the great rough bear! He had grown tired of standing out there in the yard, and he now found his way up the steps. I saw the whole thing,—said the Moon. The children were very much frightened at the great grim-looking beast, and crept each one of them into his corner; but he found them all out, rubbed them with his snout, but did them no harm at all! “It is certainly a big dog!” thought they; and with that they patted him. He laid himself down on the floor, and the least boy tumbled upon him, and played at hiding his yellow curly head among his thick black hair. The eldest boy now took his drum and made a tremendous noise, and the bear rose up on his hind legs and began to dance. It was charming! Each boy took his weapons; the bear must have a gun, too, and he held it like a regular soldier. What a glorious comrade they had found! and so they marched—“One, two! one, two!”
Presently the door opened; it was the children’s mother. You should have seen her—seen her speechless horror; her face as white as a wall, her half-opened mouth, her
