"WHAT did they do then?" asks the Little Lady. "What did the Deep Woods
People all do after they got through being snowed in?"
"Well, let's see. It got to be spring then pretty soon--early spring--of
course, and Mr. Jack Rabbit went to writing poetry and making garden;
Mr. Robin went to meet Mrs. Robin, who had been spending the winter down
South; Mr. Squirrel, who is quite young, went to call on a very nice
young Miss Squirrel over toward the Big West Hills; Mr. Dog had to help
Mr. Man a good deal with the spring work; Mr. Turtle got out all his
fishing-things and looked them over, and the Hollow Tree People had a
general straightening up after company. They had a big house-cleaning,
of course, with most of their things out on the line, and Mr. 'Possum
said that he'd just about as soon be snowed-in for good as to have to
beat carpets and carry furniture up and down stairs all the rest of his
life."
But they got through at last, and everything was nice when they were
settled, only there wasn't a great deal to be had to eat, because it had
been such a long, cold winter that things were pretty scarce and hard to
get.
One morning Mr. 'Possum said he had had a dream the night before, and he
wished it would come true. He said he had dreamed that they were all
invited by Mr. Bear to help him eat the spring breakfast which he takes
after his long winter nap, and that Mr. Bear had about the best
breakfast he ever sat down to. He said he had eaten it clear through,
from turkey to mince-pie, only he didn't get the mince-pie because Mr.
Bear had asked him if he'd have it hot or cold, and just as he made up
his mind to have some of both he woke up and didn't get either.
Then Mr. 'Coon said he wished he could have a dream like that; that he'd
take whatever came along and try to sleep through it, and Mr. Crow
thought a little while and said that sometimes dreams came true,
especially if you helped them a little. He said he hadn't heard anything
of Mr. Bear this spring, and it was quite likely he had been taking a
longer nap than usual. It might be a good plan, he thought, to drop over
that way and just look in in passing, because if Mr. Bear should be
sitting down to breakfast he would be pretty apt to ask them to sit up
and have a bite while they told him the winter news.
Then Mr. 'Possum said that he didn't believe anybody in the world but
Mr. Crow would have thought of that, and that hereafter he was going to
tell him every dream he had. They ought to start right away, he said,
because if they should get there just as Mr. Bear was clearing off the
table it would be a good deal worse than not getting the mince-pie in
his dream.
So they hurried up and put on their best clothes and started for Mr.
Bear's place, which is over toward the Edge of the World, only farther
down, in a fine big cave which is fixed up as nice as a house and nicer.
But when they got pretty close to it they didn't go so fast and
straight, but just sauntered along as if they were only out for a little
walk and happened to go in that direction, for they thought Mr. Bear
might be awake and standing in his door.
They met Mr. Rabbit about that time and invited him to go along, but Mr.
Rabbit said his friendship with Mr. Bear was a rather distant one, and
that he mostly talked to him from across the river or from a hill that
had a good clear running space on the other slope. He said Mr. Bear's
taste was good, for he was fond of his family, but that the fondness had
been all on Mr. Bear's side.
[Illustration: THEY WENT ALONG, SAYING WHAT A NICE MAN THEY THOUGHT MR.
BEAR WAS]
So the Hollow Tree People went along, saying what a nice man they
thought Mr. Bear was, and saying it quite loud, and looking every which
way, because Mr. Bear might be out for a walk too.
But they didn't see him anywhere, and by-and-by they got right to the
door of his cave and knocked a little, and nobody came. Then they
listened, but couldn't hear anything at first, until Mr. 'Coon, who has
very sharp ears, said that he was sure he heard Mr. Bear breathing and
that he must be still asleep. Then the others thought they heard it,
too, and pretty soon they were sure they heard it, and Mr. 'Possum said
it was too bad to let Mr. Bear oversleep himself this fine weather, and
that they ought to go in and let him know how late it was.
So then they pushed open the door and went tiptoeing in to where Mr.
Bear was. They thought, of course, he would be in bed, but he wasn't. He
was sitting up in a big armchair in his dressing-gown, with his feet up
on a low stool, before a fire that had gone out some time in December,
with a little table by him that had a candle on it which had burned down
about the time the fire went out. His pipe had gone out too, and they
knew that Mr. Bear had been smoking, and must have been very tired and
gone to sleep right where he was, and hadn't moved all winter long.
