BURGESS TRADE QUADDIES MARK The Bedtime Story-Books

 THE ADVENTURES OF BUSTER BEAR

 BY

 THORNTON W. BURGESS

 Author of "The Adventures of Reddy Fox, " "Old Mother West Wind, " "Mother West Wind 'Why' Stories, " etc. 

 _With Illustrations by HARRISON CADY_

 BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1920

 _Copyright, 1916_, BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY. 

 _All rights reserved_

[Illustration: Buster blinked his greedy little eyes and looked again. _Frontispiece_. ]

 CONTENTS

 CHAPTER PAGE

 I. BUSTER BEAR GOES FISHING 1

 II. LITTLE JOE OTTER GETS EVEN WITH BUSTER BEAR 7

 III. BUSTER BEAR IS GREATLY PUZZLED 12

 IV. LITTLE JOE OTTER SUPPLIES BUSTER BEAR WITH A BREAKFAST 17

 V. GRANDFATHER FROG'S COMMON-SENSE 22

 VI. LITTLE JOE OTTER TAKES GRANDFATHER FROG'S ADVICE 27

 VII. FARMER BROWN'S BOY HAS NO LUCK AT ALL 33

 VIII. FARMER BROWN'S BOY FEELS HIS HAIR RISE 38

 IX. LITTLE JOE OTTER HAS GREAT NEWS TO TELL 43

 X. BUSTER BEAR BECOMES A HERO 48

 XI. BLACKY THE CROW TELLS HIS PLAN 53

 XII. FARMER BROWN'S BOY AND BUSTER BEAR GROW CURIOUS 58

 XIII. FARMER BROWN'S BOY AND BUSTER BEAR MEET 63

 XIV. A SURPRISING THING HAPPENS 68

 XV. BUSTER BEAR IS A FALLEN HERO 73

 XVI. CHATTERER THE RED SQUIRREL JUMPS FOR HIS LIFE 78

 XVII. BUSTER BEAR GOES BERRYING 83

 XVIII. SOMEBODY ELSE GOES BERRYING 88

 XIX. BUSTER BEAR HAS A FINE TIME 93

 XX. BUSTER BEAR CARRIES OFF THE PAIL OF FARMER BROWN'S BOY 99

 XXI. SAMMY JAY MAKES THINGS WORSE FOR BUSTER BEAR 104

 XXII. BUSTER BEAR HAS A FIT OF TEMPER 110

 XXIII. FARMER BROWN'S BOY LUNCHES ON BERRIES 115

 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

 BUSTER BLINKED HIS GREEDY LITTLE EYES RAPIDLY AND LOOKED AGAIN _Frontispiece_

 "HERE'S YOUR TROUT, MR. OTTER, " SAID HE PAGE 5

 "YOU TAKE MY ADVICE, LITTLE JOE OTTER, " CONTINUED GRANDFATHER FROG 26

 REDDY GLARED ACROSS THE SMILING POOL AT PETER 45

 BUSTER BEAR WAS RUNNING AWAY TOO 71

 THOSE WHO COULD FLY, FLEW. THOSE WHO COULD CLIMB, CLIMBED 112

THE ADVENTURESOF BUSTER BEAR

I

BUSTER BEAR GOES FISHING

Buster Bear yawned as he lay on his comfortable bed of leaves andwatched the first early morning sunbeams creeping through the GreenForest to chase out the Black Shadows. Once more he yawned, and slowlygot to his feet and shook himself. Then he walked over to a bigpine-tree, stood up on his hind legs, reached as high up on the trunk ofthe tree as he could, and scratched the bark with his great claws. Afterthat he yawned until it seemed as if his jaws would crack, and then satdown to think what he wanted for breakfast. 

While he sat there, trying to make up his mind what would taste best, hewas listening to the sounds that told of the waking of all the littlepeople who live in the Green Forest. He heard Sammy Jay way off in thedistance screaming, "Thief! Thief!" and grinned. "I wonder, " thoughtBuster, "if some one has stolen Sammy's breakfast, or if he has stolenthe breakfast of some one else. Probably he is the thief himself. "

He heard Chatterer the Red Squirrel scolding as fast as he could makehis tongue go and working himself into a terrible rage. "Must be thatChatterer got out of bed the wrong way this morning, " thought he. 

He heard Blacky the Crow cawing at the top of his lungs, and he knew bythe sound that Blacky was getting into mischief of some kind. He heardthe sweet voices of happy little singers, and they were good to hear. But most of all he listened to a merry, low, silvery laugh that neverstopped but went on and on, until he just felt as if he must laugh too. It was the voice of the Laughing Brook. And as Buster listened itsuddenly came to him just what he wanted for breakfast. 

"I'm going fishing, " said he in his deep grumbly-rumbly voice to no onein particular. "Yes, Sir, I'm going fishing. I want some fat trout formy breakfast. "

He shuffled along over to the Laughing Brook, and straight to a littlepool of which he knew, and as he drew near he took the greatest care notto make the teeniest, weeniest bit of noise. Now it just happened thatearly as he was, some one was before Buster Bear. When he came in sightof the little pool, who should he see but another fisherman there, whohad already caught a fine fat trout. Who was it? Why, Little Joe Otterto be sure. He was just climbing up the bank with the fat trout in hismouth. Buster Bear's own mouth watered as he saw it. Little Joe sat downon the bank and prepared to enjoy his breakfast. He hadn't seen BusterBear, and he didn't know that he or any one else was anywhere near. 

Buster Bear tiptoed up very softly until he was right behind Little JoeOtter. "Woof, woof!" said he in his deepest, most grumbly-rumbly voice. "That's a very fine looking trout. I wouldn't mind if I had it myself. "

Little Joe Otter gave a frightened squeal and without even turning tosee who was speaking dropped his fish and dived headfirst into theLaughing Brook. Buster Bear sprang forward and with one of his big pawscaught the fat trout just as it was slipping back into the water. 

"Here's your trout, Mr. Otter, " said he, as Little Joe put his head outof water to see who had frightened him so. "Come and get it. "

[Illustration: "Here's your trout, Mr. Otter, " said he. _Page 5. _]

But Little Joe wouldn't. The fact is, he was afraid to. He snarled atBuster Bear and called him a thief and everything bad he could think of. Buster didn't seem to mind. He chuckled as if he thought it all a greatjoke and repeated his invitation to Little Joe to come and get his fish. But Little Joe just turned his back and went off down the Laughing Brookin a great rage. 

"It's too bad to waste such a fine fish, " said Buster thoughtfully. "Iwonder what I'd better do with it. " And while he was wondering, he ateit all up. Then he started down the Laughing Brook to try to catch somefor himself. 

II

LITTLE JOE OTTER GETS EVEN WITH BUSTER BEAR

Little Joe Otter was in a terrible rage. It was a bad beginning for abeautiful day and Little Joe knew it. But who wouldn't be in a rage ifhis breakfast was taken from him just as he was about to eat it? Anyway, that is what Little Joe told Billy Mink. Perhaps he didn't tell it quiteexactly as it was, but you know he was very badly frightened at thetime. 

"I was sitting on the bank of the Laughing Brook beside one of thelittle pools, " he told Billy Mink, "and was just going to eat a fattrout I had caught, when who should come along but that great bigbully, Buster Bear. He took that fat trout away from me and ate it justas if it belonged to him! I hate him! If I live long enough I'm going toget even with him!"

Of course that wasn't nice talk and anything but a nice spirit, butLittle Joe Otter's temper is sometimes pretty short, especially when heis hungry, and this time he had had no breakfast, you know. 

Buster Bear hadn't actually taken the fish away from Little Joe. Butlooking at the matter as Little Joe did, it amounted to the same thing. You see, Buster knew perfectly well when he invited Little Joe to comeback and get it that Little Joe wouldn't dare do anything of the kind. 

"Where is he now?" asked Billy Mink. 

"He's somewhere up the Laughing Brook. I wish he'd fall in and getdrowned!" snapped Little Joe. 

Billy Mink just had to laugh. The idea of great big Buster Bear gettingdrowned in the Laughing Brook was too funny. There wasn't water enoughin it anywhere except down in the Smiling Pool, and that was on theGreen Meadows, where Buster had never been known to go. "Let's go seewhat he is doing, " said Billy Mink. 

At first Little Joe didn't want to, but at last his curiosity got thebetter of his fear, and he agreed. So the two little brown-coated scampsturned down the Laughing Brook, taking the greatest care to keep out ofsight themselves. They had gone only a little way when Billy Minkwhispered: "Sh-h! There he is. "

Sure enough, there was Buster Bear sitting close beside a little pooland looking into it very intently. 

"What's he doing?" asked Little Joe Otter, as Buster Bear sat for thelongest time without moving. 

Just then one of Buster's big paws went into the water as quick as aflash and scooped out a trout that had ventured too near. 

"He's fishing!" exclaimed Billy Mink. 

And that is just what Buster Bear was doing, and it was very plain tosee that he was having great fun. When he had eaten the trout he hadcaught, he moved along to the next little pool. 

"They are _our_ fish!" said Little Joe fiercely. "He has no businesscatching _our_ fish!"

"I don't see how we are going to stop him, " said Billy Mink. 

"I do!" cried Little Joe, into whose head an idea had just popped. "I'mgoing to drive all the fish out of the little pools and muddy the waterall up. Then we'll see how many fish he will get! Just you watch me geteven with Buster Bear. "

Little Joe slipped swiftly into the water and swam straight to thelittle pool that Buster Bear would try next. He frightened the fish sothat they fled in every direction. Then he stirred up the mud until thewater was so dirty that Buster couldn't have seen a fish right under hisnose. He did the same thing in the next pool and the next. Buster Bear'sfishing was spoiled for that day. 

