Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-03
A BEDTIME STORY
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS
Mother Bear Gives the Triplets a
Lesson
RY THORNTON w RITRGESS

By seeing and doing a lesson is
learned
And knowledge and wisdom together
are earned.
Mother Bear.
1t was as Mrs. Grouse had said:
Mother Bear is not given to doing
any one thing very long at a time.
That hole in which Peter RABBIT
had hidden was a deep one, and
Mother Bear soon gave, up trying to
dig it open. The little Bears were
not quite so ready to give up, for
they found a lot of excitement in
digging. But when Mother Bear
shuffled away and told them to fol
low, they didn't dare disobey.
Mother Bear shuffled along lazily
until finally they came to little
open place in the middle of which
was mound of sand. Mother Bears
eyes Frightened. one called the
triplets and led them over to it. Ar
about in that mound of sand were
little holes, and going in and out of
those holes and scurrying about in
all directions were big ants. That
is, thew were big as ants go. Mother
Bear licked her lips greedily. The
three little Bears licked their lips.
They had already learned to like
ants.
This" said Mother Bear, lis an
ant castle. Down under the ground
are ever and ever and ever so many
ants. Watch me, and I'll show you
how to get them
The three little Bears sat down to
watch. They were very much puz-
zled. They wondered if Mother Bear
would try to dig that ant castle open.
They wondered how she would be
able to lick up those ants without
getting lot of sand with them.
They tried it themselves as they saw
ants running back and forth over
the mound, but each time they got
more sand than was at all to their
liking.
Mother Bear sat down beside the
mound and then dug down into the
middle of it with one big paw, and
worked it back and forth, and round
and round. Then she withdrew it.
and stretched out flat on the ground
with both forepaws out in front of
her on the edge of that mound.
At once out poured an army of
very angry ants. They were angry
because their home had been dis
turbed. Right away they found
Mother Bears big paws and began
to swarm up along them. They
seemed to know that here was the
enemy who had disturbed their
castle. Now, of course, Mother
Bears paws were covered with hair,
and those ants could not easily get
down to the skin to bite. Moreover.
it wasn't easy travelingy over those
hairs. But they kept On just the
same. Then out swept Mother
Bears long tongue and licked up
the ants that were on her paws. AS
fast as they came out and climbed
up on her big paws she swept them
into her mouth. There was no sand.
Now, little Bears learn quickly.
They watched round-eyed for a few
minutes, and then they, too, stretch
ed themselves out on the ground
with their little paws out in front
of them and began to lick up the
ants that came crawling up on those
paws. Once in while Mother Bear
would stop to dig down into that
castle and stir it up again. This
was to keep the ants angry. Each
time more poured, out to fight for
their home.
Such a feast as those Bears had
for they are very, very fond of ants.
All Bears are. When at last no
more ants came out, Mother Bear
arose and shook herself. Each of
the little Bears did the same thing.
Now, my dears," said Mother Bear,
you know how to get ants when
you are fortunate enough to find
one of their castles like this one"
Yes M" said Littlest Bear, speak
ing for the others as well as her
self. 1T is a lesson we will always