[Illustration: MR. BEAR MUST HAVE BEEN VERY TIRED AND GONE TO SLEEP
RIGHT WHERE HE WAS]
It wasn't very cheerful in there, so Mr. 'Possum said maybe they'd
better stir up a little fire to take the chill off before they woke
Mr. Bear, and Mr. 'Coon found a fresh candle and lighted it, and Mr.
Crow put the room to rights a little, and wound up the clock, and set
it, and started it going. Then when the fire got nice and bright they
stood around and looked at Mr. Bear, and each one said it was a good
time now to wake him up, but nobody just wanted to do it, because Mr.
Bear isn't always good-natured, and nobody could tell what might happen
if he should wake up cross and hungry, and he'd be likely to do that if
his nap was broken too suddenly. Mr. 'Possum said that Mr. Crow was the
one to do it, as he had first thought of this trip, and Mr. Crow said
that it was Mr. 'Possum's place, because it had been in his dream. Then
they both said that as Mr. 'Coon hadn't done anything at all so far, he
might do that.
Mr. 'Coon said that he'd do it quick enough, only he'd been listening to
the way Mr. Bear breathed, and he was pretty sure he wouldn't be ready
to wake up for a week yet, and it would be too bad to wake him now when
he might not have been resting well during the first month or so of his
nap and was making it up now. He said they could look around a little
and see if Mr. Bear's things were keeping well, and perhaps brush up his
pantry so it would be nice and clean when he did wake.
Then Mr. Crow said he'd always wanted to see Mr. Bear's pantry, for he'd
heard it was such a good place to keep things, and perhaps he could get
some ideas for the Hollow Tree; and Mr. 'Possum said that Mr. Bear had
the name of having a bigger pantry and more things in it than all the
rest of the Deep Woods People put together.
So they left Mr. Bear all nice and comfortable, sleeping there by the
fire, and lit another candle and went over to his pantry, which was at
the other side of the room, and opened the door and looked in.
Well, they couldn't say a word at first, but only just looked at one
another and at all the things they saw in that pantry. First, on the top
shelf there was a row of pies, clear around. Then on the next shelf
there was a row of cakes--first a fruit-cake, then a jelly-cake, then
another fruit-cake and then another jelly-cake, and the cakes went all
the way around, too, and some of them had frosting on them, and you
could see the raisins in the fruit-cake and pieces of citron. Then on
the next shelf there was a row of nice cooked partridges, all the way
around, close together. And on the shelf below was a row of meat-pies
made of chicken and turkey and young lamb, and on the shelf below that
there was a row of nice canned berries, and on the floor, all the way
around, there were jars of honey--nice comb honey that Mr. Bear had
gathered in November from bee-trees.
Mr. Crow spoke first.
"Well, I never," he said, "never in all my life, saw anything like it!"
And Mr. 'Coon and Mr. 'Possum both said:
"He can't do it--a breakfast like that is too much for _any_ bear!"
Then Mr. Crow said:
"He oughtn't to be _allowed_ to do it. Mr. Bear is too nice a man to
lose."
And Mr. 'Possum said:
"He _mustn't_ be allowed to do it--we'll help him."
"Where do you suppose he begins?" said Mr. 'Coon.
"At the top, very likely," said Mr. Crow. "He's got it arranged in
courses."
"I don't care where he begins," said Mr. 'Possum; "I'm going to begin
somewhere, now, and I think I will begin on a meat-pie."
And Mr. Crow said he thought he'd begin on a nice partridge, and Mr.
'Coon said he believed he'd try a mince-pie or two first, as a kind of a
lining, and then fill in with the solid things afterward.
So then Mr. 'Possum took down his meat-pie, and said he hoped this
wasn't a dream, and Mr. Crow took down a nice brown partridge, and Mr.
'Coon stood up on a chair and slipped a mince-pie out of a pan on the
top shelf, and everything would have been all right, only he lost his
balance a little and let the pie fall. It made quite a smack when it
struck the floor, and Mr. 'Possum jumped and let his pie fall, too, and
that made a good deal more of a noise, because it was large and in a tin
pan.
