And that night Little Bear dreamed of taking home a baby otter and of being invited to slide down that baby otter's toboggan slide all the afternoon.
Once in midsummer when wild roses were blooming along the river bank behind the Three Bears' house in the forest and wild birds were singing from every thicket, Father Bear built a raft and took his family floating downstream. The raft was made of logs firmly fastened together. It was big and strong, and had three rustic chairs on it—a big, big chair for the big Father Bear, a middle-sized chair for middle-sized Mother Bear, and a wee, wee chair for wee Little Bear. There were also poles to keep the raft from bumping against the river bank: a rather heavy pole made just for huge Father Bear, a middle-sized pole for middle-sized Mother Bear, and a long, light pole for Little Bear.
Soon they were far from home, but it was afternoon before anything special happened. There was a bend in the river, and when the raft came swishing and tumbling round that bend the Three Bears saw a little log house on a hillside and many children playing outside the door.
At that very moment, bump! went the raft into the bank, and there it stuck among the willows!
"Oh, please do not push the raft into the stream
[Illustration: Father Bear took his family floating downstream.]
for a few minutes!" whispered Little Bear. "Let us watch the children!"
"Yes, let us watch the children," added Mother Bear.
So Father Bear, being willing to please his family, seated himself in his huge chair, and Mother Bear seated herself in her middle-sized chair. But Little Bear stood on his tippytoes in his little chair, so that he could see better.
"Oh, I wish those children would let me play with them!" cried Little Bear, as the youngsters joined hands and danced round and round in a circle.