Evening star., 1933-07-24
BEDTIME STORIES B. B 1ss;:.s" .~.,s..

Bear began to feel that she was miss
ing something, as indeed she was
Then, too, after a while some of them
began to make fun of her and call her
"Fraidy," which Is something no one
likes to be called. It hurt her pride,
the more so because it was true. She
was afraid. One of the children of
Paddy the Beaver swan past her very
slowly and made face at her. Anoth-
ping the water hard with his fiat tail,
splashed 1t right in Betty Bears face.
She fairly danced with rage. She
threatened to do all sorts Of dreadful
things to those saucy young Beavers.
and they merely grinned In the most
provoking manner.
Think of any one as big 6 she
being afraid Of the water" said one
to the other
IT wouldn't have believed It If I
hadn't seen 1t myself" replied the
other, dipping his head under water
and popping 1t out again just beyond
Betty Bears reach.
I'm not afraid Of the water"
swim"
How do you know you can't? You've
never tried" retorted the young Beaver
scornfully. ANY one can swim II
they are not afraid"
you we're born in the water. so you
never had to learn to swim, but I was
born on land, and that's different" !"
said Betty Bear.
Wrong" retorted the young Beaver.
II wasn't born in the water. I was
born in that house over there, but 1
wasn't 'Fraidy' when I first went into
the water"
Anyway, I can climb a tree, and
you don't dare do that" cried Betty
Bear.
IT can't but 1t isn't because am
afraid to try" replied the young Bea-
yer disdainfully. IT had the right
kind Of claws and legs for climbing
trees and wanted to climb, I wouldn't
be afraid to try"
"You have feet especially for SWIM
ming and I haven't" declared Betty
Bear, for she had just caught glimpse
o.. Of one OF the young Beavers webbed
what Of it?" demanded the young
Beaver. Goodness knows, your feet
are big enough. There Is Lightfoot
the Deer swimming over there, and his
feet certainly aren't made for SWIM
ming. It Is Just because you are afraid.
Your mother doesn't have any trouble
swimming"
The two young Beavers slapped the
water with their tails, splashing 1t in
Betty Bears face, dived and were half
way across the pond before they came
up again. Disconsolately Betty Bear
looked to see where Mother Bear was.
She was standing at the edge of the
water on the other side Of the pond.
She was looking across at Betty Bear.
When she saw that Betty Bear was
watching her she turned and disap-
peared among the trees, as If she were
going somewhere.
Betty Bear waited q few minutes to
see If she would come out again. She
didn't, and Betty Bear had q queer
sinking feeling in the pit of her stom-
ach. Could 1t be that Mother Bear
was going of without her? She began
to whimper and started to run around
the shore Of the pond. But she hardly
had started when who should step out
in front of her but great Big Buster
Bear himself. Remembering how he
had tried to shake her out Of tree,
Betty Bears heart almost stopped
beating.
Then. without realizing what she
was doing, she plunged into the water,
bawling for mother Frantically she
began to paddle. She glanced back
over her shoulder. Buster Bear waS
standing there on the shore watching
her. And suddenly Betty Bear realized
that she was swimming! She looked
ahead Mother Bear was waiting for
her. Betty Bear swan straight across.
She had forgotten to be afraid and she
could swim. It was q lovely surprise.
(CopyriRht, 19330