Evening star., 1937-11-10

RUSTER BEAR was a happy Bear.
Yes, sir, he was so. He was full of
honey, and what more could any Bear
ask to make him happy? But per-
feet happiness seldom can last long.
Anyway, it seldom does. Usually 1t
must be paid for in one way or an
other. Buster Bear was finding this
out.
To begin with, Buster was a sight
might say he was mess. He was
more or less covered with sickness.
You see, eating honey with nothing
but your paws wherewith to scoop
it into your mouth is not a dainty
performance, especially when you must
tear open the hollow in the tree in
which the honey is and at the same
time cling to that tree to keep from
falling. More or less honey is bound
to trickle down onto your coat. Then,
too, fighting the makers of that honey
while you are stealing it doesn't make
for daintiness. Altogether it may be a
sweet job, but it isn't dainty one, and
when Buster Bear finally backed down
that tree he was considerably smeared
with honey. Here and there bits OF
honeycomb were tangled in the long
hairs of his coat. In places the hair
was matted together.
Buster was too happy to give q
thought to his personal appearance
Having full stomach, his one
thought now was to find quiet, COM
Portable spot in which to take a nap
That full stomach made him sleepy
Presently he found a place to hi.
liking and with sigh Of satisfaction
lay down for nap. Hardly had he
closed his eyes when a fly began per.
sistently to crawl over his face and
buzz around his ears. He still was
happy, but it was not perfect hap
piness. Fretfully he slapped at that
bothersome fly. But the fly was per-
sistent, as flies have way of being.
Shortly another fly Joined the first
Some hies have as great love for
sweets as has Buster Bear himself.
It was the sticky sweetness with which
Buster was smeared that had drawn
these flies to him, and it was drawing
more. They were coming from va
rious directions. How did they get
the news? Don't ask me. I don't
know. Perhaps flies have some un-
known kind of radio. Anyway, the
news of feast does get about in an
amazingly short space of time. II
was so now.
Buster grumbled fretfully and
slapped at his tormentors. He shifted
his position. He rolled over. 1t was q
warm day and those flies tormented
him until he could no longer endure
1t. He scrambled to his feet and
shuff1ed off. He would find another
place, where there were no flies. That
Is what he thought. If he had been q
mess before, he was worse mess
now. Dirt, leaves, bits of bark an6
sticks clung to him all over. Tha,
was the result of having squirmeo
about and rolled over in his efforts tc
get rid of those flies. He really was q
disgraceful looking object.
The worst of it was he wasn't get
ting rid of those flies. No, sir, he
wasn't getting rid of those flies. Where
he went they went. He pushed through
thickets where the branches brushed
away the flies, but no sooner did he
come out on the other side than the
hies were after him again. Wherea,
he had been perfectly happy so short {
time ago he now was unhappy and be.
coming more unhappy every minute
At last he thought of somethinr
that caused him to shuttle along a lit.
tie faster despite the warmth. He hat
remembered the pond. of Paddy ths
Beaver, and he was making for it
When he reached it he wasted nj
time. He waded right into the water
He lay down in it. 1t was cool ane
refreshing. He waded out until he hac
to swim. He swan across to tn.
other side. There he washed his fac,
and head and neck. He had had {
bath. He was rid of all that sickness
Also he was rid of those flies. H,
would dry off in the sun and after,
ward take that much desired nap
30 1t was that those pests, the flies
drove Buster Bear to being what h,
ehould have been to begin with-neat
Copyright. 1879