“‘What did they do?’ asked Perseus.
“‘That’s what I’m telling you,’ said Hercules.
“‘S—sh!’ said Cassiopeia. ‘Don’t interrupt. When didn’t they go off?’
“‘For the biggest bear’s party. There was going to be a party, and the bears all came; and not one of them would go off.’
“‘The bearth?’ asked Draco.
“‘S—sh!’ said Cassiopeia. ‘The meteors, of course.’
“‘It thounded ath if he meant the bearth,’ explained Draco; but Hercules went on, undisturbed. It was remarkable how he could talk, now he was started. He looked right at Little Bear while he told his story, and Little Bear looked back at him in perfect delight.
“‘There wouldn’t one of ’em go off,’ he repeated, ‘and that made the great big horrible bears madder than hornets—and they went tearin’ around, and they would have smashed all the meteors and eaten each other up; but there was one bear that was a funny fellow, and he used to make ’em laugh. And they liked that sometimes, when they were tired of fightin’.
“‘So this bear said to the others: “I’ve thought of something. Let’s have some fun. I know what to do with these meteors.”’
“‘What?’ asked Perseus.