III

BUSTER BEAR IS GREATLY PUZZLED

Buster Bear hadn't enjoyed himself so much since he came to the GreenForest to live. His fun began when he surprised Little Joe Otter on thebank of a little pool in the Laughing Brook and Little Joe was sofrightened that he dropped a fat trout he had just caught. It had seemedlike a great joke to Buster Bear, and he had chuckled over it all thetime he was eating the fat trout. When he had finished it, he started onto do some fishing himself. 

Presently he came to another little pool. He stole up to it very, verysoftly, so as not to frighten the fish. Then he sat down close to theedge of it and didn't move. Buster learned a long time ago that afisherman must be patient unless, like Little Joe Otter, he is just asmuch at home in the water as the fish themselves, and can swim fastenough to catch them by chasing them. So he didn't move so much as aneye lash. He was so still that he looked almost like the stump of an oldtree. Perhaps that is what the fish thought he was, for pretty soon, twoor three swam right in close to where he was sitting. Now Buster Bearmay be big and clumsy looking, but there isn't anything that can movemuch quicker than one of those big paws of his when he wants it to. Oneof them moved now, and quicker than a wink had scooped one of thosefoolish fish out on to the bank. 

Buster's little eyes twinkled, and he smacked his lips as he moved onto the next little pool, for he knew that it was of no use to staylonger at the first one. The fish were so frightened that they wouldn'tcome back for a long, long time. At the next little pool the same thinghappened. By this time Buster Bear was in fine spirits. It was fun tocatch the fish, and it was still more fun to eat them. What finerbreakfast could any one have than fresh-caught trout? No wonder he feltgood! But it takes more than three trout to fill Buster Bear's stomach, so he kept on to the next little pool. 

But this little pool, instead of being beautiful and clear so thatBuster could see right to the bottom of it and so tell if there were anyfish there, was so muddy that he couldn't see into it at all. It lookedas if some one had just stirred up all the mud at the bottom. 

"Huh!" said Buster Bear. "It's of no use to try to fish here. I wouldjust waste my time. I'll try the next pool. "

So he went on to the next little pool. He found this just as muddy asthe other. Then he went on to another, and this was no better. Bustersat down and scratched his head. It was puzzling. Yes, Sir, it waspuzzling. He looked this way and he looked that way suspiciously, butthere was no one to be seen. Everything was still save for the laughterof the Laughing Brook. Somehow, it seemed to Buster as if the Brook werelaughing at him. 

"It's very curious, " muttered Buster, "very curious indeed. It looks asif my fishing is spoiled for to-day. I don't understand it at all. It'slucky I caught what I did. It looks as if somebody is trying to--ha!" Asudden thought had popped into his head. Then he began to chuckle andfinally to laugh. "I do believe that scamp Joe Otter is trying to geteven with me for eating that fat trout!"

And then, because Buster Bear always enjoys a good joke even when it ison himself, he laughed until he had to hold his sides, which is a wholelot better than going off in a rage as Little Joe Otter had done. "You're pretty smart, Mr. Otter! You're pretty smart, but there areother people who are smart too, " said Buster Bear, and still chuckling, he went off to think up a plan to get the best of Little Joe Otter. 

IV

LITTLE JOE OTTER SUPPLIES BUSTER BEAR WITH A BREAKFAST

 Getting even just for spite Doesn't always pay. Fact is, it is very apt To work the other way. 

That is just how it came about that Little Joe Otter furnished BusterBear with the best breakfast he had had for a long time. He didn't meanto do it. Oh, my, no! The truth is, he thought all the time that he waspreventing Buster Bear from getting a breakfast. You see he wasn't wellenough acquainted with Buster to know that Buster is quite as smart ashe is, and perhaps a little bit smarter. Spite and selfishness were atthe bottom of it. You see Little Joe and Billy Mink had had all thefishing in the Laughing Brook to themselves so long that they thought noone else had any right to fish there. To be sure Bobby Coon caught a fewlittle fish there, but they didn't mind Bobby. Farmer Brown's boy fishedthere too, sometimes, and this always made Little Joe and Billy Minkvery angry, but they were so afraid of him that they didn't dare doanything about it. But when they discovered that Buster Bear was afisherman, they made up their minds that something had got to be done. At least, Little Joe did. 

"He'll try it again to-morrow morning, " said Little Joe. "I'll keepwatch, and as soon as I see him coming, I'll drive out all the fish, just as I did to-day. I guess that'll teach him to let our fish alone. "

So the next morning Little Joe hid before daylight close by the littlepool where Buster Bear had given him such a fright. Sure enough, just asthe Jolly Sunbeams began to creep through the Green Forest, he sawBuster Bear coming straight over to the little pool. Little Joe slippedinto the water and chased all the fish out of the little pool, andstirred up the mud on the bottom so that the water was so muddy that thebottom couldn't be seen at all. Then he hurried down to the next littlepool and did the same thing. 

Now Buster Bear is very smart. You know he had guessed the day beforewho had spoiled his fishing. So this morning he only went far enough tomake sure that if Little Joe were watching for him, as he was sure hewould be, he would see him coming. Then, instead of keeping on to thelittle pool, he hurried to a place way down the Laughing Brook, wherethe water was very shallow, hardly over his feet, and there he satchuckling to himself. Things happened just as he had expected. Thefrightened fish Little Joe chased out of the little pools up above swamdown the Laughing Brook, because, you know, Little Joe was behind them, and there was nowhere else for them to go. When they came to the placewhere Buster was waiting, all he had to do was to scoop them out on tothe bank. It was great fun. It didn't take Buster long to catch all thefish he could eat. Then he saved a nice fat trout and waited. 

By and by along came Little Joe Otter, chuckling to think how he hadspoiled Buster Bear's fishing. He was so intent on looking behind him tosee if Buster was coming that he didn't see Buster waiting there untilhe spoke. 

"I'm much obliged for the fine breakfast you have given me, " said Busterin his deepest, most grumbly-rumbly voice. "I've saved a fat trout foryou to make up for the one I ate yesterday. I hope we'll go fishingtogether often. "

Then he went off laughing fit to kill himself. Little Joe couldn't finda word to say. He was so surprised and angry that he went off by himselfand sulked. And Billy Mink, who had been watching, ate the fat trout. 

V

GRANDFATHER FROG'S COMMON-SENSE

There is nothing quite like common sense to smooth out troubles. Peoplewho have plenty of just plain common sense are often thought to be verywise. Their neighbors look up to them and are forever running to themfor advice, and they are very much respected. That is the way withGrandfather Frog. He is very old and very wise. Anyway, that is what hisneighbors think. The truth is, he simply has a lot of common sense, which after all is the very best kind of wisdom. 

Now when Little Joe Otter found that Buster Bear had been too smart forhim and that instead of spoiling Buster's fishing in the Laughing Brookhe had really made it easier for Buster to catch all the fish he wanted, Little Joe went off down to the Smiling Pool in a great rage. 

Billy Mink stopped long enough to eat the fat fish Buster had left onthe bank and then he too went down to the Smiling Pool. 

When Little Joe Otter and Billy Mink reached the Smiling Pool, theyclimbed up on the Big Rock, and there Little Joe sulked and sulked, until finally Grandfather Frog asked what the matter was. Little Joewouldn't tell, but Billy Mink told the whole story. When he told howBuster had been too smart for Little Joe, it tickled him so that Billyhad to laugh in spite of himself. So did Grandfather Frog. So did JerryMuskrat, who had been listening. Of course this made Little Joe angrierthan ever. He said a lot of unkind things about Buster Bear and aboutBilly Mink and Grandfather Frog and Jerry Muskrat, because they hadlaughed at the smartness of Buster. 

"He's nothing but a great big bully and thief!" declared Little Joe. 

"Chug-a-rum! He may be a bully, because great big people are very apt tobe bullies, and though I haven't seen him, I guess Buster Bear is bigenough from all I have heard, but I don't see how he is a thief, " saidGrandfather Frog. 

"Didn't he catch my fish and eat them?" snapped Little Joe. "Doesn'tthat make him a thief?"

"They were no more your fish than mine, " protested Billy Mink. 

"Well, _our_ fish, then! He stole _our_ fish, if you like that anybetter. That makes him just as much a thief, doesn't it?" growledLittle Joe. 

Grandfather Frog looked up at jolly, round, bright Mr. Sun and slowlywinked one of his great, goggly eyes. "There comes a foolish green fly, "said he. "Who does he belong to?"

"Nobody!" snapped Little Joe. "What have foolish green flies got to dowith my--I mean _our_ fish?"

"Nothing, nothing at all, " replied Grandfather Frog mildly. "I was justhoping that he would come near enough for me to snap him up; then hewould belong to me. As long as he doesn't, he doesn't belong to any one. I suppose that if Buster Bear should happen along and catch him, hewould be stealing from me, according to Little Joe. "

"Of course not! What a silly idea! You're getting foolish in your oldage, " retorted Little Joe. 

"Can you tell me the difference between the fish that you haven't caughtand the foolish green flies that I haven't caught?" asked GrandfatherFrog. 

Little Joe couldn't find a word to say. 

"You take my advice, Little Joe Otter, " continued Grandfather Frog, "andalways make friends with those who are bigger and stronger and smarterthan you are. You'll find it pays. "

[Illustration: "You take my advice, Little Joe Otter, " continuedGrandfather Frog. _Page 26. _]

VI

LITTLE JOE OTTER TAKES GRANDFATHER FROG'S ADVICE

 Who makes an enemy a friend, To fear and worry puts an end. 

Little Joe Otter found that out when he took Grandfather Frog's advice. He wouldn't have admitted that he was afraid of Buster Bear. No one everlikes to admit being afraid, least of all Little Joe Otter. And reallyLittle Joe has a great deal of courage. Very few of the little people ofthe Green Forest or the Green Meadows would willingly quarrel with him, for Little Joe is a great fighter when he has to fight. As for all thosewho live in or along the Laughing Brook or in the Smiling Pool, theylet Little Joe have his own way in everything. 