Then Mr. Crow blew out the light quick, and they all stood perfectly
still and listened, for it seemed to them a noise like that would wake
the dead, much more Mr. Bear, and they thought he would be right up and
in there after them.
But Mr. Bear was too sound asleep for that. They heard him give a little
cough and a kind of a grunt mixed with a sleepy word or two, and when
they peeked out through the door, which was open just a little ways,
they saw him moving about in his chair, trying first one side and then
the other, as if he wanted to settle down and go to sleep again, which
he didn't do, but kept right on grunting and sniffing and mumbling and
trying new positions.
Then, of course, the Hollow Tree People were scared, for they knew
pretty well he was going to wake up. There wasn't any way to get out of
Mr. Bear's pantry except by the door, and you had to go right by Mr.
Bear's chair to get out of the cave. So they just stood there, holding
their breath and trembling, and Mr. 'Possum wished now it _was_ a dream,
and that he could wake up right away before the nightmare began.
Well, Mr. Bear he turned this way and that way, and once or twice seemed
about to settle down and sleep again; but just as they thought he really
had done it, he sat up pretty straight and looked all around.
Then the Hollow Tree People thought their time had come, and they wanted
to make a jump, and run for the door, only they were afraid to try it.
Mr. Bear yawned a long yawn, and stretched himself, and rubbed his eyes
open, and looked over at the fire and down at the candle on the table
and up at the clock on the mantel. The 'Coon and 'Possum and the Old
Black Crow thought, of course, he'd know somebody had been there by all
those things being set going, and they expected him to roar out
something terrible and start for the pantry first thing.
But Mr. Bear didn't seem to understand it at all, or to suppose that
anything was wrong, and from what he mumbled to himself they saw right
away that he thought he'd been asleep only a little while instead of all
winter long.
"Humph!" they heard him growl, "I must have gone to sleep, and was
dreaming it's time to wake up. I didn't sleep long, though, by the way
the fire and the candle look, besides it's only a quarter of ten, and I
remember winding the clock at half after eight. Funny I feel so hungry,
after eating a big supper only two hours ago. Must be the reason I
dreamed it was spring. Humph! guess I'll just eat a piece of pie and go
to bed."
So Mr. Bear got up and held on to his chair to steady himself, and
yawned some more and rubbed his eyes, for he was only about half awake
yet, and pretty soon he picked up his candle and started for the pantry.
Then the Hollow Tree People felt as if they were going to die. They
didn't dare to breathe or make the least bit of noise, and just huddled
back in a corner close to the wall, and Mr. 'Possum all at once felt as
if he must sneeze right away, and Mr. 'Coon would have given anything to
be able to scratch his back, and Mr. Crow thought if he could only cough
once more and clear his throat he wouldn't care whether he had anything
to eat, ever again.
And Mr. Bear he came shuffling along toward the pantry with his candle
all tipped to one side, still rubbing his eyes and trying to wake up,
and everything was just as still as still--all except a little scratchy
sound his claws made dragging along the floor, though that wasn't a nice
sound for the Hollow Tree People to hear. And when he came to the pantry
door Mr. Bear pushed it open quite wide and was coming straight in, only
just then he caught his toe a little on the door-sill and _stumbled_ in,
and that was too much for Mr. 'Possum, who turned loose a sneeze that
shook the world.
Then Mr. Crow and Mr. 'Coon made a dive under Mr. Bear's legs, and Mr.
'Possum did too, and down came Mr. Bear and down came his candle, and
the candle went out, but not any quicker than the Hollow Tree People,
who broke for the cave door and slammed it behind them, and struck out
for the bushes as if they thought they'd never live to get there.
But when they got into some thick hazel brush they stopped a minute to
breathe, and then they all heard Mr. Bear calling "Help! Help!" as loud
as he could, and when they listened they heard him mention something
about an earthquake and that the world was coming to an end.
Then Mr. 'Possum said that from the sound of Mr. Bear's voice he seemed
to be unhappy about something, and that it was too bad for them to just
pass right by without asking what was the trouble, especially if Mr.
Bear, who had always been so friendly, should ever hear of it. So then
they straightened their collars and ties and knocked the dust off a
little, and Mr. 'Coon scratched his back against a little bush and Mr.
