









[Illustration:

  Page 36

  _The Three Bears drank every drop of the maple sap_
]




                               ADVENTURES
                             OF SONNY BEAR


                                  _By_
                          FRANCES MARGARET FOX
                  _Author of "Doings of Little Bear"_

                            _Illustrated by_
                              WARNER CARR

[Illustration]

                        RAND M^cNALLY & COMPANY

       CHICAGO                                          NEW YORK


                         _Copyright, 1916, by_
                        RAND M^CNALLY & COMPANY
                          All rights reserved
                            Edition of 1915




[Illustration: Made in U.S.A.]




                                  _To_

                           _My Little Friend_

                         HELEN MARGARET PARSONS

[Illustration]




                                CONTENTS


                                                       PAGE
            HOW MOTHER BEAR SAVED HER BABY               11

            GRANDFATHER GRIZZLY                          14

            BABY BEAR'S PARTY                            18

            WHEN MOTHER BEAR MADE PICKLES                22

            LITTLE BEAR AND BOB WHITE'S CHILDREN         26

            MAPLE SUGAR FOR LITTLE BEAR                  32

            WHEN THE STORM CAME                          38

            SONNY BEAR'S ADVENTURE IN GOLDILOCKS' CAMP   44

            WHAT FATHER BEAR SAID WHEN HE WAS TIRED      49

            HOW LITTLE BEAR WENT TO A PICNIC             54

            THREE BEARS IN THE ENCHANTED LAND            59




                            ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


Thanks are extended the following publishers for permission to reprint
the following stories in book form: _The Youth's Companion_, for
"Grandfather Grizzly," "Baby Bear's Party," "Sonny Bear's Adventure in
Goldilocks' Camp," "When the Storm Came"; _The Churchman_, for "How
Mother Bear Saved Her Baby," "When Mother Bear Made Pickles"; _St.
Nicholas_, for "How Little Bear Went to a Picnic"; _The Continent_, for
"Three Bears in the Enchanted Land"; _Woman's World_, for "Little Bear
and Bob White's Children."

[Illustration]

[Illustration:

  _Mother Bear put Sonny Bear in his wooden cradle_
]




                        ADVENTURES OF SONNY BEAR




                     HOW MOTHER BEAR SAVED HER BABY


One time Little Bear came near being carried away to town. It was when
he was a weenty baby, before he was big enough to have a porridge bowl
of his own, or a tiny chair, or a wee bed upstairs. It happened this
way:

When middle-sized Mother Bear came down one morning to get breakfast,
she carried Baby Bear in her arms and put him in his wooden cradle with
the rockers. He was wide awake, but while he lay there watching the fire
in the big fireplace and listening to the teakettle singing and the
porridge bubbling, he fell asleep again.

Quietly Mother Bear filled the big, big porridge bowl and the
middle-sized porridge bowl. Then she motioned for Father Bear to sit at
the table.

"Isn't the porridge too hot?" whispered Father Bear, in a big, gruff
whisper.

Middle-sized Mother Bear tasted the porridge and it burned her mouth.
"Yes, it is too hot," she agreed.

"I will go for a walk in the forest while the porridge cools," said
Father Bear as he reached for his big hat and tiptoed softly to the
door.

A few moments later Mother Bear stepped out to get a basin of rain water
for Sonny Bear's bath. Sonny Bear was sound asleep, but Mother Bear
carefully closed the door behind her when she left the little house.

One moment later, a man, carrying a gun, saw the house in the forest,
and, wondering who might live there, walked up the path and knocked at
the door. He had been walking since daylight and was tired and hungry.

Straightway Mr. Man lifted the latch, went in, and walked over to the
cradle. Instead of a little pink and white baby in the cradle, there lay
a baby bear, sound asleep. Mr. Man smiled and stooped over to take
Little Bear in his arms.

"I'll carry you home to my children for a pet," said Mr. Man.

At that moment middle-sized Mother Bear opened the door. Oh, but she was
frightened when she saw a man with a gun in his hand leaning over her
baby's cradle! She feared he would run away with the baby and shoot
whoever tried to stop him. Middle-sized Mother Bear tried to think what
to do and in a second she remembered that sometimes men are afraid of
fire. Running to the fireplace she seized a blazing log and darted at
Mr. Man. One end of the log was not on fire, so Mother Bear didn't get
burned.

[Illustration]

But that man! When he saw Mother Bear coming toward him with a blazing
log, he jumped for the door and was gone before she had time to think
twice! And he was never again seen near the Three Bears' home!

Little Bear loves to hear about that man to this day.




                          GRANDFATHER GRIZZLY


Little Bear's parents had never told him about his Grandfather Grizzly,
but Auntie Cinnamon's twins told Little Bear that Grandfather Grizzly
talked like this: "Gr-gr-gr-ger-ger-row-rowl!"—only they made it sound
like the north wind in November.

Little Bear shivered with fear. That pleased the twins so much they told
one story after another, just to see Little Bear look frightened. But
the joke was on them, because, while they were trying to scare Little
Bear, they had frightened themselves so badly they jumped every time the
friendly owl spoke in the forest.