Now having one's own way too much is a bad thing. It is apt to make oneselfish and thoughtless of other people and very hard to get along with. Little Joe Otter had his way too much. Grandfather Frog knew it andshook his head very soberly when Little Joe had been disrespectful tohim. 

"Too bad. Too bad! Too bad! Chug-a-rum! It is too bad that such a fineyoung fellow as Little Joe should spoil a good disposition by suchselfish heedlessness. Too bad, " said he. 

So, though he didn't let on that it was so, Grandfather Frog really wasdelighted when he heard how Buster Bear had been too smart for LittleJoe Otter. It tickled him so that he had hard work to keep a straightface. But he did and was as grave and solemn as you please as headvised Little Joe always to make friends with any one who was biggerand stronger and smarter than he. That was good common sense advice, butLittle Joe just sniffed and went off declaring that he would get evenwith Buster Bear yet. Now Little Joe is good-natured and full of fun asa rule, and after he had reached home and his temper had cooled off alittle, he began to see the joke on himself, --how when he had worked sohard to frighten the fish in the little pools of the Laughing Brook sothat Buster Bear should not catch any, he had all the time been drivingthem right into Buster's paws. By and by he grinned. It was a littlesheepish grin at first, but at last it grew into a laugh. 

"I believe, " said Little Joe as he wiped tears of laughter from hiseyes, "that Grandfather Frog is right, and that the best thing I can dois to make friends with Buster Bear. I'll try it to-morrow morning. "

So very early the next morning Little Joe Otter went to the best fishingpool he knew of in the Laughing Brook, and there he caught the biggesttrout he could find. It was so big and fat that it made Little Joe'smouth water, for you know fat trout are his favorite food. But he didn'ttake so much as one bite. Instead he carefully laid it on an old logwhere Buster Bear would be sure to see it if he should come along thatway. Then he hid near by, where he could watch. Buster was late thatmorning. It seemed to Little Joe that he never would come. Once henearly lost the fish. He had turned his head for just a minute, and whenhe looked back again, the trout was nowhere to be seen. Buster couldn'thave stolen up and taken it, because such a big fellow couldn't possiblyhave gotten out of sight again. 

Little Joe darted over to the log and looked on the other side. Therewas the fat trout, and there also was Little Joe's smallest cousin, Shadow the Weasel, who is a great thief and altogether bad. Little Joesprang at him angrily, but Shadow was too quick and darted away. LittleJoe put the fish back on the log and waited. This time he didn't takehis eyes off it. At last, when he was almost ready to give up, he sawBuster Bear shuffling along towards the Laughing Brook. Suddenly Busterstopped and sniffed. One of the Merry Little Breezes had carried thescent of that fat trout over to him. Then he came straight over to wherethe fish lay, his nose wrinkling, and his eyes twinkling with pleasure. 

"Now I wonder who was so thoughtful as to leave this fine breakfastready for me, " said he out loud. 

"Me, " said Little Joe in a rather faint voice. "I caught it especiallyfor you. "

"Thank you, " replied Buster, and his eyes twinkled more than ever. "Ithink we are going to be friends. "

"I--I hope so, " replied Little Joe. 

VII

FARMER BROWN'S BOY HAS NO LUCK AT ALL

Farmer Brown's boy tramped through the Green Forest, whistling merrily. He always whistles when he feels light-hearted, and he always feelslight-hearted when he goes fishing. You see, he is just as fond offishing as is Little Joe Otter or Billy Mink or Buster Bear. And now hewas making his way through the Green Forest to the Laughing Brook, surethat by the time he had followed it down to the Smiling Pool he wouldhave a fine lot of trout to take home. He knew every pool in theLaughing Brook where the trout love to hide, did Farmer Brown's boy, and it was just the kind of a morning when the trout should be hungry. So he whistled as he tramped along, and his whistle was good to hear. 

When he reached the first little pool he baited his hook very carefullyand then, taking the greatest care to keep out of sight of any troutthat might be in the little pool, he began to fish. Now Farmer Brown'sboy learned a long time ago that to be a successful fisherman one musthave a great deal of patience, so though he didn't get a bite right awayas he had expected to, he wasn't the least bit discouraged. He kept veryquiet and fished and fished, patiently waiting for a foolish trout totake his hook. But he didn't get so much as a nibble. "Either the trouthave lost their appetite or they have grown very wise, " muttered FarmerBrown's boy, as after a long time he moved on to the next little pool. 

There the same thing happened. He was very patient, very, very patient, but his patience brought no reward, not so much as the faintest kind ofa nibble. Farmer Brown's boy trudged on to the next pool, and there wasa puzzled frown on his freckled face. Such a thing never had happenedbefore. He didn't know what to make of it. All the night before he haddreamed about the delicious dinner of fried trout he would have the nextday, and now--well, if he didn't catch some trout pretty soon, thatsplendid dinner would never be anything but a dream. 

"If I didn't know that nobody else comes fishing here, I should thinkthat somebody had been here this very morning and caught all the fish orelse frightened them so that they are all in hiding, " said he, as hetrudged on to the next little pool. "I never had such bad luck in all mylife before. Hello! What's this?"

There, on the bank beside the little pool, were the heads of threetrout. Farmer Brown's boy scowled down at them more puzzled than ever. "Somebody _has_ been fishing here, and they have had better luck than Ihave, " thought he. He looked up the Laughing Brook and down the LaughingBrook and this way and that way, but no one was to be seen. Then hepicked up one of the little heads and looked at it sharply. "It wasn'tcut off with a knife; it was bitten off!" he exclaimed. "I wonder now ifBilly Mink is the scamp who has spoiled my fun. "

Thereafter he kept a sharp lookout for signs of Billy Mink, but thoughhe found two or three more trout heads, he saw no other signs and hecaught no fish. This puzzled him more than ever. It didn't seem possiblethat such a little fellow as Billy Mink could have caught or frightenedall the fish or have eaten so many. Besides, he didn't remember everhaving known Billy to leave heads around that way. Billy sometimescatches more fish than he can eat, but then he usually hides them. Thefarther he went down the Laughing Brook, the more puzzled Farmer Brown'sboy grew. It made him feel very queer. He would have felt still morequeer if he had known that all the time two other fishermen who had beenbefore him were watching him and chuckling to themselves. They wereLittle Joe Otter and Buster Bear. 

VIII

FARMER BROWN'S BOY FEELS HIS HAIR RISE

 'Twas just a sudden odd surprise Made Farmer Brown's boy's hair to rise. 

That's a funny thing for hair to do--rise up all of a sudden--isn't it?But that is just what the hair on Farmer Brown's boy's head did the dayhe went fishing in the Laughing Brook and had no luck at all. There arejust two things that make hair rise--anger and fear. Anger sometimesmakes the hair on the back and neck of Bowser the Hound and of someother little people bristle and stand up, and you know the hair on thetail of Black Pussy stands on end until her tail looks twice as big asit really is. Both anger and fear make it do that. But there is only onething that can make the hair on the head of Farmer Brown's boy rise, andas it isn't anger, of course it must be fear. 

It never had happened before. You see, there isn't much of anything thatFarmer Brown's boy is really afraid of. Perhaps he wouldn't have beenafraid this time if it hadn't been for the surprise of what he found. You see when he had found the heads of those trout on the bank he knewright away that some one else had been fishing, and that was why hecouldn't catch any; but it didn't seem possible that little Billy Minkcould have eaten all those trout, and Farmer Brown's boy didn't oncethink of Little Joe Otter, and so he was very, very much puzzled. 

He was turning it all over in his mind and studying what it could mean, when he came to a little muddy place on the bank of the Laughing Brook, and there he saw something that made his eyes look as if they would popright out of his head, and it was right then that he felt his hair rise. Anyway, that is what he said when he told about it afterward. What wasit he saw? What do you think? Why, it was a footprint in the soft mud. Yes, Sir, that's what it was, and all it was. But it was the biggestfootprint Farmer Brown's boy ever had seen, and it looked as if it hadbeen made only a few minutes before. It was the footprint of BusterBear. 

Now Farmer Brown's boy didn't know that Buster Bear had come down to theGreen Forest to live. He never had heard of a Bear being in the GreenForest. And so he was so surprised that he had hard work to believe hisown eyes, and he had a queer feeling all over, --a little chilly feeling, although it was a warm day. Somehow, he didn't feel like meeting BusterBear. If he had had his terrible gun with him, it might have beendifferent. But he didn't, and so he suddenly made up his mind that hedidn't want to fish any more that day. He had a funny feeling, too, thathe was being watched, although he couldn't see any one. He _was_ beingwatched. Little Joe Otter and Buster Bear were watching him and takingthe greatest care to keep out of his sight. 

All the way home through the Green Forest, Farmer Brown's boy keptlooking behind him, and he didn't draw a long breath until he reachedthe edge of the Green Forest. He hadn't run, but he had wanted to. 

"Huh!" said Buster Bear to Little Joe Otter, "I believe he was afraid!"

And Buster Bear was just exactly right. 

IX

LITTLE JOE OTTER HAS GREAT NEWS TO TELL

Little Joe Otter was fairly bursting with excitement. He could hardlycontain himself. He felt that he had the greatest news to tell sincePeter Rabbit had first found the tracks of Buster Bear in the GreenForest. He couldn't keep it to himself a minute longer than he had to. So he hurried to the Smiling Pool, where he was sure he would find BillyMink and Jerry Muskrat and Grandfather Frog and Spotty the Turtle, andhe hoped that perhaps some of the little people who live in the GreenForest might be there too. Sure enough, Peter Rabbit was there on oneside of the Smiling Pool, making faces at Reddy Fox, who was on theother side, which, of course, was not at all nice of Peter. Mr. And Mrs. Redwing were there, and Blacky the Crow was sitting in the BigHickory-tree. 

Little Joe Otter swam straight to the Big Rock and climbed up to thevery highest part. He looked so excited, and his eyes sparkled so, thatevery one knew right away that something had happened. 

