Part 17 (2/2)

”Maybe it's the pie lady,” said Curly.

”Yes, and maybe it's the bad black bear,” suggested Flop. ”I'm going to run into the bungalow!”

Well, he was just going to run, and Curly was going to follow, when, all at once, a sweet gentle voice said:

”Oh, dear, I'm sure I'll never find any! Oh, and I want it so much!

I wonder where I could get any?”

The two piggie boys looked, and there they saw an Indian maiden coming out of the bushes. They knew she was an Indian maiden because her hair was in two long braids, hanging down in front of her, and she had a brown dress on, and she was very beautiful, just like a picture.

”We needn't be afraid of her,” whispered Curly to his brother.

”No indeed,” agreed Flop. ”I wonder what it is she is looking for?”

”Jelly,” answered the Indian maiden, who heard what the piggie boy asked. ”I am looking for a jar of jelly. Oh, I just love jelly, and I haven't had any in so long that I forget how it tastes! Since early morning I have been traveling looking for jelly, but I can't find any. Some wild bees offered me honey, but I would like jelly.

Have you any?” and she looked at the bungalow,

”Why, I think we have some,” said Curly politely.

”I'll go look!” exclaimed Flop, for they were both anxious to do some kindness for the Indian maiden, whom they liked as soon as they saw her. She was not a wild Indian, you know, but the kind that lives in Montclair, maybe; a tame one.

So Flop ran in the bungalow to look for the jelly and Curly picked a nice bunch of flowers for the Indian maiden, and she put them in her hair and looked prettier than ever.

”Here is the jelly!” cried Flop, coming out with as much as he could carry. ”I'm sure Uncle Wiggily would want you to have it,” he said, and then he gave the Indian maiden a spoon and she began to eat jelly and was as happy as anything.

”Oh, that is very good!” she exclaimed. ”I hope some time I can do you piggie boys a favor for being so kind to me.” So she ate all the jelly up--that is, all that was good for her--and she was just going away, having thanked Curly and Flop, when all at once, on a sudden, out from behind a tree came the big black bear. He waved his paws in the air, and, wrinkling up his black nose, he growled out:

”Ha! I smell jelly! I'm going to have some, too, to eat on my roast pork!” and he looked hungrily at the two piggie boys. They were both too frightened to move, but the Indian maiden was brave.

”Come! Come! Give me that jelly!” growled and grumbled the bear!

”Then I'll take you piggie boys off to my den and make the Indian maiden cook you.”

”Oh, but I'll not do it!” said the Indian maiden whose name was Pocohontas. ”I like Curly and Flop, for they were kind to me and gave me jelly.”

”Well, then, I want jelly, too!” growled the bear. He made a jump, intending to take the jelly away from the Indian maiden, but Curly and Flop cried out:

”No, you don't! Get away from here at once, you bad bear.”

”Well, if I go, I'll take you with me!” said the bear. ”If I can't have jelly I'll have you piggie boys!” and he caught one of them under each paw.

”Oh, help!” cried Curly, trying to get loose, but he could not.

”Save us! Save us!” begged Flop, making his tail spin like a pinwheel.

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