"No, indeed! You shall not be a coward!" answered Father Bear. "If ever you see a grizzly coming, even Grandfather Grizzly himself, you walk on and meet him."
"Meet him!" echoed Little Bear, in faint tones.
"Yes, Son Bear, you meet him. Meet him face to face, and say, 'Good morning, sir.'"
"I'm of the old, old family of the Three Bears"
After that Little Bear did not feel so happy in the big woods. He feared he might see a grizzly coming, and be obliged to meet him and say, "Good morning, sir!"
One day soon afterward, Little Bear fell asleep on a shelf of rock; he was comfortable in the warm sunshine. When he awoke he saw below him a huge bear patiently trying to take a bunch of burrs from the back of his neck. The burrs were sticking tight in his fur.
Little Bear might easily have slipped off the back of the rock and run softly away; instead, he offered to help the stranger get the burrs out of his coat.
Straightway the big bear turned a troubled face upward. "Then do so," he growled. "Jump down on my back, and use your sharp claws, young cub, and be quick about it." His tones were rough, but Little Bear did not blame the old fellow for that.
When the burrs were out, Little Bear jumped to the ground.