Crow cleared his throat, and they stepped out of the hazel patch and
went up to Mr. Bear's door and pushed it open a little and called out:
"Oh, Mr. Bear, do you need any help?"
[Illustration: MR. 'COON SCRATCHED HIS BACK AGAINST A LITTLE BUSH]
"Oh yes," groaned Mr. Bear, "come quick! I've been struck by an
earthquake and nearly killed, and everything I've got must be ruined.
Bring a light and look at my pantry!"
So then Mr. 'Coon ran with a splinter from Mr. Bear's fire and lit the
candle, and Mr. Bear got up, rubbing himself and taking on, and began
looking at his pantry shelves, which made him better right away.
"Oh," he said, "how lucky the damage is so small! Only two pies and a
partridge knocked down, and they are not much hurt. I thought everything
was lost, and my nerves are all upset when I was getting ready for my
winter sleep. How glad I am you happened to be passing. Stay with me,
and we will eat to quiet our nerves."
Then the Hollow Tree People said that the earthquake had made them
nervous too, and that perhaps a little food would be good for all of
them; so they flew around just as if they were at home, and brought Mr.
Bear's table right into the pantry, and some chairs, and set out the
very best things and told Mr. Bear to sit right up to the table and help
himself, and then all the others sat up, too, and they ate everything
clear through, from meat-pie to mince-pie, just as if Mr. 'Possum's
dream had really come true.
And Mr. Bear said he didn't understand how he could have such a good
appetite when he had such a big supper only two hours ago, and he said
that there must have been two earthquakes, because a noise of some kind
had roused him from a little nap he had been taking in his chair, but
that the real earthquake hadn't happened until he got to the pantry
door, where he stumbled a little, which seemed to touch it off. He said
he hoped he'd never live to go through with a thing like that again.
Then the Hollow Tree People said they had heard both of the shocks, and
that the last one was a good deal the worst, and that of course such a
thing would sound a good deal louder in a cave anyway. And by-and-by,
when they were all through eating, they went in by the fire and sat down
and smoked, and Mr. Bear said he didn't feel as sleepy as he thought he
should because he was still upset a good deal by the shock, but that he
guessed he would just crawl into bed while they were there, as it seemed
nice to have company.
So he did, and by-and-by he dropped off to sleep again, and the Hollow
Tree People borrowed a few things, and went out softly and shut the door
behind them. They stopped at Mr. Rabbit's house on the way home, and
told him they had enjoyed a nice breakfast with Mr. Bear, and how Mr.
Bear had sent a partridge and a pie and a little pot of honey to Mr.
Rabbit because of his fondness for the family. Then Mr. Rabbit felt
quite pleased, because it was too early for spring vegetables and hard
to get good things for the table.
"And did Mr. Bear sleep all summer?" asks the Little Lady.
[Illustration: MR. RABBIT THANKED HIM FROM ACROSS THE RIVER]
No, he woke up again pretty soon, for he had finished his nap, and of
course the next time when he looked around he found his fire out and the
candle burned down and the clock stopped, so he got up and went outside,
and saw it was spring and that he had slept a good deal longer than
usual. But when he went to eat his spring breakfast he couldn't
understand why he wasn't very hungry, and thought it must be because
he'd eaten two such big suppers.
"But why didn't the Hollow Tree People tell him it was spring and not
let him go to bed again?"
Well, I s'pose they thought it wouldn't be very polite to tell Mr. Bear
how he'd been fooled, and, besides, he needed a nice nap again after the
earthquake--anyhow, he thought it was an earthquake, and was a good deal
upset.
And it was a long time before he found out what _had really_ happened,
and he never would have known, if Mr. Rabbit hadn't seen him fishing one
day and thanked him from across the river for the nice breakfast he had
sent him by the Hollow Tree People.
That set Mr. Bear to thinking, and he asked Mr. Rabbit a few questions
about things in general and earthquakes in particular, and the more he
found out and thought about it the more he began to guess just how it
was, and by-and-by when he did find out all about it, he didn't care any
more, and really thought it quite a good joke on himself for falling
asleep in his chair and sleeping there all winter long.