Poor, foolish Dido! That was why the man who had set the trap had put the honey in it—so the bear, if one came along, would smell that sweet stuff and not notice the man-odor.
With his heart beating faster than ever, Dido now ran around all sides of the box-trap, trying to find a way out. But there was none. He could look through the cracks between the logs, and see the green woods where he had walked along so freely only a little while before. But now Dido could not get out to climb a tree or do anything else.
“Oh, what will happen to me?” he asked himself. “I must get out! I must get out!”
But Dido could not. He grew tired of running around the cage, and pushing on the sides and doors. His paws ached. His tongue was hanging out like a dog’s, and his breath came fast.
“I’ll lie down and rest,” said Dido. “Perhaps by then my papa or mamma will come and look for me and let me out.”
So Dido rested and then he ate a little more of the honey. It did not taste as nice now, for he was in trouble, and when even a bear is in trouble he can not eat well.
Dido waited and waited, but no papa or mamma bear came for him. It is true that Mr. Bear and Mrs. Bear soon missed their little cub, and they went looking for him, but I will tell you about that part later on.
All at once Dido, in the trap, heard the voices of some men talking. He knew they must be men, for he had heard his father tell about them. And Dido also noticed the man-smell coming to him through the cracks in the trap. He could smell that queer smell now, even though he was close to the honey.
“Ha!” cried one man. “The trap is closed! There must be a bear in it!”