And the badger said, "I can dig a round hole, just as big around as I
am, and dig very fast."
And the little Cub Bear said, "That is nice. Perhaps you can make us a
chimney. Here is a place in the side of the den where there is nothing
but earth and dirt."
He took the badger over and showed him, and the badger said, "Yes,
I can make you a fine chimney." So he commenced to scratch, and he
scratched and he scratched very fast, digging up, instead of down; and
he scratched and scratched, and the first thing you know, when the
little Cub Bear looked, he didn't see any badger, but he saw the dirt
falling out of the hole where the badger was; and the badger scratched
and scratched, and more dirt came down. First thing you knew, no more
dirt came down, but the little Cub Bear went and looked up the hole,
and he could see clear out to the blue sky. Just then they heard a
patter at the door, and there was Mr. Badger. He had made a hole clear
out into the open air, a nice chimney, and he came in and sat down with
the other animals.
That day the animals all worked as hard as ever, and at night
when the Papa Bear sat down to rest, the little Cub Bear ran over
to him and said, "Papa, please tell me another story about the
'Little-Split-Nosed-Bear-that-would-not-mind-his-papa.'"
"All right," said the Papa Bear, "I will, if you will promise me to go
to bed as soon as I have finished."
The little Cub Bear said, "I will, papa." So the Papa Bear told: