he
might find a good place to sleep.

He was exceedingly thin, and the bars of the grating widely placed, so
that he had no difficulty in squeezing through. But imagine his
consternation on finding himself face to face with an enormous black
bear, into whose cage he had thus ventured to intrude.

"Oh, oh, what's the meaning of this!" demanded the astonished bruin in
his own language.

He had just disposed of a good supper, and was feeling in particularly
good trim, when poor Michel so unexpectedly tumbled into his presence.
Angered at being disturbed, he made ready to demolish the impertinent
intruder with his mighty paw. The little Savoyard, pale and tearful,
kept perfectly still while he continued his prayer:

"O God in Heaven, take me to my mother, who went to you to beg for
bread for her boy----"

A hot breath played upon his cheek.

"O Lord..." he moaned.

He thought he was as good as dead, and yet it seemed to him that
something licked his face gently.

When, a few moments later, he realized that he was not being
devoured--that he was still unharmed--he opened his eyes wide and they
encountered those of the bear full of kindness and good humour.

This gave him courage. He got up. He patted the black muzzle of the
big creature, which received the caress with a murmur of pleasure.

The stress of the day had so exhausted Michel that the moment his
terror left him, he, with surprising unconcern, threw himself down to
sleep.

The bear, as if flattered by the confidence thus shown in him, regarded
him in a friendly fashion, then lay down beside him, almost completely
enveloping him with his warm fur, and so fell asleep in his turn.

Now this bear was no other than the famous "Mascot," who was maintained
at the palace as a representative of the Canton of Berne, in
recognition of the valuable services rendered by the Swiss to the
people of Lorraine in their struggle with the Duke of Burgogne.

Mascot was an important figure at the Court of Duke Leopold.
Everything possible was done for his comfort. He had his own
attendant, whose sole duty was to care for his person and to minister
to his every want. In his spacious cage he could move about freely and
swing at ease his heavy head.

Every afternoon he was visited by the courtiers, and sometimes even by
the Duke; but he troubled himself very little concerning the one or the
other. Indifferent to everything, even the ducal smile, he gazed
stolidly u