Of course Little Bear straightway asked Father Bear many questions about
Grandfather Grizzly and his folks. At last he said, "If I ever meet a
grizzly, up I go, up I go, to the top of the highest tree!"

"No, indeed! You shall not be a coward!" answered Father Bear. "If ever
you see a grizzly coming, even Grandfather Grizzly himself, you walk on
and meet him."

"Meet him!" echoed Little Bear, in faint tones.

"Yes, Son Bear, you meet him. Meet him face to face, and say, 'Good
morning, sir.'"

[Illustration:

  "_I'm of the old, old family of the Three Bears_"
]

After that Little Bear did not feel so happy in the big woods. He feared
he might see a grizzly coming, and be obliged to meet him and say, "Good
morning, sir!"

One day soon afterward, Little Bear fell asleep on a shelf of rock; he
was comfortable in the warm sunshine. When he awoke he saw below him a
huge bear patiently trying to take a bunch of burrs from the back of his
neck. The burrs were sticking tight in his fur.

Little Bear might easily have slipped off the back of the rock and run
softly away; instead, he offered to help the stranger get the burrs out
of his coat.

Straightway the big bear turned a troubled face upward. "Then do so," he
growled. "Jump down on my back, and use your sharp claws, young cub, and
be quick about it." His tones were rough, but Little Bear did not blame
the old fellow for that.

When the burrs were out, Little Bear jumped to the ground.

"I thank you, sir," said the stranger, rising and shaking his huge body.
"What's your name?"

"Little Bear. I'm of the old, old family of the Three Bears, if you
please," was the prompt and fearless answer.

"I am pleased to have met you," said the big bear, scratching his ear
with his hind paw. "Tell your father and mother old Grandfather Grizzly
says you are a brave young cub. If I can ever be of use to your family,
I shall be glad. Good day, sir!" And off he went through the woods,
"slipslop, slipslop," on his huge flat feet.

[Illustration]

Little Bear ran home as fast as he could.

"What did I tell you?" inquired Father Bear, when he had heard Little
Bear's story.

"I'll never be afraid of the grizzlies again," answered Little Bear,
gayly hopping about.

But Auntie Cinnamon's twins still tremble at the thought of meeting
Grandfather Grizzly.




                           BABY BEAR'S PARTY


Baby Bear loved the birds, so Mother Bear was not much surprised when
Baby Bear dropped his wee porridge spoon at the breakfast table, and
said in a shrill voice:

"Let's invite all the birds to a party!"

"We will give the party to-morrow," said Mother Bear. "But what shall we
offer the birds to eat?"

"Blackberries and honey," replied Father Bear.

"Once I saw a robin eat a wiggly worm," said Baby Bear.

"I'll tell you what we'd better do, Father Bear," said Mother Bear. "You
take a walk around the edge of the woods and find out what the birds
like best to eat."

Father Bear set out gayly enough, but he came back looking sad and
discouraged.

"We can't have the party!" he said. "I have been asking questions, and
what do you suppose I have learned? The robins eat worms, and they eat
so many that we couldn't dig enough to satisfy one robin!"

"Then suppose we give a little party, and invite only catbirds," said
Mother Bear.

"Catbirds!" exclaimed Father Bear, in a big, gruff voice. "Catbirds eat
grasshoppers—thirty at a time! You can't buy jumping grasshoppers by the
quart."

[Illustration:

  _Baby Bear saw hundreds of birds in the garden, searching for bugs_
]

"How about the kingbirds?" questioned Mother Bear.

"Kingbirds must have gadflies," grumbled Father Bear, "gadflies by the
peck!"

"How about the swallows?" asked Mother Bear, who saw Baby Bear winking
hard to keep back the tears.

"Swallows must have flies!" roared Father Bear, for he was all out of
patience. "And spotted squash beetles! I'd look well stooping over in
our garden five or six hours trying to catch squash beetles for
company!"

"We might ask chickadees," ventured Mother Bear. She saw two big tears
rolling down Baby Bear's cheeks, so she mentioned chickadees. "They like
crumbs."

"One chickadee," said Father Bear, in gentler tones, "would much prefer
five thousand five hundred and fifty cankerworm eggs in a day. We can't
invite chickadees!"

"Cedar birds?" murmured Mother Bear.

"Cedar birds dine on caterpillars. We could fill the washtubs, I
suppose, and pass them round!

"Blackbirds spend half their lives chasing insects and eating weed
seeds. The phœbe bird works for the farmers. She eats weevils that spoil
wheat and peas and beans. The wood pewees eat flies. Woodpeckers and
meadow larks, hawks, and all owls have strange appetites!"

[Illustration]

Baby Bear covered his face, and wailed.

This would be a sad story if it ended here, but it does not.

The birds loved Baby Bear, and when they found out why he cried so loud,
they came in flocks to comfort him.

After that, when Baby Bear awoke, he always saw hundreds of birds in the
garden, searching for bugs, worms, and grasshoppers.

And that is the reason why the Three Bears have such a wonderful garden.




                     WHEN MOTHER BEAR MADE PICKLES


One year the Three Bears decided to make pickles. They didn't like
pickles themselves, but whenever Goldilocks and her family had picnics
in the forest they brought pickles.

