nce upon a time the tailor of Wraye and the tinker of Wraye went to the king's fair together; and when they had seen all the sights that were there they started home together well pleased with their day's outing.
The sun was going down when they left the fair and when they came to the Enchanted Wood through which they had to pass the moon was rising over the hill. And a fine full moon it was, so bright that the night was almost as light as day.
"There are some people who would not venture in this wood at night even when the moon is shining," said the tinker; "but as for me I do not know what fear is."
"Nor I," said the tailor. "I would that every one had as stout a heart as mine."
And it was just then that Grandmother Grey's old white sheep that had wandered into the wood that eve came plodding through the bushes.
"Goodness me! What is that?" said the tinker clutching his companion's arm.
"A bear!" cried the tailor casting one frightened glance toward the bushes. "A great white bear! Run, run for your life."
And run they did! The tailor was small and the tinker was tall, but it was a close race between them, up hill and down hill, and into the town.
"A bear, a great white bear!" they called as they ran; and everybody they met took up the cry: "A bear, a bear!" till the whole town was roused.
The mayor and his wife, the shoemaker and his daughter, the butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker, the blacksmith and the miller's son—indeed, to make a long story short, everybody who was awake in the town of Wraye—came hurrying out of their houses to hear what the matter was. There was soon as large a crowd as went to church on Sunday gathered about the two friends; and the tailor and the tinker talked as fast as they had run, to tell their thrilling tale.