Once there was a little PUEBLO Indian boy and his father was one of the
best hunters in the village. One morning he went out into the mountains
to shoot deer, the meat of which was to be dried for the winter supply.
He was walking very carefully, as he would have frightened the game away
if he had made a noise.
Suddenly he heard a sound as if a mama bear were scolding a cub for
being selfish. He looked, and there, indeed, was an old she-bear turning
over stones and trying to find some grubs for her babies.
[Illustration: TRYING TO FIND SOME GRUBS FOR HER BABIES.]
The Indian shot the mama bear and one of the cubs scampered off as fast
as he could go, but the hunter caught the other little bear and tied a
horse-hair rope tight around the little fellow's neck, so he could drag
him home to his little TAN-TSI-DAY.
The two became very good friends, and when TAN-TSI-DAY'S mother brought
a bowl of porridge to her baby, she always put in enough for the baby
bear too.
One day the baby bear was naughty, and when TAN-TSI-DAY'S mother had
gone into the house, he took the bowl and ate all the porridge himself,
and didn't give his little playfellow any.
The baby was very much surprised, and called his Indian mother.
Do you know how she punished the selfish little bear? When the next
meal-time came, she just brought enough of the good porridge for her
TAN-TSI-DAY, and made that naughty bear eat with the puppies. I think
baby bear won't be such a greedy little fellow when allowed to eat with
his little companion again.
[Illustration: DRAG HIM HOME TO HIS TAN-TSI-DAY.]
[Illustration]