.

You cry "Shame" on the rough sailors for their cruelty. Yes, they acted
cruelly, because they were thoughtless of the feelings of the poor bear.
Ask yourself, dear young friend, if you are ever thoughtless of the
feelings of those who merit your tenderest love. If you are, cry
"Shame" on yourself, and endeavour in future to regard them first of all
things.

THE HONEY-SEEKER AND THE BEAR.

The Indian believes the bear to be possessed not only of a wonderful
amount of sagacity, but of feelings akin to those of human beings.
Though most species are savage when irritated, some of them occasionally
exhibit good-humour and kindness.

A story is told of a man in Russia, who, on an expedition in search of
honey, climbed into a high tree. The trunk was hollow, and he
discovered a large cone within. He was descending to obtain it, when he
stuck fast. Unable to extricate himself, and too far from home to make
his voice heard, he remained in that uncomfortable position for two
days, sustaining his life by eating the honey. He had become silent
from despair, when, looking up, what was his horror to see a huge bear
above him, tempted by the same object which had led him into his
dangerous predicament, and about to descend into the interior of the
tree!

Bears--very wisely--when getting into hollows of rocks or trees, go
tail-end first, that they may be in a position to move out again when
necessary. No sooner, in spite of his dismay, did the tail of the bear
reach him, than the man caught hold of it. The animal, astonished at
finding some big creature below him, when he only expected to meet with
a family of bees, against whose stings his thick hide was impervious,
quickly scrambled out again, dragging up the man, who probably shouted
right lustily. Be that as it may, the bear waddled off at a quick rate,
and the honey-seeker made his way homeward, to relate his adventure, and
relieve the anxiety of his family.

THE GOOD-NATURED BEAR AND THE CHILDREN.

The brown bear, which lives in Siberia, may be considered among the most
good-natured of his tribe. Mr Atkinson, who travelled in that country,
tells us that some peasants--a father and mother--had one day lost two
of their children, between four and six years of age. It was soon
evident that their young ones had wandered away to a distance from their
home, and as soon as this discovery was made they set off in search of
them.

Having proceeded some way through