re. So the boy he scratched the bear's back an' the bear he
grinned an' made his paw go patitty-pat on the ground--it did feel so
splendid. Then the boy tuk his jack-knife 'n begun t' cut off the bear's
tail. The bear he flew mad 'n growled 'n growled so the boy he stopped
'n didn't dast cut no more.

'"Hurts awful," says the bear. "Couldn't never stan' it. Tell ye what
I'll dew. Ye scratched my back an' now I'll scratch your'n."

'Gee whiz!' said I.

'Yessir, that's what the bear said,' Uncle Eb went on. 'The boy he up
'n run like a nailer. The bear he laughed hearty 'n scratched the ground
like Sam Hill, 'n flung the dirt higher'n his head.

'"Look here," says he, as the boy stopped, "I jes' swallered a piece o
mutton. Run yer hand int' my throat an I'll let ye hev it."

'The bear he opened his mouth an' showed his big teeth.'

'Whew!' I whistled.

'Thet's eggszac'ly what he done,' said Uncle Eb. 'He showed 'em plain.
The boy was scairter'n a weasel. The bear he jumped up 'an down on his
hind legs 'n laughed 'n' hollered 'n' shook himself.

'"Only jes' foolin," says he, when he see the boy was goin' t' run
ag'in. "What ye 'fraid uv?"

'"Can't bear t' stay here," says the boy, "'less ye'll keep yer mouth
shet."

'An the bear he shet his mouth 'n pinted to the big pocket 'n his fur
coat 'n winked 'n motioned t' the boy.

'The bear he reely did hev a pocket on the side uv his big fur coat. The
boy slid his hand in up t' the elbow. Wha' d'ye s'pose he found?'

'Durmo,' said I.

'Sumthin' t' eat,' he continued. 'Boy liked it best uv all things.'

I guessed everything I could think of, from cookies to beefsteak, and
gave up.

'Gingerbread,' said he, soberly, at length.

'Thought ye said bears couldn't talk,' I objected.

'Wall, the boy 'd fell asleep an' he'd only dreamed o' the bear,' said
Uncle Eb. 'Ye see, bears can talk when boys are dreamin' uv 'em. Come
daylight, the boy got up 'n ketched a crow. Broke his wing with the
cross-gun. Then he tied the kite swing on t' the crow's leg, an' the
crow flopped along 'n the boy followed him 'n bime bye they come out a
cornfield, where the crow'd been used t' comin' fer his dinner.'

'What 'come o' the boy?' said I.

'Went home,' said he, gaping, as he lay on his back and looked up at the
tree-tops. 'An' he allwus said a bear was good comp'ny if he'd only keep
his mouth shet--jes' like some folks I've hearn uv.'

'An' what 'come o' the crow?'

'Went t'