English
Onemorning,whileLittleBearwasoutcampingwithhisfatherandmother,hewentintothewoodstopickdaisiesandbluebellswithwhichtodecoratetheentrancetotheircave.
Hishandswerefullofflowers,andhewasreadytogobackwiththemtohismother,whenheheardababycrying.LittleBearstoodstillandlistened.
ThenheknewthatthechildwhowascryingwasanOtterbaby.HehadheardOtterbabiescrybefore.
“Whatisthematter,babyone?”calledLittleBear.“Whatareyoucryingaboutandwhereareyou?Didyoubumpyournose?”
“Iamlost!Comeandfindme!”answeredBabyOtter.
“Youarehidingbehindtheoakstump!”exclaimedLittleBear,ashescrambledthroughthethicketandfairlypounceduponBabyOtter.“Ispy!”heshouted.
“Itisn’tagame!”wailedtheOtterbaby.“ItellyouIamlost!Idon’tknowwheremymotherwentandIcan’tfindmyfather!Iwanttogohome.Oh,boo-hoo-hoo!”
“There,there,don’tcry!”saidLittleBear.“Tellmewhereyourcampis,andIwilltakeyouhomejustasfastaswecango.”
“Butwedonotlivehere!”complainedthelostbaby.“OurhomeisBrookside,alongwayoffacrosscountry,andweareonlycampingout,andIdonotknowwhereourcampis!Boo-hoo-hoo-hoo!”
“Come,come,cheerup!”saidLittleBear,usingtheverywordshisfatheroftenusedwhenspeakingtohim.
“ItellyouIwilltakeyouhome,andifitistoofarawayI’llaskmyfathertogo.
Wearecampingout,ourselves,downtheriveralittleway.
Nowtellmehowyouhappenedtogetlost.”
SotheOtterbabytoldhimthattheOtterfamilyhadgoneouttogetherafterbreakfastthatmorning,andthatwhiletheywerelaughingandchattingBabyOtterhadstrayedawayfromthepathtopickflowers.
Thenextthingthatheknewhehadbeenalone,and,notknowingwhatelsetodo,hehadsatdownandcried.
“Well,wipeyoureyesnow,andgivemeyourpaw!”
saidLittleBearinbig,grown-uptones.
“Myfathershowedmeyourcamponlyyesterday,and,ifyouareoneofthecampers,youliveonlyalittlewayfromhereandIcantakeyouhome.”
OfcourseBabyOtterwipedhiseyesandwalkedhappilybehindLittleBear.Hewishedtotravelinsinglefile,Otterfashion.
otters
IthappenedthatFatherBearhadbeenteachingLittleBearhowtofollowthewoodstrails,andLittleBearknewtheOtters’path,becausetheyalwayswentroundstumpsandunderlogs;besides,theirlegswereshortandtheirbodiessoheavytheyleftwell-worntrailsbehindthem.
AtlastLittleBearreachedtheendofthecrookedpath,andBabyOtter,withoutsomuchassaying“Thankyou!”toLittleBear,rantothecavebytheriverbankwherehisfamilywascampingout.
“Somepeoplealwaysforgettheirmanners,”saidLittleBeartohimself,asheranhometotellhisfatherandmotherwhathehaddone.
“Iamgladyouweregoodtothebaby,”saidLittleBear’smother,asshetookthebluebellsanddaisiesthathehadbroughtandputthemintoahollowstumpbesidethecavedoor.
ShehadfilledthestumpwithwaterfromthespringwhileLittleBearwasgone.
“Theflowersarelovely!”saidMotherBear.“Nowpleaserunintothewoodsforsomegreenleavesandvinestoputwiththem,LittleBear.”
Beforehecoulddoasshetoldhim,UncleJohnKingfishercameflyingtoinvitetheThreeBearstoaparty.“TheOtters,”saidhe,“requestyourpresenceatafishdinner.Comenow.”
“Wethankyou,UncleJohnKingfisher,”saidFatherBear.“Wewillstartatonce.Come,LittleBear,washyourhandsandfaceandgetready.”
ThatishowitcameaboutthattheThreeBearsdinedwiththeOttersthatday,ontrout,salmon,andeels,andwereservedwithonlyonebitefromeachfish,andthatbitetakenfromthemeatjustbehindthehead.
MotherBearthoughtthattheOtterschoseonlyonedaintymorselfromeachfishjustbecausetheyhadinvitedcompanyfordinner.
ButFatherBeartoldherafterwardthatshewasmistaken;Ottersalwaysservefishinthatwaywhenfishareplentiful.
AfterdinnertheOttersandtheirguestsrestedforawhile,andthenFatherOtterurgedthechildrentocomeoutandplaywithhimandwithMotherOtter.
Muchsurprised,theThreeBearsfollowedtheOtterstotheirplayground.
AndthenextFatherBearandMotherBearknew,LittleBearwasslidingdowntheOtters’tobogganslideandshoutingwithglee.
AlltheOtterswentdownthatslide,onebehindtheother,andlandedsplashety-splash!intheriverbelow.
ItwasawonderfulsighttoseetheOttersswimmingaboutinthestream,becausetheyarebeautifulswimmers.
ButwhatFatherandMotherBearlikedbestwasthepictureofLittleBearrunninguptheroundaboutpathtothetopofthebankandgoingdowntheslidethreetimesasfastastheOtterchildrenandtheirparents.
TheOttersweremoreathomeinthewaterthanLittleBearwas,buttheycouldnotrunonlandashecould.
Theirnextgametheyplayedwithsticks.
OneOttertooktheendofastickinhismouthandanotherOttertooktheotherend,andthentheypulledandpulledtoseewhichwasthestronger.
LittleBeardidnotlikethatgamesowellashedidthetobogganslide.
“Wehavehadadelightfultimeatyourparty,”saidMotherBeartoMotherOtter,atlast,“andwethankyouforinvitingusover.
Ifyoueverwanderintoourhomewoods,cometoourlittlehouseandhaveporridgewithus.”
“Weshallbegladtodoso,”saidMotherOtter,“andweshallalwaysthinkkindlyofLittleBearbecausehebroughtourbabyhomewhenhewaslost.
Ifwedogotovisityou,youmustletusmakeLittleBearatobogganslide.”
“Askthemtocomeassoonaswegethome!”urgedLittleBearinawhispertohismothersoloudthattheOtterchildrenheardit,andlaughed.
AndthatnightLittleBeardreamedoftakinghomeababyotterandofbeinginvitedtoslidedownthatbabyotter’stobogganslidealltheafternoon.
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