"We'd better make pickles this year," said the Middle-sized Bear, "so if
Goldilocks should come to see Sonny Bear we could offer her something
she likes, to eat with her porridge."

Next day Big Bear took a huge basket and went for wild cucumbers. When
he brought them home Middle-sized Bear, with Baby Bear's help, began
making pickles. They washed the cucumbers in the big dishpan. Then
Middle-sized Bear gave Sonny Bear a big spoon and a bag of coarse salt.

"Put the salt on the pickles," said Mother Bear.

For a few minutes Baby Bear did as he was told, and shoveled salt on the
pickles. He was having a good time playing with the salt, when suddenly
Baby Bear thought the salt looked so much like sugar that maybe it was
sugar. By and by Baby Bear was so sure the salt was sugar that he opened
his mouth wide and put in a big spoonful. Then how he roared and cried!

[Illustration:

  _Baby Bear was having a good time playing with the salt_
]

Father Bear came running in, and Mother Bear scooped salt out of Baby
Bear's big mouth until she wondered how one spoon could have held so
much. When she couldn't see any more salt, she washed Baby Bear's mouth
with cold water from the spring.

After awhile Mother Bear put a large box of mustard on the kitchen
table, and left it there while she went into the pantry to read a recipe
for making mustard pickles.

Baby Bear wondered what was in that yellow box. Then he climbed in the
middle-sized Mother Bear's middle-sized chair and reached for it. He
worked and worked and worked until finally off came the cover of the
box, and the mustard flew into Baby Bear's eyes. That mustard was so
strong and hot it burned like fire!

Father Bear came running and Mother Bear came running! The mustard got
in their eyes, too, and soon the Three Bears were dancing up and down on
the kitchen floor, crying out, "Mustard! Mustard! Mustard!"

Then Father Bear had an accident. He knocked the pickles off the broad
window sill into the sand.

"Never mind," said Mother Bear, as she carried Baby Bear to the door for
fresh air; "the pickles wouldn't have been good anyway, for the book
I've been reading says pickles must be made of garden cucumbers!"

[Illustration]

It was a long time before wee Baby Bear stopped crying. Perhaps he might
have cried until bedtime if a bumblebee hadn't brought him a bit of
honey.

After that the Three Bears went to walk.

"Anyway," said the Middle-sized Bear, as she tied Baby Bear's bonnet
strings, "anyway, there isn't anything so good as porridge! If
Goldilocks can't eat porridge, if she ever comes visiting Baby Bear, she
will have to go hungry! We shall certainly never make any more pickles!"

And they never did.




                  LITTLE BEAR AND BOB WHITE'S CHILDREN


One lovely spring morning Father Deer knocked at the door of the Three
Bears' home in the forest.

"Come in, Friend Deer, come in!" was Father Bear's welcome as he opened
wide the door. "Come in and have a bowl of porridge!"

"No, I thank you," answered Father Deer, "I am on my way to the wheat
field for breakfast. Where is Sonny? Oh, there he is, behind his mother!
Little Bear, I came to ask you to go for a walk with me, if your father
and mother are willing. I should like to take you to see Bob White's
children."

"Oh, may I go, may I go?" asked Little Bear in a shrill, happy voice.

"To be sure, to be sure!" answered Father Bear.

"But don't wander far from Friend Deer," warned his mother as she kissed
Little Bear good-by.

Straight to the edge of the forest bounded Father Deer, with Little Bear
close at his heels. When the two were near the wheat field they heard a
brown bird singing in sweet tones, "Bob White! Bob White!"

[Illustration:

  _Little Bear didn't go too near for fear of scaring the babies_
]

"He is a fine fellow, that quail who calls himself Bob White," said
Father Deer. It was the first time he had spoken. Plump Little Bear was
nearly out of breath trying to keep pace with Mr. Deer of the long legs,
so he was glad to stop for a short talk.

"That gentle bird works for the farmer all the year," Father Deer
continued, as he stood beside Little Bear, looking through the bushes
back of the stone wall surrounding the wheat field. "During the summer
he works twelve hours a day destroying all kinds of bugs and worms. He
eats hundreds of garden bugs at a time, Little Bear!"

"I suppose he has to eat enough to last while he sleeps all winter,"
suggested Little Bear, looking wise.

"Quail do not sleep all winter, and neither do our folks!" corrected
Father Deer. "During the delightful winters when you bears are all
tucked away in bed, sleeping as if you never intend to wake up, Bob
White dines on weed seeds. He has been known to eat five thousand weed
seeds at one meal!"

Soon Father Deer led Little Bear to Bob White's home, and introduced him
to the family—Bob White, Mrs. Bob White, and their eighteen children.
Their nest was on the ground in the fence corner. Little Bear didn't go
too near for fear of scaring the babies, who, with their beady black
eyes, looked like balls of down.

[Illustration]

While Father Deer nibbled the new wheat, Little Bear stayed near the
nest where he could see the Bob White children eat their breakfast.

"What would you do if a man should come out here and carry off your
babies?" asked Little Bear, who longed to take one of the babies in his
own big paw and give it a weenty squeeze.