"Hi!" cried Billy Mink. "Look at Little Joe Otter! It must be that foronce he has been smarter than Buster Bear. "

Little Joe made a good-natured face at Billy Mink and shook his head. "No, Billy, " said he, "you are wrong, altogether wrong. I don't believeanybody can be smarter than Buster Bear. "

[Illustration: Reddy glared across the Smiling Pool at Peter. _Page 45. _]

Reddy Fox rolled his lips back in an unpleasant grin. "Don't be toosure of that!" he snapped. "I'm not through with him yet. "

"Boaster! Boaster!" cried Peter Rabbit. 

Reddy glared across the Smiling Pool at Peter. "I'm not through with youeither, Peter Rabbit!" he snarled. "You'll find it out one of these finedays!"

 "Reddy, Reddy, smart and sly, Couldn't catch a buzzing fly!"

taunted Peter. 

"Chug-a-rum!" said Grandfather Frog in his deepest, gruffest voice. "Weknow all about that. What we want to know is what Little Joe Otter hasgot on his mind. "

"It's news--great news!" cried Little Joe. 

"We can tell better how great it is when we hear what it is, " repliedGrandfather Frog testily. "What is it?"

Little Joe Otter looked around at all the eager faces watching him, andthen in the slowest, most provoking way, he drawled: "Farmer Brown's boyis afraid of Buster Bear. "

For a minute no one said a word. Then Blacky the Crow leaned down fromhis perch in the Big Hickory-tree and looked very hard at Little Joe ashe said:

"I don't believe it. I don't believe a word of it. Farmer Brown's boyisn't afraid of any one who lives in the Green Forest or on the GreenMeadows or in the Smiling Pool, and you know it. We are all afraid ofhim. "

Little Joe glared back at Blacky. "I don't care whether you believe itor not; it's true, " he retorted. Then he told how early that verymorning he and Buster Bear had been fishing together in the LaughingBrook, and how Farmer Brown's boy had been fishing there too, and hadn'tcaught a single trout because they had all been caught or frightenedbefore he got there. Then he told how Farmer Brown's boy had found afootprint of Buster Bear in the soft mud, and how he had stopped fishingright away and started for home, looking behind him with fear in hiseyes all the way. 

"Now tell me that he isn't afraid!" concluded Little Joe. "For once heknows just how we feel when he comes prowling around where we are. Isn'tthat great news? Now we'll get even with _him_!"

"I'll believe it when I see it for myself!" snapped Blacky the Crow. 

X

BUSTER BEAR BECOMES A HERO

The news that Little Joe Otter told at the Smiling Pool, --how FarmerBrown's boy had run away from Buster Bear without even seeing him, --soonspread all over the Green Meadows and through the Green Forest, untilevery one who lives there knew about it. Of course, Peter Rabbit helpedspread it. Trust Peter for that! But everybody else helped too. You see, they had all been afraid of Farmer Brown's boy for so long that theywere tickled almost to pieces at the very thought of having some one inthe Green Forest who could make Farmer Brown's boy feel fear as theyhad felt it. And so it was that Buster Bear became a hero right away tomost of them. 

A few doubted Little Joe's story. One of them was Blacky the Crow. Another was Reddy Fox. Blacky doubted because he knew Farmer Brown's boyso well that he couldn't imagine him afraid. Reddy doubted because hedidn't want to believe. You see, he was jealous of Buster Bear, and atthe same time he was afraid of him. So Reddy pretended not to believe aword of what Little Joe Otter had said, and he agreed with Blacky thatonly by seeing Farmer Brown's boy afraid could he ever be made tobelieve it. But nearly everybody else believed it, and there was greatrejoicing. Most of them were afraid of Buster, very much afraid of him, because he was so big and strong. But they were still more afraid ofFarmer Brown's boy, because they didn't know him or understand him, andbecause in the past he had tried to catch some of them in traps and hadhunted some of them with his terrible gun. 

So now they were very proud to think that one of their own numberactually had frightened him, and they began to look on Buster Bear as areal hero. They tried in ever so many ways to show him how friendly theyfelt and went quite out of their way to do him favors. Whenever they metone another, all they could talk about was the smartness and thegreatness of Buster Bear. 

"Now I guess Farmer Brown's boy will keep away from the Green Forest, and we won't have to be all the time watching out for him, " said BobbyCoon, as he washed his dinner in the Laughing Brook, for you know he isvery neat and particular. 

"And he won't dare set any more traps for me, " gloated Billy Mink. 

"Ah wish Brer Bear would go up to Farmer Brown's henhouse and scareFarmer Brown's boy so that he would keep away from there. It would be afavor to me which Ah cert'nly would appreciate, " said Unc' Billy Possumwhen he heard the news. 

"Let's all go together and tell Buster Bear how much obliged we are forwhat he has done, " proposed Jerry Muskrat. 

"That's a splendid idea!" cried Little Joe Otter. "We'll do it rightaway. "

"Caw, caw caw!" broke in Blacky the Crow. "I say, let's wait and see forourselves if it is all true. "

"Of course it's true!" snapped Little Joe Otter. "Don't you believe I'mtelling the truth?"

"Certainly, certainly. Of course no one doubts your word, " repliedBlacky, with the utmost politeness. "But you say yourself that FarmerBrown's boy didn't see Buster Bear, but only his footprint. Perhaps hedidn't know whose it was, and if he had he wouldn't have been afraid. Now I've got a plan by which we can see for ourselves if he really isafraid of Buster Bear. "

"What is it?" asked Sammy Jay eagerly. 

Blacky the Crow shook his head and winked. "That's telling, " said he. "Iwant to think it over. If you meet me at the Big Hickory-tree at sun-upto-morrow morning, and get everybody else to come that you can, perhapsI will tell you. "

XI

BLACKY THE CROW TELLS HIS PLAN

 Blacky is a dreamer! Blacky is a schemer! His voice is strong; When things go wrong Blacky is a screamer!

It's a fact. Blacky the Crow is forever dreaming and scheming and almostalways it is of mischief. He is one of the smartest and cleverest of allthe little people of the Green Meadows and the Green Forest, and all theothers know it. Blacky likes excitement. He wants something going on. The more exciting it is, the better he likes it. Then he has a chance touse that harsh voice of his, and how he does use it!

So now, as he sat in the top of the Big Hickory-tree beside the SmilingPool and looked down on all the little people gathered there, he wasvery happy. In the first place he felt very important, and you knowBlacky dearly loves to feel important. They had all come at hisinvitation to listen to a plan for seeing for themselves if it werereally true that Farmer Brown's boy was afraid of Buster Bear. 

On the Big Rock in the Smiling Pool sat Little Joe Otter, Billy Mink, and Jerry Muskrat. On his big, green lily-pad sat Grandfather Frog. Onanother lily-pad sat Spotty the Turtle. On the bank on one side of theSmiling Pool were Peter Rabbit, Jumper the Hare, Danny Meadow Mouse, Johnny Chuck, Jimmy Skunk, Unc' Billy Possum, Striped Chipmunk and OldMr. Toad. On the other side of the Smiling Pool were Reddy Fox, Diggerthe Badger, and Bobby Coon. In the Big Hickory-tree were Chatterer theRed Squirrel, Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel, and Sammy Jay. 

Blacky waited until he was sure that no one else was coming. Then hecleared his throat very loudly and began to speak. "Friends, " said he. 

Everybody grinned, for Blacky has played so many sharp tricks that noone is really his friend unless it is that other mischief-maker, SammyJay, who, you know, is Blacky's cousin. But no one said anything, andBlacky went on. 

"Little Joe Otter has told us how he saw Farmer Brown's boy hurry homewhen he found the footprint of Buster Bear on the edge of the LaughingBrook, and how all the way he kept looking behind him, as if he wereafraid. Perhaps he was, and then again perhaps he wasn't. Perhaps he hadsomething else on his mind. You have made a hero of Buster Bear, becauseyou believe Little Joe's story. Now I don't say that I don't believe it, but I do say that I will be a lot more sure that Farmer Brown's boy isafraid of Buster when I see him run away myself. Now here is my plan:

"To-morrow morning, very early, Sammy Jay and I will make a great fussnear the edge of the Green Forest. Farmer Brown's boy has a lot ofcuriosity, and he will be sure to come over to see what it is all about. Then we will lead him to where Buster Bear is. If he runs away, I willbe the first to admit that Buster Bear is as great a hero as some of youseem to think he is. It is a very simple plan, and if you will all hidewhere you can watch, you will be able to see for yourselves if LittleJoe Otter is right. Now what do you say?"

Right away everybody began to talk at the same time. It was such asimple plan that everybody agreed to it. And it promised to be soexciting that everybody promised to be there, that is, everybody butGrandfather Frog and Spotty the Turtle, who didn't care to go so faraway from the Smiling Pool. So it was agreed that Blacky should try hisplan the very next morning. 

XII

FARMER BROWN'S BOY AND BUSTER BEAR GROW CURIOUS

Ever since it was light enough to see at all, Blacky the Crow had beensitting in the top of the tallest tree on the edge of the Green Forestnearest to Farmer Brown's house, and never for an instant had he takenhis eyes from Farmer Brown's back door. What was he watching for? Why, for Farmer Brown's boy to come out on his way to milk the cows. Meanwhile, Sammy Jay was slipping silently through the Green Forest, looking for Buster Bear, so that when the time came he could let hiscousin, Blacky the Crow, know just where Buster was. 

By and by the back door of Farmer Brown's house opened, and out steppedFarmer Brown's boy. In each hand he carried a milk pail. Right awayBlacky began to scream at the top of his lungs. "Caw, caw, caw!" shoutedBlacky. "Caw, caw, caw!" And all the time he flew about among the treesnear the edge of the Green Forest as if so excited that he couldn't keepstill. Farmer Brown's boy looked over there as if he wondered what allthat fuss was about, as indeed he did, but he didn't start to go overand see. No, Sir, he started straight for the barn. 

