English
OnemorningwhenLittleBearwantedtoplay,hismothersenthimouttopullweedsintheblackberrypatch.
Whenhismotherwentouttoseehowhewasgettingon,shefoundhimlyingonthegroundandlookingatthesky.
“LittleBear,”saidhismother,“Haveyoufinishedyourweeding?”
“No,MotherBear,”wastheanswer,“Itistoohardwork.Ishallpullnomoreweeds.”
NeverbeforehadMotherBearheardLittleBearspeaklikethat.Soshetookhimbythehandandledhimintothehouse,whereFatherBearsatinhisbigchair.
“FatherBear,”shesaid,“LittleBearwillnotwork.”ThenbehindLittleBear’sbackshemademotionsthatmeant,“Butpleasedonotspankhim!”
“Ah-hum!Ah-hum!”beganFatherBear,gazinghardatLittleBear.“DoIunderstandthatyouwillnotpullweeds,SonBear?”
“Itistoohardwork,”explainedLittleBear.“Iamnotbigenoughtopullweedsintheblackberrypatch.”
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“Ah-hum!Ah-hum!”
repeatedFatherBear,whowasreallytoosurprisedatfirstforwords.
Thenhesaid,“SonBear,Ioughttospankyouandsendyououttowork,andthatiswhatIwilldoifyourmotheriswilling.
But—”FatherBearsaid“But”insuchaloud,loudvoicethatLittleBearjumpedatthetone.
“Butlittlebearswhowillnotpullweedsintheblackberrypatchshallnoteatblackberries.”
SoupstairswentLittleBear,followedbyhismother,whocarriedaplateofbreadandabrownpitcherfullofwaterfromthespring.
MotherBearsaidnothingwhensheleftLittleBearupstairswiththebreadandthewater,buthedidnotmindthat,becauseatfirsthethoughtitwasallajoke.
Atdinnertime,whenhesmelledfishfryinghefelthungry.
Buthismotherdidnotbringhimanyfish,andhisfathersaidnothing.
SoLittleBearatebreadanddrankwater.
Theafternoonlastedalong,longtime.LittleBearwasasleepwhenhismotherbroughthimmorebreadandwater.
Whenheawoke,heagainsmelledfishfrying.Hefelthungry,butstillhismotherdidnotbringhimanyfish,andhisfathersaidnothing.Thenhecalledhismotherandhisfather.
“WhatisthetroublewithSonBear?”inquiredFatherBear,whenMotherBearledthelittlefellowdownstairs.
“Iamhungry!”wailedLittleBear.
“Haveyounobread?”askedFatherBear.
“Icannoteatjustbread,”answeredLittleBear,“notwhenIsmellfish.Besides,Iamlonesome.
Iwillweedtheblackberrypatchandthewholegarden,andI’llhoethecorn,andI’llworklikeSallyBeaver,ifyou’lljustletmehavefishformysupper,andblackberries,andhoney,andmilk.”
“Verywell,SonBear,”agreedFatherBear.“Youshallsitdowntosupper,andweedtheblackberrypatchbeforedark.”
LittleBearpassedhisplate,andFatherBearfilleditwithtrout,andmashedpotatoes,andcurrantjelly.
MotherBearpassedhimthejohnnycake,andgavehimabigdishofblackberriesandabrownmugfullofmilk.
LittleBearwassohungrythatheatetwowholespeckledtrout,andfivepiecesofjohnnycake,andthreeheapingdishesofblackberries,anddranktwomugfulsofmilkbeforehewentoutandweededtheblackberrypatch.
Hewastiredwhenhewenttobedthatnight,andonmanyothernightsafterward,buthesaidnothingaboutit,nordidheeverstophisworkinthegardenuntilhehaddoneitallaswellashecould.
Forhesoonfoundoutthatwhenhehadworkedhard,evenbreadandwatertastedgood,butthatwhenhehadnotworked,therewasnotasteinfish,orhoney,ormilk,orinaheapingdishofblackberries.
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