ainted bags on
the rocky walls. He guessed what was in them. He was a very hungry bear.
Seeing the racks of red meat hanging in the yard, he had come to visit
the badger family.

Though he was a stranger and his strong paws and jaws frightened the
small badgers, the father said, "How, how, friend! Your lips and nose
look feverish and hungry. Will you eat with us?"

"Yes, my friend," said the bear. "I am starved. I saw your racks of red
fresh meat, and knowing your heart is kind, I came hither. Give me meat
to eat, my friend."

Hereupon the mother badger took long strides across the room, and as she
had to pass in front of the strange visitor, she said: "Ah han! Allow me
to pass!" which was an apology.

"How, how!" replied the bear, drawing himself closer to the wall and
crossing his shins together.

Mother badger chose the most tender red meat, and soon over a bed of
coals she broiled the venison.

That day the bear had all he could eat. At nightfall he rose, and
smacking his lips together,--that is the noisy way of saying "the food
was very good!"--he left the badger dwelling. The baby badgers, peeping
through the door-flap after the shaggy bear, saw him disappear into the
woods near by.

Day after day the crackling of twigs in the forest told of heavy
footsteps. Out would come the same black bear. He never lifted the
door-flap, but thrusting it aside entered slowly in. Always in the same
place by the entrance way he sat down with crossed shins.

His daily visits were so regular that mother badger placed a fur rug in
his place. She did not wish a guest in her dwelling to sit upon the bare
hard ground.

At last one time when the bear returned, his nose was bright and black.
His coat was glossy. He had grown fat upon the badger's hospitality.

As he entered the dwelling a pair of wicked gleams shot out of his
shaggy head. Surprised by the strange behavior of the guest who remained
standing upon the rug, leaning his round back against the wall, father
badger queried: "How, my friend! What?"

The bear took one stride forward and shook his paw in the badger's face.
He said: "I am strong, very strong!"

"Yes, yes, so you are," replied the badger. From the farther end of the
room mother badger muttered over her bead work: "Yes, you grew strong
from our well-filled bowls."

The bear smiled, showing a row of large sharp teeth.

"I have no dwelling. I have no bags of dried meat. I have no arrows. All
these I h