Blacky didn't know what to make of it. You see, smart as he is andshrewd as he is, Blacky doesn't know anything about the meaning of duty, for he never has to work excepting to get enough to eat. So, when FarmerBrown's boy started for the barn instead of for the Green Forest, Blacky didn't know what to make of it. He screamed harder and louderthan ever, until his voice grew so hoarse he couldn't scream any more, but Farmer Brown's boy kept right on to the barn. 

"I'd like to know what you're making such a fuss about, Mr. Crow, butI've got to feed the cows and milk them first, " said he. 

Now all this time the other little people of the Green Forest and theGreen Meadows had been hiding where they could see all that went on. When Farmer Brown's boy disappeared in the barn, Chatterer the RedSquirrel snickered right out loud. "Ha, ha, ha! This is a great plan ofyours, Blacky! Ha, ha, ha!" he shouted. Blacky couldn't find a word tosay. He just hung his head, which is something Blacky seldom does. 

"Perhaps if we wait until he comes out again, he will come over here, "said Sammy Jay, who had joined Blacky. So it was decided to wait. Itseemed as if Farmer Brown's boy never would come out, but at last hedid. Blacky and Sammy Jay at once began to scream and make all the fussthey could. Farmer Brown's boy took the two pails of milk into thehouse, then out he came and started straight for the Green Forest. Hewas so curious to know what it all meant that he couldn't wait anotherminute. 

Now there was some one else with a great deal of curiosity also. He hadheard the screaming of Blacky the Crow and Sammy Jay, and he hadlistened until he couldn't stand it another minute. He just _had_ toknow what it was all about. So at the same time Farmer Brown's boystarted for the Green Forest, this other listener started towards theplace where Blacky and Sammy were making such a racket. He walked verysoftly so as not to make a sound. It was Buster Bear. 

XIII

FARMER BROWN'S BOY AND BUSTER BEAR MEET

 If you should meet with Buster Bear While walking through the wood, What would you do? Now tell me true, _I'd_ run the best I could. 

That is what Farmer Brown's boy did when he met Buster Bear, and a lotof the little people of the Green Forest and some from the Green Meadowssaw him. When Farmer Brown's boy came hurrying home from the LaughingBrook without any fish one day and told about the great footprint he hadseen in a muddy place on the bank deep in the Green Forest, and had saidhis was sure that it was the footprint of a Bear, he had been laughedat. Farmer Brown had laughed and laughed. 

"Why, " said he, "there hasn't been a Bear in the Green Forest for yearsand years and years, not since my own grandfather was a little boy, andthat, you know, was a long, long, long time ago. If you want to find Mr. Bear, you will have to go to the Great Woods. I don't know who made thatfootprint, but it certainly couldn't have been a Bear. I think you musthave imagined it. "

Then he had laughed some more, all of which goes to show how easy it isto be mistaken, and how foolish it is to laugh at things you reallydon't know about. Buster Bear _had_ come to live in the Green Forest, and Farmer Brown's boy _had_ seen his footprint. But Farmer Brownlaughed so much and made fun of him so much, that at last his boy beganto think that he must have been mistaken after all. So when he heardBlacky the Crow and Sammy Jay making a great fuss near the edge of theGreen Forest, he never once thought of Buster Bear, as he started overto see what was going on. 

When Blacky and Sammy saw him coming, they moved a little farther in tothe Green Forest, still screaming in the most excited way. They feltsure that Farmer Brown's boy would follow them, and they meant to leadhim to where Sammy had seen Buster Bear that morning. Then they wouldfind out for sure if what Little Joe Otter had said was true, --thatFarmer Brown's boy really was afraid of Buster Bear. 

Now all around, behind trees and stumps, and under thick branches, andeven in tree tops, were other little people watching with round, wide-open eyes to see what would happen. It was very exciting, the mostexciting thing they could remember. You see, they had come to believethat Farmer Brown's boy wasn't afraid of anybody or anything, and asmost of them were very much afraid of him, they had hard work to believethat he would really be afraid of even such a great, big, strong fellowas Buster Bear. Every one was so busy watching Farmer Brown's boy thatno one saw Buster coming from the other direction. 

You see, Buster walked very softly. Big as he is, he can walk withoutmaking the teeniest, weeniest sound. And that is how it happened that noone saw him or heard him until just as Farmer Brown's boy stepped outfrom behind one side of a thick little hemlock-tree, Buster Bear steppedout from behind the other side of that same little tree, and there theywere face to face! Then everybody held their breath, even Blacky theCrow and Sammy Jay. For just a little minute it was so still there inthe Green Forest that not the least little sound could be heard. Whatwas going to happen?

XIV

A SURPRISING THING HAPPENS

Blacky the Crow and Sammy Jay, looking down from the top of a tall tree, held their breath. Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel and his cousin, Chatterer the Red Squirrel, looking down from another tree, held _their_breath. Unc' Billy Possum, sticking his head out from a hollow tree, held _his_ breath. Bobby Coon, looking through a hole in a hollow stumpin which he was hiding, held _his_ breath. Reddy Fox, lying flat downbehind a heap of brush, held _his_ breath. Peter Rabbit, sitting boltupright under a thick hemlock branch, with eyes and ears wide open, held_his_ breath. And all the other little people who happened to be wherethey could see did the same thing. 

You see, it was the most exciting moment ever was in the Green Forest. Farmer Brown's boy had just stepped out from behind one side of a littlehemlock-tree and Buster Bear had just stepped out from behind theopposite side of the little hemlock-tree and neither had known that theother was anywhere near. For a whole minute they stood there face toface, gazing into each other's eyes, while everybody watched and waited, and it seemed as if the whole Green Forest was holding its breath. 

Then something happened. Yes, Sir, something happened. Farmer Brown'sboy opened his mouth and yelled! It was such a sudden yell and such aloud yell that it startled Chatterer so that he nearly fell from hisplace in the tree, and it made Reddy Fox jump to his feet ready to run. And that yell was a yell of fright. There was no doubt about it, forwith the yell Farmer Brown's boy turned and ran for home, as no one everhad seen him run before. He ran just as Peter Rabbit runs when he hasgot to reach the dear Old Briar-patch before Reddy Fox can catch him, which, you know, is as fast as he can run. Once he stumbled and fell, but he scrambled to his feet in a twinkling, and away he went withoutonce turning his head to see if Buster Bear was after him. There wasn'tany doubt that he was afraid, very much afraid. 

Everybody leaned forward to watch him. "What did I tell you? Didn't Isay that he was afraid of Buster Bear?" cried Little Joe Otter, dancingabout with excitement. 

"You were right, Little Joe! I'm sorry that I doubted it. See him go!Caw, caw, caw!" shrieked Blacky the Crow. 

For a minute or two everybody forgot about Buster Bear. Then there was agreat crash which made everybody turn to look the other way. What do youthink they saw? Why, Buster Bear was running away too, and he wasrunning twice as fast as Farmer Brown's boy! He bumped into trees andcrashed through bushes and jumped over logs, and in almost no time atall he was out of sight. Altogether it was the most surprising thingthat the little people of the Green Forest ever had seen. 

[Illustration: Buster Bear was running away, too. Page _71_. ]

Sammy Jay looked at Blacky the Crow, and Blacky looked at Chatterer, and Chatterer looked at Happy Jack, and Happy Jack looked at PeterRabbit, and Peter looked at Unc' Billy Possum, and Unc' Billy looked atBobby Coon, and Bobby looked at Johnny Chuck, and Johnny looked at ReddyFox, and Reddy looked at Jimmy Skunk, and Jimmy looked at Billy Mink, and Billy looked at Little Joe Otter, and for a minute nobody could saya word. Then Little Joe gave a funny little gasp. 

"Why, why-e-e!" said he, "I believe Buster Bear is afraid too!" Unc'Billy Possum chuckled. "Ah believe yo' are right again, Brer Otter, "said he. "It cert'nly does look so. If Brer Bear isn't scared, he musthave remembered something impo'tant and has gone to attend to it in apowerful hurry. "

Then everybody began to laugh. 

XV

BUSTER BEAR IS A FALLEN HERO

A fallen hero is some one to whom every one has looked up as very braveand then proves to be less brave than he was supposed to be. That wasthe way with Buster Bear. When Little Joe Otter had told how FarmerBrown's boy had been afraid at the mere sight of one of Buster Bear'sbig footprints, they had at once made a hero of Buster. At least some ofthem had. As this was the first time, the very first time, that they hadever known any one who lives in the Green Forest to make Farmer Brown'sboy run away, they looked on Buster Bear with a great deal of respectand were very proud of him. 

But now they had seen Buster Bear and Farmer Brown's boy meet face toface; and while it was true that Farmer Brown's boy had run away as fastas ever he could, it was also true that Buster Bear had done the samething. He had run even faster than Farmer Brown's boy, and had hidden inthe most lonely place he could find in the very deepest part of theGreen Forest. It was hard to believe, but it was true. And right awayeverybody lost a great deal of the respect for Buster which they hadfelt. It is always that way. They began to say unkind things about him. They said them among themselves, and some of them even said them toBuster when they met him, or said them so that he would hear them. 

Of course Blacky the Crow and Sammy Jay, who, because they can fly, have nothing to fear from Buster, and who always delight in making otherpeople uncomfortable, never let a chance go by to tell Buster andeverybody else within hearing what they thought of him. They delightedin flying about through the Green Forest until they had found BusterBear and then from the safety of the tree tops screaming at him. 

 "Buster Bear is big and strong; His teeth are big; his claws are long; In spite of these he runs away And hides himself the livelong day!"

