"O God in Heaven, take me to my mother!"
Just then a deep growl came from somewhere behind him and interrupted his prayer. He sprang up and looked about him.
The street was silent and deserted. The snow fell softly. A grating near the ground attracted his attention, and without stopping to consider, he said to himself that possibly if he passed through it he might find a good place to sleep.
He was exceedingly thin, and the bars of the grating widely placed, so that he had no difficulty in squeezing through. But imagine his consternation on finding himself face to face with an enormous black bear, into whose cage he had thus ventured to intrude.
"Oh, oh, what's the meaning of this!" demanded the astonished bruin in his own language.
He had just disposed of a good supper, and was feeling in particularly good trim, when poor Michel so unexpectedly tumbled into his presence. Angered at being disturbed, he made ready to demolish the impertinent intruder with his mighty paw. The little Savoyard, pale and tearful, kept perfectly still while he continued his prayer:
"O God in Heaven, take me to my mother, who went to you to beg for bread for her boy——"
A hot breath played upon his cheek.
"O Lord..." he moaned.
He thought he was as good as dead, and yet it seemed to him that something licked his face gently.