to see its freedom restrained by the strap and string, and so she
untied the string from the log and let it drag it about during the day,
only fastening it at night.

"There is no danger of its running away," said she; "it thinks too much of
me and the berry dish. I've tamed it completely; it's as faithful to its
home as a house-cat, and a great deal more company than a cat or dog or
any other dumb animal. The nicest bird to tame is a blue-jay, and the best
animal for company is a cub. I do believe that I could tame the whole race
of bears if I only had 'em."

Mrs. Woods had a pet blue-jay that she had taken when young from its nest,
and it would do many comical things. It seemed to have a sense of humor,
like a magpie, and to enjoy a theft like that bird. She finally gave it
the freedom of the air, but it would return at her call for food and eat
from her hand. The blue-jay is naturally a very wild bird, but when it is
tamed it becomes very inquisitive and social, and seems to have a brain
full of invention and becomes a very comical pet. Mrs. Woods called her
pet bear Little Roll Over.

One day a visitor appeared at the emigrant's cabin. A black she-bear came
out of the woods, and, seeing the cub, stood up on her haunches in
surprise and seemed to say, "How came you here?" It was evidently the
mother of the cub.

The cub saw its mother and rolled over several times, and then stood up on
its haunches and looked at her, as much as to say, "Where did you come
from, and what brought you here?" In the midst of this interesting
interview Mrs. Woods appeared at the door of the cabin.

She saw the mother-bear. True to her New England instincts, she shook her
homespun apron and said: "Shoo!"

She also saw that the little bear was greatly excited, and under the
stress of temptation.

"Here," said she, "roll over."

The cub did so, but in the direction of its mother.

Mrs. Woods hurried out toward it to prevent this ungrateful gravitation.

The mother-bear seemed much to wonder that the cub should be found in such
forbidden associations, and began to make signs by dipping her fore paws.
The cub evidently understood these signs, and desired to renew its
old-time family relations.

"Here," said Mrs. Woods, "you--you--you mind now; roll over--roll over."

[Illustration: _In the midst of this interview Mrs. Woods appeared
at the door of the cabin._]

The cub did so, true to its education in one respect, but it did no