"Lost," echoed the big voice, "where were you going"?
"To find the Three bears," sobbed Jane, "and I can't find them."
"The Three Bears," roared the voice, "why, I am Mr. Bear, what do you want with us?"
Jane came quite close to him, and peered at him through the darkness. Mr. Bear, sure enough, big, hairy, and brown, just like the pictures! Jane quite forgot her manners in the excitement of the minute, and clasping her two little, fat hands together, cried,
"Oh, are you truly real bears?"
"Real bears?" roared Mr. Bear, in a voice of thunder, "of course we're real bears. What an insulting question! I ought to punish you well for that. Real bears, indeed!" and he roared louder than ever.
Poor Jane was frightened to death. She sat down on the ground, and screamed, "Oh, Mr. Bear, I'm so sorry. I will be good, oh, I will be good. Please don't eat me up!"
"JANE AND BABY BEAR PLAYED GAMES"
Mr. Bear grew more gentle when he saw how penitent she was, and told her if she would climb on his back, he would take her to Mrs. Bear and the Baby Bear who were waiting for him. Jane was a little doubtful about accepting the invitation, he was such a large bear, and she was such a little girl, a nice, fat morsel, too,—she had been told so before by her Papa,—still the temptation was very great, so she climbed on his broad back, settled herself comfortably, and off they started.