"As soon as he could talk the little Split-Nosed-Bear said, 'I'll always mind my papa after this.'
"The Papa Bear put him to bed, but his ear hurt so that he wakened several times in the night. After the little Split-Nosed-Bear got well they always called him the little 'One-Eared-Bear-that-would-not-mind-his-papa.'
"This is the end of my story about the little Split-Nosed-Bear," said the Papa Bear, as he finished. "Now, little Cub Bear, run to bed in the back of the cave, and go to sleep as quickly as you can."
The little Cub Bear ran quickly to bed, and went to sleep in the dark alone, for he wanted to be a brave little bear. But after he had been sleeping a while, he talked in his sleep and said, "I am always going to mind my papa." Then he felt of his ear and m-o-a-n-e-d. Can you guess what the little Cub Bear was dreaming about?
The next morning the little Cub Bear wakened very early, and as soon as he had rubbed his eyes, he wondered if any of the animals would come that day. He listened, the Circus Bear listened, and Susie Bear listened. Pretty soon they heard something coming up the path, and little Cub Bear rushed to the mouth of the den to see what it was, and he said:
"I see a very strange animal coming up the path. It has the most beautiful fur I ever saw, ever so much finer than bear's fur, and the animal looks something like Mr. Badger, only its fur is all one color, and it has the funniest tail, almost as big as a shovel, flat and broad."
Just then the owl saw the animal and said, "Who-o-o? who-o-o?"
But the animal didn't answer at all, except he gave two slaps with his broad flat tail on the ground.
And the Circus Bear said, "I know who that is. That is Mr. Beaver. Ask him to come in."
Mr. Beaver came to the door, and the little Cub Bear said very politely, "Come in, Mr. Beaver."