Part 6 (1/2)

He tried to shake it off and couldn't He tried to pull it off, but soet hold of it Then there was another yell If Buster hadn't been so frightened hinized that second yell as one of fright, for that is what it was You see Farmer Brown's boy had just discovered Buster Bear When he had yelled the first ti cattle who live in the Old Pasture all suhtened as Buster hihtened even to run After that second yell he just stood still and stared

Buster clawed at that awful thing on his head more frantically than ever Suddenly it slipped off, so that he could see He gave one frightened look at Farhty ”Woof!” he started for the Green Forest as fast as his legs could take him, and this was very fast indeed, let me tell you He didn't stop to pick out a path, but just crashed through the bushes as if they were nothing at all, just nothing at all But the funniest thing of all is this--he took that pail with hi tin pail of Farmer Brown's boy! You see when it slipped off his head, the handle was still around his neck, and there he was running aith a pail hanging fro to get rid of it But he took it because he couldn't help it And that brings us back to the question, did Buster steal Farmer Brown's boy's pail? What do you think?

XXI

SAMMY JAY MAKES THINGS WORSE FOR BUSTER BEAR

”Thief, thief, thief! Thief, thief, thief!” Sas, as he followed Buster Bear across the Old Pasture towards the Green Forest Never had he screamed so loud, and never had his voice sounded so excited The little people of the Green Forest, the Green Meadows, and the S Sammy cry thief that usually they think very little about it But every blessed one who heard Sa and pricked up his ears to listen

Sa along the edge of the Old Pasture, and the minute he heard Sammy's voice, he turned and flew over to see what it was all about Just as soon as he caught sight of Buster Bear running for the Green Forest as hard as ever he could, he understood what had excited Saot to keep his wingsBuster Bear had what looked to Blacky veryfros fiercely and started after Sae of the Green Forest, Buster Bear running as hard as ever he could, Sa, ”Thief, thief, thief!” at the top of his lungs, and behind hi as loud as he could, ”Ca! Come on, everybody! Coh to be frightened almost to death as he had been up in the Old Pasture when the pail had caught over his head just as Farmer Brown's boy had yelled at him Then to have the handle of the pail slip down around his neck so that he couldn't get rid of the pail but had to take it with hi a bad hbors of the Green Forest see him in such a fix and make fun of him, was more than he could stand He felt hu shamed Yes, Sir, Buster felt that he was sha so et away by hiet rid of that dreadful pail But Buster is so big that it is not easy for hi place So, when he reached the Green Forest, he kept right on to the deepest, darkest, most lonesome part and crept under the thickest hemlock-tree he could find

But it was of no use The sharp eyes of Sammy Jay and Blacky the Cro him They actually flew into the very tree under which he was hiding, and how they did screa down out of the blue, blue sky and took a seat on a convenient dead tree, where he could see all that went on Ol' Mistah Buzzard began to grin as soon as he saw that tin pail on Buster's neck Then cabird, Redwing the Blackbird, Drummer the Woodpecker, Welcome Robin, Tommy tit the Chickadee, Jenny Wren, Redeye the Vireo, and ever so many more They came from the Old Orchard, the Green Meadows, and even down by the S Pool, for the voices of Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow carried far, and at the sound of theoing on

Presently Buster heard light footsteps, and peeping out, he saw Billy Mink and Peter Rabbit and Jumper the Hare and prickly Porky and Reddy Fox and Jimmy Skunk Even timid little Whitefoot the Wood Mouse here he could peer out and see without being seen Of course, Chatterer the Red Squirrel and Happy Jack the Gray Squirrel were there There they all sat in a great circle around him, each where he felt safe, but where he could see, and every one of the fun of Buster

”Thief, thief, thief!” screamed Sammy until his throat was sore The worst of it was Buster knew that everybody knew that it was true That awful pail was proof of it

”I wish I never had thought of berries,” growled Buster to himself

XXII

BUSTER BEAR HAS A FIT OF TEMPER

A teets away

There's nothing quite at all like it To spoil a pleasant day

Buster Bear was in a terrible te the worst fit of temper ever seen in the Green Forest And the worst part of it all was that all his neighbors of the Green Forest and a whole lot fro Pool were also there to see it It is bad enough to give way to temper when you are all alone, and there is no one to watch you, but when you let teht where others see you, oh, dear, dear, it certainly is a sorry sight

Now ordinarily Buster is one of the reat deal to rouse his temper He isn't one tenth so quick tempered as Chatterer the Red Squirrel, or Saets away from him, then watch out! It seemed to Buster that he had had all that he could stand that day and a little ht back there in the Old Pasture Then the pail had slipped down behind his ears and held fast, so he had run all the way to the Green Forest with it hanging about his neck This was bad enough, for he knew just how funny he must look, and besides, it was very unco to come and see him was more than he could stand It seemed to Buster as if everybody who lives in the Green Forest, on the Green Meadows, or around the S andBear could stand

With a roar of anger Buster Bear charged out of his hiding place He rushed this way and that way! He roared with all his ht! He was very terrible to see Those who could fly, flew Those who could climb, climbed And those ere swift of foot, ran A feho could neither fly nor cli for fear that Buster would find them In less time than it takes to tell about it, Buster was alone At least, he couldn't see any one

[Illustration: Those who could fly, flew Those who could clie 112_]

Then he vented his temper on the tin pail He cuffed at it and pulled at it, all the tirily He lay down and clawed at it with his hind feet At last the handle broke, and he was free! He shook himself

Then he ju paw he sent it clattering against a tree He tried to bite it Then he onceit this way and that way, until it was pounded flat, and no one would ever have guessed that it had once been a pail