k before him, and put every one on their guard. The
notion of going to bed supperless was very unpleasant to him, and he was
wondering what in the world he should do, when he chanced to meet with
his old friend the bear.

This poor animal had just lost his wife, and was going to get some one
to mourn over her, for he felt her loss greatly. He had hardly left his
comfortable cave when he had come across the wolf, who inquired where he
was going. 'I am going to find a mourner,' answered the bear, and told
his story.

'Oh, let me mourn for you,' cried the wolf.

'Do you understand how to howl?' said the bear.

'Oh, certainly, godfather, certainly,' replied the wolf; but the bear
said he should like to have a specimen of his howling, to make sure that
he knew his business. So the wolf broke forth in his song of lament:
'Hu, hu, hu, hum, hoh,' he shouted, and he made such a noise that the
bear put up his paws to his ears, and begged him to stop.

'You have no idea how it is done. Be off with you,' said he angrily.

A little further down the road the hare was resting in a ditch, but when
she saw the bear, she came out and spoke to him, and inquired why he
looked so sad. The bear told her of the loss of his wife, and of his
search after a mourner that could lament over her in the proper style.
The hare instantly offered her services, but the bear took care to ask
her to give him a proof of her talents, before he accepted them. 'Pu,
pu, pu, pum, poh,' piped the hare; but this time her voice was so small
that the bear could hardly hear her. 'That is not what I want,' he said,
'I will bid you good morning.'

It was after this that the fox came up, and he also was struck with
the bear's altered looks, and stopped. 'What is the matter with you,
godfather?' asked he, 'and where are you going?'

'I am going to find a mourner for my wife,' answered the bear.

'Oh, do choose me,' cried the fox, and the bear looked at him
thoughtfully.

'Can you howl well?' he said.

'Yes, beautifully, just listen,' and the fox lifted up his voice and
sang weeping: 'Lou, lou, lou! the famous spinner, the baker of good
cakes, the prudent housekeeper is torn from her husband! Lou, lou, lou!
she is gone! she is gone!'

'Now at last I have found some one who knows the art of lamentation,'
exclaimed the bear, quite delighted; and he led the fox back to his
cave, and bade him begin his lament over the dead wife who was lying
stretched out on he