Adventures of Sonny Bear

by Frances Margaret Fox

"Come, come!" one of the men cried, waving a towel, "you get right out of this!"

Father Bear replied in a big, gruff voice. The men didn't understand what Father Bear said, but they didn't like his tone.

When it became known that two huge bears were helping themselves to sugar in the dining room, there was great excitement in the hotel. Perhaps if the head waiter had politely requested them to leave, they would have done so immediately; but when the pompous fellow began shouting and throwing things at them, Father Bear refused to budge, and Mother Bear stood firm.

Then two men, each dragging a hose, entered the dining room from the back and turned streams of water on Father Bear and Mother Bear. The water, cold, steady, and blinding, shot full in their faces—swish-bang? Then the bears were glad to run. Father Bear loves fun; so does Mother Bear. When Father Bear saw Mother Bear looking half scared and dripping, he laughed. When Mother Bear turned to see what amused Father Bear, and saw him looking so ridiculous, with streams of water pouring from his huge body, she laughed.

"Wouldn't Sonny laugh if he saw us now!" she chuckled. "Let's shake ourselves dry before we call him."

Father Bear and Mother Bear supposed that Little Bear was still fast asleep, at home. But that very minute Little Bear was having an adventure of his own. He had no way of knowing how long he had been asleep when a saucy squirrel nipped his ear and ran away.

Little Bear should have stayed where he was and waited for his father and mother to return. But Little Bear was restless, and he soon started off for a walk. Although he knew it was not yet dinner time at the bear's picnic grounds, he thought he would stroll over there.

The bear's picnic grounds are back of the hotels in the Enchanted Land. There Little Bear quickly found a small sirup can. In went his wee paw, and out it came, dripping with sirup. He was the only bear at the party when he found that can, although big bears and little bears soon gathered, to be in time for dinner.

At first Little Bear had a jolly time with his sirup can. But pretty soon instead of licking out the sirup with his tongue, he stuck his whole head into the can—and then he couldn't get it out! Then the fun began—for every one but Little Bear. Men with cameras took his picture as he danced around, trying to get that can off his head. First with one paw, then another, Little Bear tried to get rid of that sirup can. He bumped into other bears as he tried to get free, and was frightened by their growling and grumbling.