTON W. BURGESS


 Every day for week Mother Bear and the cubs. Boxer and Woof Wool, came out from their home under the great windfall deep in the Green Forest and prowled about Each day they went a little further. Their feet were not as tender as at first. On the first two days after their long winter sleep they were not hungry They didn't once think of eating. But now they grew hungrier every day, Already they had begun to lose the fat they had stored up under their black coats before going to sleep at the beginning of winter
 There was little enough to eat at best. It is always so in the spring. It is glad time for everybody in one way, but it is sad time for many in another way, You see, at no time in all the year is food so hard to find as early in the spring. The more they roamed about the hungrier Mother Bear and Boxer and Wool Wool became. Here and there they dug up few roots They ate tender young willow twigs They hunted for mice. But never did one of them get stomachful at one time.
 Early one evening they happened to go over near Farmer Brown s sugar house. Farmer Brown and his boy were not yet through making sugar. although the sap had stopped running. They had ons hand a lot of syrup to be boiled down into sugar. Mother Bear suddenly sat up and snfffed long and hard At once Boxer and Wool Woof did the. same thing. Their eyes began to sparkle. The wandering Little Night Freezes were tickling their noses with a most delicious smell. 1t wasn't like the smell of honey, yet somehow it made them think of it. Their tongues hung out and their mouths watered. "Oh!' whispered Nvoof Woof. Did you ever smell anything so good in all your life?"
 Mother Bear growled. It was a low deep, grumbly, rumbly growl way down in her throat It was warn ing to keep still. The twins obeyed They knew better than to disobey when Mother Bear growled like that But their eyes danced with excite ment. and how they did hope tha Mother Bear would lead them straight to the place from which came that delicious smell.
 After a few minutes Mother Bear moved ahead slowly and careful Y taking care not to snap a single lit tie twig under her great feet Do ing just as she did. Boxer and Wool Woof followed. The further they went the stronger grew that delicious smell and the more their mouths watered.
 Finally Mother Bear stopped again and stood up to her full height. Of course, Boxer and Woof Woof did the same thing. Straight ahead oi them was a queer dark mass with a couple of ltle squares of light in it Of course you know what it was. It was Farmer Browns sugar house in the Black Shadows and the squares of light were two little windows From it was coming that delicious smell. It was the smell of the boil ing syrup.
 For a long time the three Bears stood there looking and listening and smelling. Strange noises came from that sugar house. It was all very interesting and very curious Boxer and Woof Woof wanted to go straight over there and find out what it was that smelled so good. But Mother Bear didn't move. and they knew bet .