"Come, children," said Mrs. Bob White, "let us show Little Bear what
would happen if a man should try to carry you off. Come on, we will play
hide and seek with him."

Mrs. Bob White knew that Little Bear wouldn't take one of her children
in his big paw and give it a weenty squeeze. "Come, children, run and
hide. When you find one of my children, Little Bear, you say 'I spy!'
Ready, children! One, two, three, hide!"

In a twinkling there was not a baby quail in sight. They scattered so
quickly the minute their mother said "Hide!" that Little Bear was
astonished. He searched and searched through the grass, but not a baby
quail could he find. Then he noticed that Mrs. Bob White seemed to have
broken her wing.

"How did it happen, Mrs. Bob White! Oh, how did it happen!" exclaimed
Little Bear in distress, as he ran after her.

Immediately Mrs. Bob White straightened her wings and laughed. "Come,
children," she called, and up rose eighteen baby quail from the grass
where they had been playing hide-and-seek in plain sight.

"But didn't you get hurt?" inquired Little Bear.

"Not a bit of it!" replied Mrs. Bob White. "That is a trick of ours to
give the babies a chance to hide. If a man should come out here to get
my babies he would follow me just as you did, because he would believe,
as you did, that I had broken my wing."

[Illustration]

"Do the children always mind when you say 'Hide'?" inquired Little Bear.

"Always," replied Mrs. Bob White.

                  *       *       *       *       *

At home Little Bear had a wonderful story to tell of children who always
obeyed their mother. No wonder Mother Bear was glad she let Little Bear
go for a walk. He was a more obedient Little Bear ever after.




                      MAPLE SUGAR FOR LITTLE BEAR


Goldilocks liked maple sugar. One springtime she asked her father and
her mother so many questions about how maple sugar is made, that Father
Goldilocks finally said. "Let us take a vacation. Let us pack up and go
to the sugar bush."

"What's a sugar bush?" asked Goldilocks.

"A sugar bush," explained Father Goldilocks, "isn't a sugar bush. We say
sugar bush when we mean a forest of maple trees. The sap of sugar maples
is sweet, and—"

"What is sap?" interrupted Goldilocks.

"The sap of a tree," replied Father Goldilocks, "is its juice. The tree
sends its roots deep into the ground after water to make its leaves
grow. After the cold winter is over and the frost is out of the ground,
the roots work hard pumping water up into the tree to help it quickly
put on a new dress of fluttering green leaves. Sugar maples tell their
roots to bring sugar out of the earth; they wish their sap sweetened."

"But how do we get maple sugar?" persisted Goldilocks.

"We tap the sugar-maple trees," began Father Goldilocks.

[Illustration]

"What is tap?" inquired Goldilocks.

"To tap a tree," her father went on, "is to make a little hole in the
trunk. Out of that the sap will drip. Sugar makers drive sticks in these
holes in the trees, and hang buckets on them. The buckets are soon
filled with sap. The sap is then boiled until all the water is gone and
only sugar is left. That's how we get maple sugar."

The very next day Goldilocks and her father and her mother drove to the
forest and cleaned up a deserted little cabin where Father Goldilocks
had made maple sugar when Goldilocks was a baby. Such a merry time they
had, getting the little cabin ready to live in!

Late that afternoon the three took a long walk in the woods. Father
Goldilocks carried a big, big bucket. Mother Goldilocks carried a
middle-sized bucket, and the wee, wee Goldilocks carried a wee, wee
bucket.

At last they reached a beautiful, sunbright clearing where stood three
maple trees in a row: a big maple tree, a middle-sized maple tree, and a
little maple tree.

"Oh, let us tap these trees and hang our buckets here!" begged
Goldilocks.

She didn't know that that sunbright clearing was Little Bear's
playground; neither did Mother Goldilocks know it, nor Father
Goldilocks.

"This is a long way from our camp," objected Mother Goldilocks.

"But morning walks are lovely," added Goldilocks.

"So they are," agreed Father Goldilocks. "Suppose we tap these trees and
come after our buckets of sap early in the morning when the birds are
singing. This once we will make a long journey for the first sap of the
season. Tomorrow we shall begin tapping the trees in our own camp, and
soon you shall have maple sugar."

[Illustration:

  _At last they reached a beautiful, sunbright clearing where stood
    three maple trees in a row_
]

"We shall get up early, early," promised Goldilocks, "and come out here
before breakfast"; and away she danced, happy as any forest bird.

Goldilocks and her father and her mother did get up early in the
morning, but the Three Bears rose earlier still and went out to walk.
They were very hungry, because of their spring appetites. When they
reached the sunbright clearing and saw three buckets hanging from three
maple trees, they were surprised and pleased.

"I'm thirsty," said Father Bear. "I shall take a drink of this
cool-looking water." And he lifted the big, big bucket, that was
dripping full of maple sap, and took a taste.

"I'm thirsty, too," said Mother Bear, "so I'll take a drink!" She lifted
the middle-sized bucket, that was dripping full of maple sap, and tasted
it.