A dozen times a day Buster would hear them screaming this. He wouldgrind his teeth and glare up at them, but that was all he could do. Hecouldn't get at them. He just had to stand it and do nothing. But whenimpudent little Chatterer the Red Squirrel shouted the same thing froma place just out of reach in a big pine-tree, Buster could stand it nolonger. He gave a deep, angry growl that made little shivers run overChatterer, and then suddenly he started up that tree after Chatterer. With a frightened little shriek Chatterer scampered to the top of thetree. He hadn't known that Buster could climb. But Buster is a splendidclimber, especially when the tree is big and stout as this one was, andnow he went up after Chatterer, growling angrily. 

How Chatterer did wish that he had kept his tongue still! He ran to thevery top of the tree, so frightened that his teeth chattered, and whenhe looked down and saw Buster's great mouth coming nearer and nearer, henearly tumbled down with terror. The worst of it was there wasn'tanother tree near enough for him to jump to. He was in trouble thistime, was Chatterer, sure enough! And there was no one to help him. 

XVI

CHATTERER THE RED SQUIRREL JUMPS FOR HIS LIFE

It isn't very often that Chatterer the Red Squirrel knows fear. That isone reason that he is so often impudent and saucy. But once in a while agreat fear takes possession of him, as when he knows that Shadow theWeasel is looking for him. You see, he knows that Shadow can go whereverhe can go. There are very few of the little people of the Green Forestand the Green Meadows who do not know fear at some time or other, but itcomes to Chatterer as seldom as to any one, because he is very sure ofhimself and his ability to hide or run away from danger. 

But now as he clung to a little branch near the top of a tall pine-treein the Green Forest and looked down at the big sharp teeth of BusterBear drawing nearer and nearer, and listened to the deep, angry growlsthat made his hair stand on end, Chatterer was too frightened to think. If only he had kept his tongue still instead of saying hateful things toBuster Bear! If only he had known that Buster could climb a tree! Ifonly he had chosen a tree near enough to other trees for him to jumpacross! But he _had_ said hateful things, he _had_ chosen to sit in atree which stood quite by itself, and Buster Bear _could_ climb!Chatterer was in the worst kind of trouble, and there was no one toblame but himself. That is usually the case with those who get intotrouble. 

Nearer and nearer came Buster Bear, and deeper and angrier sounded hisvoice. Chatterer gave a little frightened gasp and looked this way andlooked that way. What should he do? What _could_ he do! The groundseemed a terrible distance below. If only he had wings like Sammy Jay!But he hadn't. 

"Gr-r-r-r!" growled Buster Bear. "I'll teach you manners! I'll teach youto treat your betters with respect! I'll swallow you whole, that's whatI'll do. Gr-r-r-r!"

"Oh!" cried Chatterer. 

"Gr-r-r-r! I'll eat you all up to the last hair on your tail!" growledBuster, scrambling a little nearer. 

"Oh! Oh!" cried Chatterer, and ran out to the very tip of the littlebranch to which he had been clinging. Now if Chatterer had only knownit, Buster Bear couldn't reach him way up there, because the tree wastoo small at the top for such a big fellow as Buster. But Chattererdidn't think of that. He gave one more frightened look down at those bigteeth, then he shut his eyes and jumped--jumped straight out for thefar-away ground. 

It was a long, long, long way down to the ground, and it certainlylooked as if such a little fellow as Chatterer must be killed. ButChatterer had learned from Old Mother Nature that she had given himcertain things to help him at just such times, and one of them is thepower to spread himself very flat. He did it now. He spread his arms andlegs out just as far as he could, and that kept him from falling as fastand as hard as he otherwise would have done, because being spread out soflat that way, the air held him up a little. And then there was histail, that funny little tail he is so fond of jerking when he scolds. This helped him too. It helped him keep his balance and keep fromturning over and over. 

Down, down, down he sailed and landed on his feet. Of course, he hit theground pretty hard, and for just a second he quite lost his breath. Butit was only for a second, and then he was scurrying off as fast as afrightened Squirrel could. Buster Bear watched him and grinned. 

"I didn't catch him that time, " he growled, "but I guess I gave him agood fright and taught him a lesson. "

XVII

BUSTER BEAR GOES BERRYING

Buster Bear is a great hand to talk to himself when he thinks no one isaround to overhear. It's a habit. However, it isn't a bad habit unlessit is carried too far. Any habit becomes bad, if it is carried too far. Suppose you had a secret, a real secret, something that nobody else knewand that you didn't want anybody else to know. And suppose you had thehabit of talking to yourself. You might, without thinking, you know, tell that secret out loud to yourself, and some one might, just mighthappen to overhear! Then there wouldn't be any secret. That is the waythat a habit which isn't bad in itself can become bad when it iscarried too far. 

Now Buster Bear had lived by himself in the Great Woods so long thatthis habit of talking to himself had grown and grown. He did it just tokeep from being lonesome. Of course, when he came down to the GreenForest to live, he brought all his habits with him. That is one thingabout habits, --you always take them with you wherever you go. So Busterbrought this habit of talking to himself down to the Green Forest, wherehe had many more neighbors than he had in the Great Woods. 

"Let me see, let me see, what is there to tempt my appetite?" saidBuster in his deep, grumbly-rumbly voice. "I find my appetite isn't whatit ought to be. I need a change. Yes, Sir, I need a change. There issomething I ought to have at this time of year, and I haven't got it. There is something that I used to have and don't have now. Ha! I know! Ineed some fresh fruit. That's it--fresh fruit! It must be about berrytime now, and I'd forgotten all about it. My, my, my, how good someberries would taste! Now if I were back up there in the Great Woods Icould have all I could eat. Um-m-m-m! Makes my mouth water just to thinkof it. There ought to be some up in the Old Pasture. There ought to be alot of 'em up there. If I wasn't afraid that some one would see me, I'dgo up there. "

Buster sighed. Then he sighed again. The more he thought about thoseberries he felt sure were growing in the Old Pasture, the more he wantedsome. It seemed to him that never in all his life had he wanted berriesas he did now. He wandered about uneasily. He was hungry--hungry forberries and nothing else. By and by he began talking to himself again. 

"If I wasn't afraid of being seen, I'd go up to the Old Pasture thisvery minute. Seems as if I could taste those berries. " He licked hislips hungrily as he spoke. Then his face brightened. "I know what I'lldo! I'll go up there at the very first peep of day to-morrow. I can eatall I want and get back to the Green Forest before there is any dangerthat Farmer Brown's boy or any one else I'm afraid of will see me. That's just what I'll do. My, I wish to-morrow morning would hurry upand come. "

Now though Buster didn't know it, some one had been listening, and thatsome one was none other than Sammy Jay. When at last Buster lay downfor a nap, Sammy flew away, chuckling to himself. "I believe I'll visitthe Old Pasture to-morrow morning myself, " thought he. "I have an ideathat something interesting may happen if Buster doesn't change hismind. "

Sammy was on the lookout very early the next morning. The first JollyLittle Sunbeams had only reached the Green Meadows and had not startedto creep into the Green Forest, when he saw a big, dark form steal outof the Green Forest where it joins the Old Pasture. It moved veryswiftly and silently, as if in a great hurry. Sammy knew who it was: itwas Buster Bear, and he was going berrying. Sammy waited a little untilhe could see better. Then he too started for the Old Pasture. 

XVIII

SOMEBODY ELSE GOES BERRYING

Isn't it funny how two people will often think of the same thing at thesame time, and neither one know that the other is thinking of it? Thatis just what happened the day that Buster Bear first thought of goingberrying. While he was walking around in the Green Forest, talking tohimself about how hungry he was for some berries and how sure he wasthat there must be some up in the Old Pasture, some one else wasthinking about berries and about the Old Pasture too. 

"Will you make me a berry pie if I will get the berries to-morrow?"asked Farmer Brown's boy of his mother. 

Of course Mrs. Brown promised that she would, and so that night FarmerBrown's boy went to bed very early that he might get up early in themorning, and all night long he dreamed of berries and berry pies. He wasawake even before jolly, round, red Mr. Sun thought it was time to getup, and he was all ready to start for the Old Pasture when the firstJolly Little Sunbeams came dancing across the Green Meadows. He carrieda big tin pail, and in the bottom of it, wrapped up in a piece of paper, was a lunch, for he meant to stay until he filled that pail, if it tookall day. 

Now the Old Pasture is very large. It lies at the foot of the BigMountain, and even extends a little way up on the Big Mountain. There isroom in it for many people to pick berries all day without even seeingeach other, unless they roam about a great deal. You see, the bushesgrow very thick there, and you cannot see very far in any direction. Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had climbed a little way up in the sky by thetime Farmer Brown's boy reached the Old Pasture, and was smiling down onall the Great World, and all the Great World seemed to be smiling back. Farmer Brown's boy started to whistle, and then he stopped. 

"If I whistle, " thought he, "everybody will know just where I am, andwill keep out of sight, and I never can get acquainted with folks ifthey keep out of sight. "

You see, Farmer Brown's boy was just beginning to understand somethingthat Peter Rabbit and the other little people of the Green Meadows andthe Green Forest learned almost as soon as they learned to walk, --thatif you don't want to be seen, you mustn't be heard. So he didn'twhistle as he felt like doing, and he tried not to make a bit of noiseas he followed an old cow-path towards a place where he knew the berriesgrew thick and oh, so big, and all the time he kept his eyes wide open, and he kept his ears open too. 

That is how he happened to hear a little cry, a very faint little cry. If he had been whistling, he wouldn't have heard it at all. He stoppedto listen. He never had heard a cry just like it before. At first hecouldn't make out just what it was or where it came from. But one thinghe was sure of, and that was that it was a cry of fright. He stoodperfectly still and listened with all his might. There it wasagain--"Help! Help! Help"--and it was very faint and sounded terriblyfrightened. He waited a minute or two, but heard nothing more. Then heput down his pail and began a hurried look here, there, and everywhere. He was sure that it had come from somewhere on the ground, so he peeredbehind bushes and peeped behind logs and stones, and then just as he hadabout given up hope of finding where it came from, he went around alittle turn in the old cow-path, and there right in front of him waslittle Mr. Gartersnake, and what do you think he was doing? Well, Idon't like to tell you, but he was trying to swallow one of the childrenof Stickytoes the Tree Toad. Of course Farmer Brown's Boy didn't lethim. He made little Mr. Gartersnake set Master Stickytoes free and heldMr. Gartersnake until Master Stickytoes was safely out of reach. 

