Part 3 (2/2)

Old father badger was a great hunter. He knew well how to track the deer and buffalo. Every day he came home carrying on his back some wild game.

This kept mother badger very busy, and the baby badgers very chubby.

While the well-fed children played about, digging little make-believe dwellings, their mother hung thin sliced meats upon long willow racks.

As fast as the meats were dried and seasoned by sun and wind, she packed them carefully away in a large thick bag.

This bag was like a huge stiff envelope, but far more beautiful to see, for it was painted all over with many bright colors. These firmly tied bags of dried meat were laid upon the rocks in the walls of the dwelling. In this way they were both useful and decorative.

One day father badger did not go off for a hunt. He stayed at home, making new arrows. His children sat about him on the ground floor. Their small black eyes danced with delight as they watched the gay colors painted upon the arrows.

All of a sudden there was heard a heavy footfall near the entrance way.

The oval-shaped door-frame was pushed aside. In stepped a large black foot with great big claws. Then the other clumsy foot came next. All the while the baby badgers stared hard at the unexpected comer. After the second foot, in peeped the head of a big black bear! His black nose was dry and parched. Silently he entered the dwelling and sat down on the ground by the doorway. His black eyes never left the painted bags on the rocky walls. He guessed what was in them. He was a very hungry bear.

Seeing the racks of red meat hanging in the yard, he had come to visit the badger family.

Though he was a stranger and his strong paws and jaws frightened the small badgers, the father said, ”How, how, friend! Your lips and nose look feverish and hungry. Will you eat with us?”

”Yes, my friend,” said the bear. ”I am starved. I saw your racks of red fresh meat, and knowing your heart is kind, I came hither. Give me meat to eat, my friend.”

Hereupon the mother badger took long strides across the room, and as she had to pa.s.s in front of the strange visitor, she said: ”Ah han! Allow me to pa.s.s!” which was an apology.

”How, how!” replied the bear, drawing himself closer to the wall and crossing his s.h.i.+ns together.

Mother badger chose the most tender red meat, and soon over a bed of coals she broiled the venison.

That day the bear had all he could eat. At nightfall he rose, and smacking his lips together,--that is the noisy way of saying ”the food was very good!”--he left the badger dwelling. The baby badgers, peeping through the door-flap after the s.h.a.ggy bear, saw him disappear into the woods near by.

Day after day the crackling of twigs in the forest told of heavy footsteps. Out would come the same black bear. He never lifted the door-flap, but thrusting it aside entered slowly in. Always in the same place by the entrance way he sat down with crossed s.h.i.+ns.

His daily visits were so regular that mother badger placed a fur rug in his place. She did not wish a guest in her dwelling to sit upon the bare hard ground.

At last one time when the bear returned, his nose was bright and black.

His coat was glossy. He had grown fat upon the badger's hospitality.

As he entered the dwelling a pair of wicked gleams shot out of his s.h.a.ggy head. Surprised by the strange behavior of the guest who remained standing upon the rug, leaning his round back against the wall, father badger queried: ”How, my friend! What?”

The bear took one stride forward and shook his paw in the badger's face.

He said: ”I am strong, very strong!”

”Yes, yes, so you are,” replied the badger. From the farther end of the room mother badger muttered over her bead work: ”Yes, you grew strong from our well-filled bowls.”

The bear smiled, showing a row of large sharp teeth.

”I have no dwelling. I have no bags of dried meat. I have no arrows. All these I have found here on this spot,” said he, stamping his heavy foot.

”I want them! See! I am strong!” repeated he, lifting both his terrible paws.

Quietly the father badger spoke: ”I fed you. I called you friend, though you came here a stranger and a beggar. For the sake of my little ones leave us in peace.”

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