"And I'm thirsty, too," added Little Bear, "so I'll take a drink of
water!" Then he lifted the wee, wee bucket, dripping full of maple sap,
and took a sip.

"Mine is sweet!" exclaimed Father Bear.

"Mine is sweet!" added Mother Bear.

"And mine is sweet!" cried Little Bear.

The Three Bears drank every drop of the maple sap, and then went on
dancing and singing for joy.

And now came Goldilocks and her father and mother.

"Somebody's been drinking my sap!" shouted Father Goldilocks.

[Illustration]

"Somebody's been drinking my sap!" echoed Mother Goldilocks.

"And somebody's been tasting of my sap!" exclaimed Goldilocks, "and he
has drunk it all up!"

Back to their own camp went the Goldilocks family, and there they lived
undisturbed all the season and made most delicious maple sugar.

As for Mother Bear and Father Bear, after they learned that maple trees
have sweet juice they tapped trees and caught more sap, until one happy
day, soon after, they, too, learned to make maple sugar.

Ever since, Little Bear, as well as Goldilocks, has had maple sugar in
the springtime. He likes it.




                          WHEN THE STORM CAME


Big Father Bear and middle-sized Mother Bear were often obliged to leave
Little Bear at home when they went away on business. Early one morning,
when they were going after honey, they said, "Be a good child, Sonny
Bear, while we are gone. Don't step outside the front gate or the back
gate."

Little Bear promised, and all the forenoon he played happily in the
garden, and sang:

                         "Ta-de-dum, dum, dum!
                         Ta-de-dum, dum, dum!"

as only a happy little bear can sing.

Early in the afternoon Mother Deer passed the house. "Little Bear," she
called "there is a big storm coming, and your parents are away. Come
home with me and stay until the storm is over."

"I thank you," answered Little Bear, most politely, "but I promised
father and mother that I wouldn't go outside the yard."

Soon Father Rabbit came hopping along home.

"Storm coming, Baby Bear," he called. "Come home with me until it is
over. There is nothing like a warm, dry burrow when there is a storm."

[Illustration:

  _A big, wet, shaggy dog tumbled into the room_
]

But Little Bear would not go. Soon Mrs. Reynard came hastening homeward.

"Come, child, come!" she called to Little Bear. "Come and cuddle up with
my children until the storm is over." But Baby Bear would not go,
although the clouds were piling up and up above the forest, and the
trees were beginning to toss their branches to and fro. One by one the
squirrels, the butterflies, the birds, and the bees went by. Baby Bear
felt queer and lonely; but he would not go outside the yard, although
other neighbors invited him to their homes.

At last pit-pat, pat, pat, patter—patter—patter down came big drops of
rain. Suddenly two clouds rushed together over the little house in the
forest, and they roared—crashety—crashety—bang—bang—bang! Little Bear
knew that the sound was only thunder, and that the blinding flashes that
soon came thick and fast were nothing but lightning, but he ran into the
house and shut the door.

Big Bear had often told Little Bear that if ever he felt queer and
lonely, the thing to do was to whistle. Little Bear felt queer and
lonely now, so he puckered up his lips and whistled cheerily, although
the storm made such an uproar that his best whistling sounded weak.
Weaker still was a little pitiful whine outside the door, but Little
Bear heard it, ran to the door, and opened it wide. A big, wet, shaggy
dog tumbled into the room.

[Illustration]

Little Bear was so glad to see the dog that he ran to the cupboard to
get him some bread. When he came back he thought the poor dog was dead,
but he came to life instantly, and winked at Little Bear. Then he
laughed, and rolled over and over on a rug, and dried his wet fur.

[Illustration]

"I believe I'll get him some fruit," Little Bear said to himself, as he
took a clean dish and went to the cupboard. When he came back the dog
was sitting in Big Bear's chair, playing Big Bear's flute!

Little Bear ran upstairs to get the dog a coat. When he came back, the
dog was pretending to ride a goat! Sonny Bear then went to get him some
shoes, and when he came back that dog was reading the news. Just for
fun, Little Bear then looked for a key to fit in the lock, and sure
enough, that dog began to wind the clock!

"Now I know who you are!" declared Little Bear. "You are Mother
Hubbard's dog!"

And then the dog, because he was so glad that Little Bear knew him at
last, began to dance a jig, and he did tricks, one after another, that
kept Little Bear laughing until the storm was over.

Soon came Mother Hubbard, searching for her dog, "Oh, Little Bear," she
said, "I thank you for being so kind to my dog! He hasn't had a bone for
so long on account of my cupboard's being bare! He would have perished
in the storm but for you, and without my dog I couldn't expect to get
into another Christmas stocking! I wouldn't be worth mentioning if I
were separated from my dog."

"Bow-wow!" answered the saucy dog. And then he did all his tricks again,
and made Mother Hubbard, big Father Bear, middle-sized Mother Bear, and
Little Bear all laugh.

That night Sonny Bear stirred and murmured in his sleep, "I am so glad I
didn't go! I a-m s-o g-l-a-d!"




                       SONNY BEAR'S ADVENTURE IN
                            GOLDILOCK'S CAMP


One summer Father Goldilocks and Mother Goldilocks took Little
Goldilocks and went to the forest to camp out. Their tent was new and
white, and they found that the forest was a delightful place for a home.

