But each one does just as he likes, in his easy way; so on this
particular evening little Stripes had strolled off by himself over the
dewy hillocks, catching fat crickets in the dim twilight, and hoping
every minute that he might find a ground sparrow's nest under some
bush."
"Did he rob birds' nests?" asked the Babe, remembering that this, for
boys, was one of the deadly sins.
"He certainly did!" said Uncle Andy, who didn't like to be interrupted.
"That is, when he had a chance. Well, as luck would have it, a young
bear was out nosing around the hillocks that evening, amusing himself
with the fat crickets. He wasn't very hungry, being chock full of the
first blueberries.
"He would sit back on his haunches, like a tremendous, overgrown black
puppy, with his head tilted to one side, his ears cocked shrewdly, and
a twinkle in his little dark eyes; and with one furry forepaw he would
pat a thick bunch of grass till the frightened crickets came scurrying
out to see what was the matter. Then he would almost fall over himself
trying to scoop them all up at once--and while he was chewing those
he'd caught he'd look as disappointed as anything over those that got
away.
"Well, when he got tired of crickets he thought he'd look for a bird's
nest.
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