XIX

BUSTER BEAR HAS A FINE TIME

Buster Bear was having the finest time he had had since he came downfrom the Great Woods to live in the Green Forest. To be sure, he wasn'tin the Green Forest now, but he wasn't far from it. He was in the OldPasture, one edge of which touches one edge of the Green Forest. Andwhere do you think he was, in the Old Pasture? Why, right in the middleof the biggest patch of the biggest blueberries he ever had seen in allhis life! Now if there is any one thing that Buster Bear had rather haveabove another, it is all the berries he can eat, unless it be honey. Nothing can quite equal honey in Buster's mind. But next to honey givehim berries. He isn't particular what kind of berries. Raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries, either kind, will make him perfectlyhappy. 

"Um-m-m, my, my, but these are good!" he mumbled in his deepgrumbly-rumbly voice, as he sat on his haunches stripping off theberries greedily. His little eyes twinkled with enjoyment, and he didn'tmind at all if now and then he got leaves, and some green berries in hismouth with the big ripe berries. He didn't try to get them out. Oh, my, no! He just chomped them all up together and patted his stomach fromsheer delight. Now Buster had reached the Old Pasture just as jolly, round, red Mr. Sun had crept out of bed, and he had fully made up hismind that he would be back in the Green Forest before Mr. Sun hadclimbed very far up in the blue, blue sky. You see, big as he is andstrong as he is, Buster Bear is very shy and bashful, and he has nodesire to meet Farmer Brown, or Farmer Brown's boy, or any other ofthose two-legged creatures called men. It seems funny but he actually isafraid of them. And he had a feeling that he was a great deal morelikely to meet one of them in the Old Pasture than deep in the GreenForest. 

So when he started to look for berries, he made up his mind that hewould eat what he could in a great hurry and get back to the GreenForest before Farmer Brown's boy was more than out of bed. But when hefound those berries he was so hungry that he forgot his fears andeverything else. They tasted so good that he just had to eat and eatand eat. Now you know that Buster is a very big fellow, and it takes alot to fill him up. He kept eating and eating and eating, and the morehe ate the more he wanted. You know how it is. So he wandered from onepatch of berries to another in the Old Pasture, and never once thoughtof the time. Somehow, time is the hardest thing in the world toremember, when you are having a good time. 

Jolly, round, red Mr. Sun climbed higher and higher in the blue, bluesky. He looked down on all the Great World and saw all that was goingon. He saw Buster Bear in the Old Pasture, and smiled as he saw what aperfectly glorious time Buster was having. And he saw something else inthe Old Pasture that made his smile still broader. He saw Farmer Brown'sboy filling a great tin pail with blueberries, and he knew that FarmerBrown's boy didn't know that Buster Bear was anywhere about, and he knewthat Buster Bear didn't know that Farmer Brown's boy was anywhere about, and somehow he felt very sure that he would see something funny happenif they should chance to meet. 

"Um-m-m, um-m-m, " mumbled Buster Bear with his mouth full, as he movedalong to another patch of berries. And then he gave a little gasp ofsurprise and delight. Right in front of him was a shiny thing just fullof the finest, biggest, bluest berries! There were no leaves or greenones there. Buster blinked his greedy little eyes rapidly and lookedagain. No, he wasn't dreaming. They were real berries, and all he hadgot to do was to help himself. Buster looked sharply at the shiny thingthat held the berries. It seemed perfectly harmless. He reached out abig paw and pushed it gently. It tipped over and spilled out a lot ofthe berries. Yes, it was perfectly harmless. Buster gave a little sighof pure happiness. He would eat those berries to the last one, and thenhe would go home to the Green Forest. 

XX

BUSTER BEAR CARRIES OFF THE PAIL OF FARMER BROWN'S BOY

The question is, did Buster Bear steal Farmer Brown's boy's pail? Tosteal is to take something which belongs to some one else. There is nodoubt that he stole the berries that were in the pail when he found it, for he deliberately ate them. He knew well enough that some one musthave picked them--for whoever heard of blueberries growing in tin pails?So there is no doubt that when Buster took them, he stole them. But withthe pail it was different. He took the pail, but he didn't mean to takeit. In fact, he didn't want that pail at all. 

You see it was this way: When Buster found that big tin pail brimmingfull of delicious berries in the shade of that big bush in the OldPasture, he didn't stop to think whether or not he had a right to them. Buster is so fond of berries that from the very second that his greedylittle eyes saw that pailful, he forgot everything but the feast thatwas waiting for him right under his very nose. He didn't think anythingabout the right or wrong of helping himself. There before him were moreberries than he had ever seen together at one time in all his life, andall he had to do was to eat and eat and eat. And that is just what hedid do. Of course he upset the pail, but he didn't mind a little thinglike that. When he had gobbled up all the berries that rolled out, hethrust his nose into the pail to get all that were left in it. Justthen he heard a little noise, as if some one were coming. He threw uphis head to listen, and somehow, he never did know just how, the handleof the pail slipped back over his ears and caught there. 

This was bad enough, but to make matters worse, just at that very minutehe heard a shrill, angry voice shout, "Hi, there! Get out of there!" Hedidn't need to be told whose voice that was. It was the voice of FarmerBrown's boy. Right then and there Buster Bear nearly had a fit. Therewas that awful pail fast over his head so that he couldn't see a thing. Of course, that meant that he couldn't run away, which was the thing ofall things he most wanted to do, for big as he is and strong as he is, Buster is very shy and bashful when human beings are around. He growledand whined and squealed. He tried to back out of the pail and couldn't. He tried to shake it off and couldn't. He tried to pull it off, butsomehow he couldn't get hold of it. Then there was another yell. IfBuster hadn't been so frightened himself, he might have recognized thatsecond yell as one of fright, for that is what it was. You see FarmerBrown's boy had just discovered Buster Bear. When he had yelled thefirst time, he had supposed that it was one of the young cattle who livein the Old Pasture all summer, but when he saw Buster, he was just asbadly frightened as Buster himself. In fact, he was too surprised andfrightened even to run. After that second yell he just stood still andstared. 

Buster clawed at that awful thing on his head more frantically thanever. Suddenly it slipped off, so that he could see. He gave onefrightened look at Farmer Brown's boy, and then with a mighty "Woof!" hestarted for the Green Forest as fast as his legs could take him, andthis was very fast indeed, let me tell you. He didn't stop to pick out apath, but just crashed through the bushes as if they were nothing atall, just nothing at all. But the funniest thing of all is this--he tookthat pail with him! Yes, Sir, Buster Bear ran away with the big tin pailof Farmer Brown's boy! You see when it slipped off his head, the handlewas still around his neck, and there he was running away with a pailhanging from his neck! He didn't want it. He would have given anythingto get rid of it. But he took it because he couldn't help it. And thatbrings us back to the question, did Buster steal Farmer Brown's boy'spail? What do you think?

XXI

SAMMY JAY MAKES THINGS WORSE FOR BUSTER BEAR

"Thief, thief, thief! Thief, thief, thief!" Sammy Jay was screaming atthe top of his lungs, as he followed Buster Bear across the Old Pasturetowards the Green Forest. Never had he screamed so loud, and never hadhis voice sounded so excited. The little people of the Green Forest, theGreen Meadows, and the Smiling Pool are so used to hearing Sammy crythief that usually they think very little about it. But every blessedone who heard Sammy this morning stopped whatever he was doing andpricked up his ears to listen. 

Sammy's cousin, Blacky the Crow, just happened to be flying along theedge of the Old Pasture, and the minute he heard Sammy's voice, heturned and flew over to see what it was all about. Just as soon as hecaught sight of Buster Bear running for the Green Forest as hard as everhe could, he understood what had excited Sammy so. He was so surprisedthat he almost forgot to keep his wings moving. Buster Bear had whatlooked to Blacky very much like a tin pail hanging from his neck! Nowonder Sammy was excited. Blacky beat his wings fiercely and startedafter Sammy. 

And so they reached the edge of the Green Forest, Buster Bear running ashard as ever he could, Sammy Jay flying just behind him and screaming, "Thief, thief, thief!" at the top of his lungs, and behind him Blackythe Crow, trying to catch up and yelling as loud as he could, "Caw, caw, caw! Come on, everybody! Come on! Come on!"

Poor Buster! It was bad enough to be frightened almost to death as hehad been up in the Old Pasture when the pail had caught over his headjust as Farmer Brown's boy had yelled at him. Then to have the handle ofthe pail slip down around his neck so that he couldn't get rid of thepail but had to take it with him as he ran, was making a bad matterworse. Now to have all his neighbors of the Green Forest see him in sucha fix and make fun of him, was more than he could stand. He felthumiliated. That is just another way of saying shamed. Yes, Sir, Busterfelt that he was shamed in the eyes of his neighbors, and he wantednothing so much as to get away by himself, where no one could see him, and try to get rid of that dreadful pail. But Buster is so big that itis not easy for him to find a hiding place. So, when he reached theGreen Forest, he kept right on to the deepest, darkest, most lonesomepart and crept under the thickest hemlock-tree he could find. 

But it was of no use. The sharp eyes of Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crowsaw him. They actually flew into the very tree under which he washiding, and how they did scream! Pretty soon Ol' Mistah Buzzard camedropping down out of the blue, blue sky and took a seat on a convenientdead tree, where he could see all that went on. Ol' Mistah Buzzard beganto grin as soon as he saw that tin pail on Buster's neck. Then cameothers, --Redtail the Hawk, Scrapper the Kingbird, Redwing the Blackbird, Drummer the Woodpecker, Welcome Robin, Tommy Tit the Chickadee, JennyWren, Redeye the Vireo, and ever so many more. They came from the OldOrchard, the Green Meadows, and even down by the Smiling Pool, for thevoices of Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow carried far, and at the sound ofthem everybody hurried over, sure that something exciting was going on. 