Early every morning Mother Goldilocks rose to get breakfast. One
morning, when she had blackberries ready in three bowls on the table,
Father Goldilocks said: "Let us go to the river and catch some fish for
breakfast."

In a few moments Father Goldilocks, Mother Goldilocks, and Little
Goldilocks were on their way to the river.

Then along came Little Bear, out for a morning walk. It happened he had
never seen a tent before.

"It must be somebody's house," said Little Bear, as he knocked loudly on
the front pole of the tent. Nobody answered his knock, so Little Bear
opened the flap and walked in.

Near the table were three chairs in a row, a big, big camp chair for
big, big Father Goldilocks, a middle-sized camp chair for middle-sized
Mother Goldilocks, and a wee, wee chair for wee, wee Goldilocks.

[Illustration]

After his long walk, Baby Bear was tired; so he sat down to rest in the
big, big camp chair, but it was too high to be comfortable. He then
tried the middle-sized camp chair, and that was too low to be
comfortable. But when Little Bear tried the wee, wee camp chair for the
wee, wee Goldilocks, it was neither too high nor too low; it was just
right. So Little Bear sat hard in that wee, wee camp chair until he
broke the bottom right out.

Then Little Bear decided to try the beds. In the tent were three beds,
made of hemlock boughs and leaves, covered with blankets; a big, big bed
for big, big Father Goldilocks, a middle-sized bed for Mother
Goldilocks, and a wee, wee bed for the wee, wee Goldilocks.

First Little Bear tried the big, big bed, but it was too hard for him.
Then he tried the middle-sized bed for Mother Goldilocks, and it was too
soft for him. But when Little Bear cuddled down in the wee, wee bed for
the wee, wee Goldilocks, it was neither too hard nor too soft; it was
just right. So he went sound asleep.

Soon Father, Mother, and Little Goldilocks came home. The minute they
opened the flap of the tent, Father Goldilocks exclaimed in a big, big
voice: "Somebody has been sitting in my chair!"

"Somebody has been sitting in my chair!" exclaimed middle-sized Mother
Goldilocks.

"And somebody has been sitting in my chair," added wee, wee Goldilocks,
beginning to cry, "and he has sat the bottom right out!"

"Somebody has been lying in my bed!" thundered big Father Goldilocks, in
a big, angry voice.

"Somebody has been lying in my bed!" declared dear, middle-sized Mother
Goldilocks.

"Somebody has been lying in my bed," exclaimed wee, wee Goldilocks, in a
shrill, shrill voice, "and there he is!"

[Illustration:

  _So Little Bear went sound asleep_
]

[Illustration]

When the Goldilocks family came home, Little Bear began to dream that a
thunderstorm was raging in the forest, until wee Goldilocks stood beside
him, and said in her shrill voice, "There he is!"

Little Bear awoke then, and when he saw good Father Goldilocks, Mother
Goldilocks, and wee Goldilocks standing beside him, looking so angry, he
sprang to his feet, and ran out of the tent, nor did he stop running
until he reached his own home in the deep forest. When the three
Goldilocks saw Little Bear run out of the tent they began to laugh. But
Little Bear was so frightened he didn't go near the tent home again that
summer.




                     WHAT FATHER BEAR SAID WHEN HE
                               WAS TIRED


One day the big, big Father Bear said something when he was tired that
made the middle-sized Mother Bear jump so she dropped a pan of apples
off her lap, while Baby Bear danced around and laughed and laughed as if
he never would stop.

It happened this way. These Three Bears who lived in the forest were so
fond of blackberries they had planted a patch of blackberry bushes in
their own garden. Father Bear then bought three hoes—a big, big hoe for
himself; a middle-sized hoe for the middle-sized Mother Bear, and a wee,
wee hoe for the wee, wee Baby Bear. He also bought three tin pails—a
big, big tin pail for himself, a middle-sized tin pail for the
middle-sized Mother Bear, and a wee, wee tin pail for the wee, wee Baby
Bear.

Every cool June morning the Three Bears used to work in their garden.
Big Father Bear used to hoe the earth around the roots of the big, big
blackberry bushes; middle-sized Mother Bear used to hoe the earth around
the middle-sized blackberry bushes, while wee, wee Baby Bear used to hoe
the earth wherever he chose.

Every evening, except when it rained, the Three Bears went through the
garden gate and down the path to the river, where they filled their
pails with water. The big, big Father Bear carried water to pour around
the roots of the blackberry bushes in his big, big pail, while the
middle-sized Mother Bear carried water in her middle-sized pail, and the
wee, wee Baby Bear carried water in his wee, wee pail.

One morning Mother Bear said it was too warm to work in the garden.

"But I wish to hoe in the garden!" exclaimed big, big Father Bear in his
big, big voice.

"And I wish to hoe in the garden!" said the wee, wee Baby Bear in a
shrill little voice.

Mother Bear stopped washing three porridge bowls long enough to say,
"All right, Father Bear, but Baby Bear must stay in the house and play
with his blocks until it is cooler out of doors!"

