round, as if he must needs meditate awhile on what
he had heard before he could fairly make up his mind what to say or do
next. Thus he remained for some moments, absorbed in thought; then,
looking up at Sprigg, he gravely shook his head--took several little
spells of shaking it before breaking the awful silence.

"It's a bad case, Sprigg; a mighty bad case, indeed. But before we
proceed any further, you may as well tell me how you like the looks of
the bull and the cat and the wolf--as well as do you mine?"

"Oh, no, indeed, sir! Not half so well!" And Sprigg was perfectly
sincere in the compliment. The bear improved the looks so complimented
by a beaming smile of gratified vanity; and the boy could perceive that
the moccasins were again agitated, as if the imp, or elf, or whatever it
was that stood in them, were laughing in his sleeves.

"It is true, Sprigg," resumed the bear, with a look of bland
self-satisfaction, "quite true that I have a rough coat and a rough
voice, and, it may be, a rough way with me sometimes, but they who know
me best can and do testify that my heart is in the right place, for all
that; and that it is a truer and kinder heart than many a one that beats
under wool, or fur, or even buckskin. But I am deviating and bearing
rather too near upon the unpardonable. A person may sooner hope to find
forgiveness for speaking ill of his neighbor than well of himself. Vice
versa, he who speaks to his own discredit, as you, Sprigg, have just
been doing, gains more credit thereby than were he to speak in the
highest praise of another. And why? Because those who listen to such a
person are sure to begin thinking of their own merits, while he is
confessing his demerits; and to think of them is to discover how immense
they are. This is a fact, for which we need not go one step out of our
way to find an example. We have it right here. The bad account you have
given of yourself had set me to thinking the better of myself. Your
confession of fault, putting me in a good humor with myself, puts me
also in a good humor with you. My merits, then, and your demerits are on
the best of terms. In short, Sprigg, to sum it all up in a nutshell, I
am not only one of the best fellows in the world, but one of the best
friends you ever had, or ever shall have; which assurance, though you
may doubt it now, I will prove to your entire satisfaction, even while
yet the month of June is young and rosy."

"Sprigg!" The boy said,