her mother's bed. The bear
began speaking, and said, "Do not be afraid: I will not do you any
harm; I am half-frozen, and would like to warm myself a little at your
fire."

"Poor bear!" the mother replied; "come in and lie by the fire; only be
careful that your hair is not burnt." Then she called Snow-White and
Rose-Red, telling them that the bear was kind, and would not harm
them. They came, as she bade them, and presently the lamb and the dove
drew near also without fear.

"Children," begged the bear; "knock some of the snow off my coat." So
they brought the broom and brushed the bear's coat quite clean.

After that he stretched himself out in front of the fire, and pleased
himself by growling a little, only to show that he was happy and
comfortable. Before long they were all quite good friends, and the
children began to play with their unlooked for visitor, pulling his
thick fur, or placing their feet on his back, or rolling him over and
over. Then they took a slender hazel twig, using it upon his thick
coat, and they laughed when he growled. The bear permitted them to
amuse themselves in this way, only occasionally calling out, when it
went a little too far, "Children, spare me an inch of life!"

[Illustration]

When it was night, and all were making ready to go to bed, the widow
told the bear, "You may stay here and lie by the hearth, if you like,
so that you will be sheltered from the cold and from the bad weather."

The offer was accepted, but when morning came, as the day broke in
the east, the two children let him out, and over the snow he went back
into the wood.

After this, every evening at the same time the bear came, lay by the
fire, and allowed the children to play with him; so they became quite
fond of their curious playmate, and the door was not ever bolted in
the evening until he had appeared.

When springtime came, and all around began to look green and bright,
one morning the bear said to Snow-White, "Now I must leave you, and
all the summer long I shall not be able to come back."

"Where, then, are you going, dear bear?" asked Snow-White. "I have to
go to the woods to protect my treasure from the bad dwarfs. In winter
time when the earth is frozen hard, they must remain underground, and
cannot make their way through; but now that the sunshine has thawed
the earth they can come to the surface, and whatever gets into their
hands, or is brought to their caves, seldom, if ever, again sees
da