For a few minutes Baby Bear cried hard because he had to stay in the
house, and then he settled down happily to play with his blocks.

[Illustration:

  _Mother Bear jumped so the apples rolled to the floor_
]

Father Bear immediately put on his wide straw hat and went into the
garden, where he hoed and hoed and hoed without saying a word. After a
while Father Bear felt so warm and tired he stopped to rest a few
minutes. He took off his big, big straw hat. He pulled out his red
bandana handkerchief and wiped his face. Then he fanned himself with his
big, wide hat, but he didn't say one word.

Soon Father Bear picked up his hoe again and hoed and hoed. At last,
when he was too tired to hoe any longer, he left the garden and walked
into the house.

Mother Bear was sitting in her middle-sized chair with her back to the
door. She was paring apples to make apple sauce, and didn't see Father
Bear when he kicked off his big, floppy slippers; but Baby Bear saw him,
and smiled.

Then something happened! Father Bear, with a wink at Baby Bear, sat down
in his big, big chair, hard and suddenly—bump! He sat down so hard the
porridge bowls rattled in the cupboard! Next he put both feet on the
table, pulled out his red bandana to wipe his face, and burst forth in a
loud tone—"Oh, hum!"

It was then Mother Bear jumped so the apples rolled to the floor, and
Baby Bear danced round and round and laughed and laughed as if he never
would stop dancing and laughing.

"Well, father," said Mother Bear in a half-pleasant, half-cross,
middle-sized voice, "don't do that again!"

[Illustration]

Baby Bear loved fun, and that may be why he begged, "Oh, do it again!
Please do it again!"

Father Bear nodded his head at Baby Bear, grinned, and said louder than
ever, in the biggest, big bear voice, "Oh, hum! Oh, hum! Oh,
hum-ey—hum—hum!"

Then the Three Bears laughed and laughed until they cried, and Big Bear
had to pass around his big, red bandana to wipe away their tears! But he
didn't hoe any more that day, because it certainly was too warm.




                    HOW LITTLE BEAR WENT TO A PICNIC


One time Little Bear went to a picnic to which he was not invited. It
happened this way. On a lovely summer morning five big girls had a
picnic, and left their baby brothers and sisters at home. The babies
didn't cry, because they were all taking naps when the big sisters
packed their picnic baskets and walked to the forest.

"I almost wish that I had brought my little sister," said one of the
girls on reaching the woods.

"So do I," said another. "I feel lonesome without my little, laughing
sister."

"And my baby brother," added another girl. "I thought he would be too
much bother, but if he were only here, how happy he would be! I am
lonely, too!"

"If we had brought our little brothers and sisters," said the fourth big
girl, "we would have our picnic on the edge of the woods, without going
a step farther!"

"They might have taken naps under the trees after dinner," agreed the
fifth big sister.

Then, instead of spreading their tablecloth on the green grass on the
edge of the forest, the five big girls walked on and on until they
reached a beautiful clearing where sunshine streamed in and drove the
shadows back among the trees. The girls didn't know that the beautiful
clearing was Little Bear's favorite playground. They didn't know that a
vine-covered path led from the clearing straight to the home of the
Three Bears.

[Illustration:

  _Soon came all the Three Bears' wildwood friends_
]

Quickly the big girls unpacked their picnic baskets. They spread a white
tablecloth on the pine needles. One girl ran to the brook and filled a
pail with clear, cold water. The others filled a wooden plate with
sandwiches, and placed it on the table—ham sandwiches, jelly sandwiches,
and peanut-butter sandwiches. On other wooden plates were cookies,
doughnuts, chocolate cake, cream cake, and maple-sugar cake. One girl
had brought a dish of honey, another a can of jelly, while the biggest
girl untied a box of chocolates and put it on the table beside a saucer
of fudge.

Then the girls gathered bunches of fringed gentians to decorate the
white cloth. Birds were singing and butterflies were flitting about when
the five big girls sat in a circle around their picnic dinner.

But before a girl had taken a bite of anything, somebody came to the
picnic who hadn't been invited! That somebody was Little Bear. He walked
across the clearing slowly and politely. Little Bear wasn't a bit afraid
of five pretty girls sitting in a circle on his playground; he knew they
wouldn't do _him_ any harm!

[Illustration]

But when the girls saw Little Bear they jumped up and ran away,
screaming, "A bear! A bear! A bear!"

Little Bear was so surprised he stood still and watched the five girls
until the last pink ribbon and blue ribbon had disappeared. Then he
doubled up, and laughed, and laughed, until Father Bear and Mother Bear
came. They laughed, too, when Baby Bear explained the fun.

"Did they think I would eat them up?" asked Little Bear, in a shrill
voice; and then he laughed again!

"Too bad you scared the girls away from their dinner," said Father Bear,
in his big, gruff voice; "but come to the picnic, Sonny, come to the
picnic!"

[Illustration]

"Yes, come to the picnic," added Mother Bear, helping herself to a
creamy chocolate.

"Come to the picnic!" called Baby Bear, after he had tasted everything
on the table. "Come, squirrels, come, birds, come, butterflies, and
share our picnic!"

