So he did, and then Beckie and Neddie were happy, and they went on to meet their papa, while Uncle Wigwag looked around for some one else on whom he could play a joke.
“We ought to meet papa soon now,” said Neddie, as he looked under an old stump to see if he could find any crabapples growing there.
“A little farther on and we’ll see him,” spoke Beckie.
They went on a little more, and all of a sudden Neddie saw a large hollow log lying on the ground. It was just like a stovepipe, only bigger and it had a hole all the way through it.
“Ha! I’m going to crawl through that hollow log!” cried Neddie.
“Better not,” warned Beckie. “Maybe something in it might catch you.”
“Pooh! I’m not afraid!” cried Neddie. “Anyhow, I can look all the way through. There’s not a thing in it.”
So he started to crawl through the hollow log, but my goodness me, sakes alive and some onion pancakes! Neddie had not gone very far before he found the hole in the log getting smaller.
“I don’t believe I’ll be able to crawl through to the other end,” thought the little boy bear. Then he tried to back out, but he could not—he was stuck fast inside the hollow log.
“Oh, help! Help!” cried Neddie, wiggling and trying to get out. But he was tightly held. He could hardly move.