“Have you seen any bears about here, Eric?” shouted out a voice in the wood.
“Say, no!” said the Bear.
“No, I haven’t seen any”, said Eric.
“What’s that then, that stands alongside your sledge?” bawled out the voice in the wood.
“Say it’s an old fir-stump”, said the Bear.
“Oh, it’s only an old fir-stump”, said the man.
“Such fir-stumps we take in our country and roll them on our sledges”, bawled out the voice; “if you can’t do it yourself, I’ll come and help you.”
“Say you can help yourself, and roll me up on the sledge”, said the Bear.
“No, thank ye, I can help myself well enough”, said the man, and rolled the Bear on to the sledge.
“Such fir-stumps we always bind fast on our sledges in our part of the world”, bawled out the voice; “shall I come and help you?”