g as he ruled wisely.

"All the little Green Forest folk and all the little people of the
Green Meadows used to take presents of food to old King Bear, so that
he never had to hunt for things to eat. He grew fatter and fatter and
fatter until it seemed as if his skin must burst. And the fatter he
grew the lazier he grew."

Grandfather Frog paused with an expectant far-away look in his great
bulging eyes. Then he leaped into the air so far that when he came
down it was with a great splash in the Smiling Pool. But as he swam
back to his big lily pad the leg of a foolish green fly could be seen
sticking out of one corner of his big mouth, and he settled himself
with a sigh of great contentment.

"Old King Bear," continued Grandfather Frog, just as if there had been
no interruption, "grew fatter and lazier every day, and like a great
many other fat and lazy people who have nothing to do for themselves
but are always waited on by others, he grew shorter and shorter in
temper and harder and harder to please.

"Now perhaps you don't know it, but the Bear family and the Coon family
are very closely related. In fact, they are second cousins. Old Mr.
Coon, Bobby Coon's father with a thousand greats tacked on before, was
young then, and he was very, very proud of being related to old King
Bear. He began to pass some of his old playfellows on the Green
Meadows without seeing them. He spent a great deal of time brushing
his coat and combing his whiskers and caring for his big ringed tail.
He held his head very high and he put on such airs that pretty soon he
could see no one at all but members of his own family and of the royal
family of Bear.

"Now as old King Bear grew fat and lazy he grew fussy, so that he was
no longer content to take everything brought him, but picked out the
choicest portions for himself and left the rest. Mr. Coon took charge
of all the things brought as tribute to old King Bear and of course
where there were so many goodies left he got all he wanted without
working.

"So just as old King Bear had grown fat and lazy and selfish, Mr. Coon
grew fat and lazy and selfish. Pretty soon he began to pick out the
best things for himself and hide them before old King Bear saw them.
When old King Bear was asleep he would go get them and stuff himself
like a greedy pig. And because he was stealing and wanted no one to
see him he always ate his stolen feasts at night.

"Now old Mother Nature is, as you