“Father,” said the third boy, “as I crossed over the mountain the other day, I saw a man who had done me a great wrong, sleeping near the edge of a dangerous precipice. I would have walked by without a word, only something within me called me to go back and awake him lest he fall over the precipice and be killed. I did this, knowing all the time that the man would not understand, and that he would be angry with me, as, indeed, he was.”
“My son,” cried the father, “your deed was the noblest. To do good to an enemy without hope of reward is indeed the noblest of all. The pearl is yours!”
III
FOLK-TALES
(Adapted for Children, Six to Twelve Years.)
1. WHY THE BEAR HAS A STUMPY TAIL
One day a Bear met a Fox, who was slinking along with a string of fish he had stolen. “Where did you get those nice fish?” said the Bear. “That’s telling,” laughed the Fox; “but if you want to get some, go out on the ice, cut a hole in it, and stick your tail down in the hole and hold your tail there until you feel a bite. The longer you hold your tail in the hole the more fish you will get. Then all at once pull your tail out sidewise with a strong jerk.” The Bear went down to the ice and held his tail a long, long time in the hole until it was frozen fast in. Then he jerked it out with a side pull, and his tail snapped short off. And people used to think that is why the Bear has a stumpy tail.
2. WHY THE ROBIN’S BREAST IS RED
Far, far away to the North, in the bitter winter, a hunter and his little son sat down beside their fire, watching it day and night. They knew well that unless it was kept burning the people would freeze and the Bear would have the Northland all to himself. But one night when the father was ill and the boy was so tired that he fell fast asleep, the Bear stole up quietly and poked the fire with his big, wet paws. Thinking the fire was out, he went quickly away to his cave. But as soon as the Bear was gone, a little gray Robin flew down and fanned a tiny blue spark into a flame with her wings. As she did this, the little Robin’s breast was burned red. But wherever she flew after that, over all the woods, a fire began to burn, and the whole Northland became full of fires, and so the Bear did not have all the North country to himself. For a thousand years the people of the North have had a great love for the Robin. And they tell their children this story why the Robin’s breast became red.—Adapted from Coates’ “Nature Myths and Stories.”