Then he leaped up with a roar. As luck would have it, one
of the cubs had moved a paw over to Nils Holgersson's face and the poor
little wretch could not breathe, but began to sneeze. It was impossible
for Mother Bear to keep Father Bear back any longer. He pushed the young
ones to right and left and caught sight of the boy before he had time to
sit up.
He would have swallowed him instantly if Mother Bear had not cast
herself between them.
"Don't touch him! He belongs to the cubs," she said. "They have had
such fun with him the whole evening that they couldn't bear to eat him
up, but wanted to save him until morning."
Father Bear pushed Mother Bear aside.
"Don't meddle with what you don't understand!" he roared. "Can't you
scent that human odour about him from afar? I shall eat him at once, or
he will play us some mean trick."
He opened his jaws again; but meanwhile the boy had had time to think,
and, quick as a flash, he dug into his knapsack and brought forth some
matches--his sole weapon of defence--struck one on his leather breeches,
and stuck the burning match into the bear's open mouth.
Father Bear snorted when he smelled the sulphur, and with that the flame
went out. The boy was ready with another match, but, curiously enough,
Father Bear did not repeat his attack.
"Can you light many of those little blue roses?" asked Father Bear.
Pages:
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395