And Mr. Owl said, very solemnly, "I would be very glad to help you, because when we lived in the circus, your brother was very good to me, and I should like to do anything I can to help you."
The little Cub Bear said, "What can you do?"
And the owl said, "If you want me to I can be door-keeper, and when any one comes I can ask who he is, because, you know, I can say, 'Who-o-o? who-o-o?'"
The little Cub Bear danced up and down, and said that would be very fine. And he said, "I am very glad that my brother was kind to you when you were in the circus."
So the owl went out to the mouth of the den, and there was a great big tree, and away up near the top of the tree was a long limb sticking out like an arm, and the owl flew up to this limb and sat there, looking very solemn and very wise, as all owls do, blinking his great eyes. And there he sat day and night, winking and blinking his great eyes, so solemn and wise, keeping watch for the bears and the animals, just like a soldier sentry standing guard at the General's tent.
Now the little Cub Bear, like all little cubs, was very fond of stories, and was always teasing the Papa Bear to tell him stories about little bears, and all sorts of things. The little bear liked the stories that his papa told him about the "Little-Cub-Bear-that-would-not-mind-his-papa."
That night after the owl had flown up to the limb of the dead tree, the little fellow said, "Papa, please tell me another story about the 'Little-Cub-Bear-that-would-not-mind-his papa.'"
The Papa Bear said, "Little one, you are always asking me to tell you stories; it is hard for me to think of so many, but if you want me to do so, I will tell you of: