22 AN ANECDOTE. 



The following anecdote evinces the hardi- 

 hood of the bears. Fish, which forms their 

 chief nourishment, and which they procure for 

 themselves from the rivers, was last year exces- 

 sively scarce. A great famine consequently ex- 

 isted among them, and instead of retiring to 

 their dens, they wandered about the whole 

 winter through, even in the streets of St. Peter 

 and St. Paul. One of them finding the outer 

 gate of a house open, entered, and the gate 

 accidentally closed after him. The woman of 

 the house had just placed a large tea-machine,* 

 full of boiling water, in the court, the bear 

 smelt to it and burned his nose ; provoked at 

 the pain, he vented all his fury upon the kettle, 

 folded his fore-paws round it, pressed it with 

 his whole strength against his breast to crush 

 it, and burnt himself, of course, still more and 

 more. The horrible growl which rage and 

 pain forced from him, brought all the inha- 

 bitants of the house and neighbourhood to the 



* A kind of ura in use throughout all Russia, called a 

 Samowar, or self-boiler. It generally stands in the middle 

 of the tea-table, and is furnished with a large kettle for wa- 

 ter, and a space filled with fire to keep it boiling. 