Soon came troops of squirrels and rabbits and all the Three Bears'
wildwood friends, and to this day there is gleeful talk in the forest of
Little Bear's picnic.

As for those five girls, the next time they planned a picnic they took
their baby brothers and sisters, and had a jolly time under the trees
near the edge of the forest, and Baby Bear never heard a word about it.




                   THREE BEARS IN THE ENCHANTED LAND


One time Father Bear and Mother Bear went on a long journey, and took
Little Bear with them. After the Three Bears had traveled many days
through the big forest, they reached the Enchanted Land. There were no
fairies or witches or gnomes or brownies in this land; but there were
springs of hot water and springs of cold water; there were straight,
tall trees and bright flowers; there were rocks of many colors, and
rugged mountains. Best of all, no hunters were allowed to harm the folks
who lived in the Enchanted Land, or who, like the Three Bears, came
there to enjoy their holidays.

When Father Bear and Mother Bear learned they were safe from guns, no
matter what they did, they began to have a jolly time. They poked their
noses into men's pockets; they peeped into tents; they grew more
fearless every day. At last, one day, Father Bear and Mother Bear
decided to walk into one of the big hotels in the Enchanted Land and see
what it was like inside.

Little Bear was taking a nap in the sunshine when Father Bear and Mother
Bear stepped into their hotel. No one was in sight. Father Bear and
Mother Bear followed their noses until they reached a big dining room.
On the table were bowls of sugar. Mother Bear and Father Bear helped
themselves. At first they walked softly about, but soon they began
stepping heavily and rattling dishes. Then came men—waiters. Now Father
Bear was a big, big bear, and Mother Bear was a middle-sized bear, and
the men were frightened.

"Come, come!" one of the men cried, waving a towel, "you get right out
of this!"

Father Bear replied in a big, gruff voice. The men didn't understand
what Father Bear said, but they didn't like his tone.

When it became known that two huge bears were helping themselves to
sugar in the dining room, there was great excitement in the hotel.
Perhaps if the head waiter had politely requested them to leave, they
would have done so immediately; but when the pompous fellow began
shouting and throwing things at them, Father Bear refused to budge, and
Mother Bear stood firm.

Then two men, each dragging a hose, entered the dining room from the
back and turned streams of water on Father Bear and Mother Bear. The
water, cold, steady, and blinding, shot full in their faces—swish-bang?
Then the bears were glad to run. Father Bear loves fun; so does Mother
Bear. When Father Bear saw Mother Bear looking half scared and dripping,
he laughed. When Mother Bear turned to see what amused Father Bear, and
saw him looking so ridiculous, with streams of water pouring from his
huge body, she laughed.

[Illustration]

"Wouldn't Sonny laugh if he saw us now!" she chuckled. "Let's shake
ourselves dry before we call him."

Father Bear and Mother Bear supposed that Little Bear was still fast
asleep, at home. But that very minute Little Bear was having an
adventure of his own. He had no way of knowing how long he had been
asleep when a saucy squirrel nipped his ear and ran away.

Little Bear should have stayed where he was and waited for his father
and mother to return. But Little Bear was restless, and he soon started
off for a walk. Although he knew it was not yet dinner time at the
bear's picnic grounds, he thought he would stroll over there.

The bear's picnic grounds are back of the hotels in the Enchanted Land.
There Little Bear quickly found a small sirup can. In went his wee paw,
and out it came, dripping with sirup. He was the only bear at the party
when he found that can, although big bears and little bears soon
gathered, to be in time for dinner.

At first Little Bear had a jolly time with his sirup can. But pretty
soon instead of licking out the sirup with his tongue, he stuck his
whole head into the can—and then he couldn't get it out! Then the fun
began—for every one but Little Bear. Men with cameras took his picture
as he danced around, trying to get that can off his head. First with one
paw, then another, Little Bear tried to get rid of that sirup can. He
bumped into other bears as he tried to get free, and was frightened by
their growling and grumbling.

[Illustration:

  _Little Bear had a jolly time with his sirup can_
]

At last he got away from the picnic grounds. Then he met a dog that
began sniffing at his coat. The next thing Little Bear knew, a kind,
familiar voice was saying, "Stand still, Little Bear, and don't be
afraid. I am Mother Hubbard, and I will help you. Hush—don't speak my
name. I am traveling through the Enchanted Land as plain Mrs. Hubbard,
in order not to attract attention. My dog knew you. There, now you are
free. You need not thank me. You see, I haven't forgotten the time you
befriended my dog when he was lost in the forest." Then she disappeared.

[Illustration]

When Father Bear and Mother Bear found Little Bear soon afterward they
told him their adventures. Then Little Bear told his. He declared he was
homesick.

"We are, too," confessed Mother Bear, with a smile at Father Bear.
"There is really no place like home."




                          TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES


 1. Silently corrected simple spelling, grammar, and typographical
    errors.
 2. Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed.
 3. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.
 4. Superscripts are denoted by a carat before a single superscript
    character, e.g. M^r.





End of Project Gutenberg's Adventures of Sonny Bear, by Francis Margeret Fox

*** 