to
school to dance the polka? Attend to this little problem immediately,
and mind it is correctly answered. If 10,000 Bears and a Pole-cat, ran
round a tree 1,500 times and a half, in an hour and ten minutes; each
knocking off one leaf and three-quarters every time he ran round--how
many leaves would be knocked off in a fortnight?"

"They couldn't do it," muttered a hedgehog derisively. "There
wouldn't be room for a quarter of them!"

"Make haste! Make haste!" cried the Badger, rapping his desk; but just
at that moment, _whirr!_ _whizz!_ _bang!_ The books flew open with a
loud report, and out sprang the crackers, and began to fizz and bound
about the table.

Herr Badger's black skull cap tumbled off, and he fell backwards in
his astonishment, shouting for help; while the whole school darted
away through the open door into the woods, in a state of the wildest
delight and excitement.

CHAPTER II.

Fru Bjornson was busily employed in her kitchen, stirring up some
liquid in a large saucepan. It was cranberry jam for the winter, and
on the floor stood a long row of brown jars into which it was to be
poured when the boiling was thoroughly completed.

The servant, a little thin light-brown Bear, in a large apron, waited
close by, ready to poke the fire, or give any other assistance that
was required of her.

In the salon, Herr Bjornson, with a pucker on his forehead, was adding
up his Bee accounts--for he kept a number of hives in the garden and
fields belonging to him.

Suddenly the alarm bell sounded loudly, and in rushed the Bear-mother,
with the jam-ladle in her hand, her hair almost erect with terror.

"They have found us at last! What shall we do? Where shall we fly to?"
she cried distractedly.

"Into the ice-cellar," cried Herr Bjornson, "come, Ingold. Everyone
follow me!" and he threw his papers down on the ground and ran out at
the back door.

Fortunately the ice-cellar was near the house, and the frightened
family were soon safely in its shelter.

By opening a crack in the small trap-door, which was level with the
ground, they were able to see all that went on in the garden; and the
steps afforded them a place to sit down upon, without touching the
great blocks of ice that looked white and ghostly as the thin streak
of daylight struggled in upon them.

"Is anyone coming?" whispered the Bear-mother nervously.

"I can't see anything moving," growled Herr Bjornson. "Keep back,
Mother. I can't help