By and by Father Bear came clambering down the mountain wall. The boy
was wakened by his tearing away stone and gravel as he swung himself
into the old mine. The boy was afraid to move much; but he managed to
stretch himself and turn over, so that he could see the big bear. He was
a frightfully coarse, huge old beast, with great paws, large, glistening
tusks, and wicked little eyes! The boy could not help shuddering as he
looked at this old monarch of the forest.
"It smells like a human being around here," said Father Bear the instant
he came up to Mother Bear, and his growl was as the rolling of thunder.
"How can you imagine anything so absurd?" said Mother Bear without
disturbing herself. "It has been settled for good and all that we are
not to harm mankind any more; but if one of them were to put in an
appearance here, where the cubs and I have our quarters, there wouldn't
be enough left of him for you to catch even a scent of him!"
Father Bear lay down beside Mother Bear. "You ought to know me well
enough to understand that I don't allow anything dangerous to come near
the cubs. Talk, instead, of what you have been doing. I haven't seen you
for a whole week!"
"I've been looking about for a new residence," said Father Bear. "First
I went over to Vermland, to learn from our kinsmen at Ekshaerad how they
fared in that country; but I had my trouble for nothing.
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