Father Thrift was busy carrying pine needles into his cave. Pine
needles make a soft carpet. And the bare floor of the cave was _so_
hard.
At last he had enough and he sat down to rest.
Just then he looked out of his cave and saw Shaggy Bear, half walking,
half crawling toward him.
"Why, whatever is the matter?" Father Thrift exclaimed in
astonishment.
"I am so sick I believe I shall die," groaned the bear. The poor
fellow's face was pale and tears were running down his cheeks.
"Oh, cheer up, cheer up!" cried Father Thrift briskly. "Why should you
_want_ to die?"
"That's it--I don't!" returned the bear sorrowfully. "But I believe my
time has come."
"Where do you feel the worst--in your stomach?" asked Father Thrift.
"Yes," replied Shaggy Bear. "That is where the trouble started."
"I thought so; I thought so," said Father Thrift. "I wonder that you
were not sick before.
"Now, first of all, let me tell you that you are not going to die, not
yet. But should you keep on eating as you have eaten in the past few
weeks, you could never expect to be strong and healthy."
"Why?" asked the bear, brightening up suddenly.
But Father Thrift did not answer his question.
"I am going to suggest something for you to do, Shaggy," he said.
The bear looked puzzled but hopeful.
"You won't like it," Father Thrift continued. "No one ever did. But it
is the only way by which you can become well and strong again.
"The very first time I saw you I knew that you were not eating the
right kind of meals.
"Why, bears are known to have such good appetites that we often hear
boys say, 'I'm as hungry as a bear!'
"But you don't feel that way. That is because you eat too much honey
and not enough solid, nourishing food.
"This makes you sick. And while perhaps you wouldn't die from it, you
would grow to be cross and disagreeable. Then no one would like you.
Would that be any better?"
The bear scratched his head. "But what am I to do?" he asked.
"Stop eating sweets for three months," advised Father Thrift. "Don't
you see that you spoil your appetite for good roots and berries by
eating too much honey?
"What, do you suppose, would become of boys and girls who ate nothing
but cookies and candy, instead of milk and eggs, and meat and bread,
and vegetables and fruit?
"A little candy, when eaten after meals, seldom hurts anybody. When
you are better you may have a little honey again, too.
"Another thing. Besides eating and sleeping, what do you do?"
"Nothing," replied Shaggy Bear.
"Hereafter you must spend some time each day working or walking or
playing outdoors," said Father Thrift. "You need exercise.
"Don't be afraid to run. That will fill your lungs with pure, fresh
air and make your blood circulate more freely.
"Eat only three meals a day and be regular. Do not eat between meals.
Remember that the stomach works hard and needs rest as much as do your
feet.
"Eat slowly and chew your food well, and I promise that at the end of
three months you will feel better than you have ever felt in your
life."
The bear made a wry face at all this. For he liked honey about as much
as he disliked exercise.
"Mayn't I eat _some_ honey?" he asked pleadingly.
Father Thrift looked at him a little sternly.
"None for three months," he said.
Shaggy Bear was in earnest and at once promised to do as he was told.
Then, as the bear rose to go, Father Thrift patted him on the back.
"You mustn't let this spoil your good times," he said. "Only remember
that nobody can be happy without good health."
It was a hard trial for the bear.
Many, many times he was tempted to stuff himself with honey and then
roll up in his cave and go to sleep. But each time he turned sadly
away from temptation.
And at the end of three months he was as sound and healthy as a bear
could be. Then how grateful he was to Father Thrift for his good
advice!
And the queer little old man was happy to think that he had been able
to help Shaggy so much.