Presently Buster heard light footsteps, and peeping out, he saw BillyMink and Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare and Prickly Porky and ReddyFox and Jimmy Skunk. Even timid little Whitefoot the Wood Mouse waswhere he could peer out and see without being seen. Of course, Chattererthe Red Squirrel and Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel were there. There theyall sat in a great circle around him, each where he felt safe, but wherehe could see, and every one of them laughing and making fun of Buster. 

"Thief, thief, thief!" screamed Sammy until his throat was sore. Theworst of it was Buster knew that everybody knew that it was true. Thatawful pail was proof of it. 

"I wish I never had thought of berries, " growled Buster to himself. 

XXII

BUSTER BEAR HAS A FIT OF TEMPER

 A temper is a bad, bad thing When once it gets away. There's nothing quite at all like it To spoil a pleasant day. 

Buster Bear was in a terrible temper. Yes, Sir, Buster Bear was havingthe worst fit of temper ever seen in the Green Forest. And the worstpart of it all was that all his neighbors of the Green Forest and awhole lot from the Green Meadows and the Smiling Pool were also there tosee it. It is bad enough to give way to temper when you are all alone, and there is no one to watch you, but when you let temper get the bestof you right where others see you, oh, dear, dear, it certainly is asorry sight. 

Now ordinarily Buster is one of the most good-natured persons in theworld. It takes a great deal to rouse his temper. He isn't one tenth soquick tempered as Chatterer the Red Squirrel, or Sammy Jay, or ReddyFox. But when his temper is aroused and gets away from him, then watchout! It seemed to Buster that he had had all that he could stand thatday and a little more. First had come the fright back there in the OldPasture. Then the pail had slipped down behind his ears and held fast, so he had run all the way to the Green Forest with it hanging about hisneck. This was bad enough, for he knew just how funny he must look, andbesides, it was very uncomfortable. But to have Sammy Jay call everybodywithin hearing to come and see him was more than he could stand. Itseemed to Buster as if everybody who lives in the Green Forest, on theGreen Meadows, or around the Smiling Brook, was sitting around hishiding place, laughing and making fun of him. It was more than anyself-respecting Bear could stand. 

With a roar of anger Buster Bear charged out of his hiding place. Herushed this way and that way! He roared with all his might! He was veryterrible to see. Those who could fly, flew. Those who could climb, climbed. And those who were swift of foot, ran. A few who could neitherfly nor climb nor run fast, hid and lay shaking and trembling for fearthat Buster would find them. In less time than it takes to tell aboutit, Buster was alone. At least, he couldn't see any one. 

[Illustration: Those who could fly, flew. Those who could climb, climbed. _Page 112. _]

Then he vented his temper on the tin pail. He cuffed at it and pulled atit, all the time growling angrily. He lay down and clawed at it with hishind feet. At last the handle broke, and he was free! He shook himself. Then he jumped on the helpless pail. With a blow of a big paw he sent itclattering against a tree. He tried to bite it. Then he once more fellto knocking it this way and that way, until it was pounded flat, and noone would ever have guessed that it had once been a pail. 

Then, and not till then, did Buster recover his usual good nature. Little by little, as he thought it all over, a look of shame crept intohis face. "I--I guess it wasn't the fault of that thing. I ought to haveknown enough to keep my head out of it, " he said slowly andthoughtfully. 

"You got no more than you deserve for stealing Farmer Brown's boy'sberries, " said Sammy Jay, who had come back and was looking on from thetop of a tree. "You ought to know by this time that no good comes ofstealing. "

Buster Bear looked up and grinned, and there was a twinkle in his eyes. "You ought to know, Sammy Jay, " said he. "I hope you'll always rememberit. "

"Thief, thief, thief!" screamed Sammy, and flew away. 

XXIII

FARMER BROWN'S BOY LUNCHES ON BERRIES

 When things go wrong in spite of you To smile's the best thing you can do-- To smile and say, "I'm mighty glad They are no worse; they're not so bad!"

That is what Farmer Brown's boy said when he found that Buster Bear hadstolen the berries he had worked so hard to pick and then had run offwith the pail. You see, Farmer Brown's boy is learning to be somethingof a philosopher, one of those people who accept bad things cheerfullyand right away see how they are better than they might have been. Whenhe had first heard some one in the bushes where he had hidden his pailof berries, he had been very sure that it was one of the cows or youngcattle who live in the Old Pasture during the summer. He had been afraidthat they might stupidly kick over the pail and spill the berries, andhe had hurried to drive whoever it was away. It hadn't entered his headthat it could be anybody who would eat those berries. 

When he had yelled and Buster Bear had suddenly appeared, struggling toget off the pail which had caught over his head, Farmer Brown's boy hadbeen too frightened to even move. Then he had seen Buster tear awaythrough the brush even more frightened than he was, and right away hiscourage had begun to come back. 

"If he is so afraid of me, I guess I needn't be afraid of him, " saidhe. "I've lost my berries, but it is worth it to find out that he isafraid of me. There are plenty more on the bushes, and all I've got todo is to pick them. It might be worse. "

He walked over to the place where the pail had been, and then heremembered that when Buster ran away he had carried the pail with him, hanging about his neck. He whistled. It was a comical little whistle ofchagrin as he realized that he had nothing in which to put more berries, even if he picked them. "It's worse than I thought, " cried he. "Thatbear has cheated me out of that berry pie my mother promised me. " Thenhe began to laugh, as he thought of how funny Buster Bear had lookedwith the pail about his neck, and then because, you know he is learningto be a philosopher, he once more repeated, "It might have been worse. Yes, indeed, it might have been worse. That bear might have tried to eatme instead of the berries. I guess I'll go eat that lunch I left back bythe spring, and then I'll go home. I can pick berries some other day. "

Chuckling happily over Buster Bear's great fright, Farmer Brown's boytramped back to the spring where he had left two thick sandwiches on aflat stone when he started to save his pail of berries. "My, but thosesandwiches will taste good, " thought he. "I'm glad they are big andthick. I never was hungrier in my life. Hello!" This he exclaimed rightout loud, for he had just come in sight of the flat stone where thesandwiches should have been, and they were not there. No, Sir, therewasn't so much as a crumb left of those two thick sandwiches. You see, Old Man Coyote had found them and gobbled them up while Farmer Brown'sboy was away. 

But Farmer Brown's boy didn't know anything about Old Man Coyote. Herubbed his eyes and stared everywhere, even up in the trees, as if hethought those sandwiches might be hanging up there. They had disappearedas completely as if they never had been, and Old Man Coyote had takencare to leave no trace of his visit. Farmer Brown's boy gaped foolishlythis way and that way. Then, instead of growing angry, a slow smilestole over his freckled face. "I guess some one else was hungry too, " hemuttered. "Wonder who it was? Guess this Old Pasture is no place for meto-day. I'll fill up on berries and then I'll go home. "

So Farmer Brown's boy made his lunch on blueberries and then rathersheepishly he started for home to tell of all the strange things thathad happened to him in the Old Pasture. Two or three times, as hetrudged along, he stopped to scratch his head thoughtfully. "I guess, "said he at last, "that I'm not so smart as I thought I was, and I've gota lot to learn yet. "

This is the end of the adventures of Buster Bear in this bookbecause--guess why. Because Old Mr. Toad insists that I must write abook about his adventures, and Old Mr. Toad is such a good friend of allof us that I am going to do it. 

THE END

 * * * * *

 THE ADVENTURES OF BUSTER BEAR

 BOOKS BY

 THORNTON W. BURGESS

 * * * * *

 THE BEDTIME STORY-BOOKS

 1. THE ADVENTURES OF REDDY FOX

 2. THE ADVENTURES OF JOHNNY CHUCK

 3. THE ADVENTURES OF PETER COTTONTAIL

 4. THE ADVENTURES OF UNC' BILLY POSSUM

 5. THE ADVENTURES OF MR. MOCKER

 6. THE ADVENTURES OF JERRY MUSKRAT

 7. THE ADVENTURES OF DANNY MEADOW MOUSE

 8. THE ADVENTURES OF GRANDFATHER FROG

 9. THE ADVENTURES OF CHATTERER, THE RED SQUIRREL

 10. THE ADVENTURES OF SAMMY JAY

 11. THE ADVENTURES OF BUSTER BEAR

 12. THE ADVENTURES OF OLD MR. TOAD

 13. THE ADVENTURES OF PRICKLY PORKY

 14. THE ADVENTURES OF OLD MAN COYOTE

 15. THE ADVENTURES OF PADDY THE BEAVER

 16. THE ADVENTURES OF POOR MRS. QUACK

 17. THE ADVENTURES OF BOBBY COON

 18. THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY SKUNK

 19. THE ADVENTURES OF BOB WHITE

 20. THE ADVENTURES OF OL' MISTAH BUZZARD

 * * * * *

 MOTHER WEST WIND SERIES

 1. OLD MOTHER WEST WIND

 2. MOTHER WEST WIND'S CHILDREN

 3. MOTHER WEST WIND'S ANIMAL FRIENDS

 4. MOTHER WEST WIND'S NEIGHBORS

 5. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHY" STORIES

 6. MOTHER WEST WIND "HOW" STORIES

 7. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHEN" STORIES

 8. MOTHER WEST WIND "WHERE" STORIES

 * * * * *

 GREEN MEADOW SERIES

 1. HAPPY JACK

 2. MRS. PETER RABBIT

 3. BOWSER THE HOUND

 * * * * *

 THE BURGESS BIRD BOOK FOR CHILDREN

 * * * * *