380 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



" In winter, Avhen Bears den up, they often unknow- 

 ingl}^ set traps to catch themselves. Sometimes a Bear 

 prepares a cave home Avith a good bed, but more often 

 merel}^ hollows out a place under a bank or tree root to 

 curl up in. Snow comes, covering everything many feet 

 deep. Thawing and freezing makes a hard outside crust, 

 and the Bear's warm breath melts the snow inside until 

 it is turned into a thick ice cage that shuts him in. 

 Sometimes hunters see the steam rising from these caves 

 or break through them quite by accident, and Bruin 

 is cauglit." 



" Do they live in family holes, like Beavers ? " asked 

 Rap. 



"No, each Bear has its own den. The cubs are born 

 in these dens late in winter, and of all the feeble, miser- 

 able baby animals. Bear cubs are the most forlorn. They 

 are no larger than kittens, furless and blind, and they 

 do not open their eyes for a month or more, while their 

 mother is obliged to play that she is a sitting hen and 

 keep them warm under her fur until they are a couple 

 of months old. When five or six months old, however, 

 they become very clever, doing a hundred funny tricks. 

 Only two or three cubs are found in a den, and they are 

 usually two years old before any little brothers come to 

 dispute their rights. Cowardly as these animals are 

 generally, it is a very dangerous thing, Avhen walking on 

 snow-shoes, to break through into a she-Bear's den. If 

 possible, she won't let you go to tell tlie tale of where 

 you found her." 



" Are Bears good to eat ? " asked Rap. 



" It depends upon circumstances ; if they are 3'oung, 

 fat, and have lived upon clean food, nuts and berries — 



