Speaking of Bears * * * * * 35 



"fooled" or provoked is a dangerous animal, and we have trembled to 

 think what they might do if some foolish tourist attempted to tease 

 them. 



The black bears are the bears that most people know. In spite of the 

 popular belief to the contrary, there is no species known as the brown 

 bear. Black bears may be either blonds or brunettes, just as are humans. 

 The blonds of the bear family are brown, or cinnamon. There are 

 various color phases ranging from light brown or tan to the deep black. 



The black bears are the clowns of the forest. They are full of tricks 

 and their antics never fail to give the Dudes and Sagebrushers a thrill. 

 After all, a bear does seem terribly human, and when he sits on his 

 haunches, his fore paws spread out before him, his head up like that of 

 a human, he almost invites you to talk to him. As a matter of fact, most 

 people do talk to the bears, just as though the animals could understand, 

 and the things that are said by the Dudes and Sagebrushers are as funny 

 to us as the bears must be to them. 



"Come on, Mr. Bear, get some candy. That's right. Come on, right 

 over here, so we can take your picture. There it is. Here's another 

 piece ! Attaboy, nice bear ! Here's some more. No, don't come so close. 

 Stay over there, in the sun, where we can take your picture. Attaboy. 

 No, go on away, that's all the candy I have. G'wan away. That's all. 

 I tell you that's all there is !" 



The bears have heard that particular line of thought so frequently 

 that they must know it by heart. The funny part of it is that no matter 

 how much the Dude denies he has more candy, the bear knows for sure 

 whether or not Mr. Dude is telling the truth. A bear has a marvelous 

 nose. His nose knows, and no fooling. If 

 the Dudes only realized this, they wouldn't 

 try to lie to the bears about having no 

 more candy. 



It is this nose for candy, or nose for 

 bacon almost equally tempting to a bear 

 or the nose for ham, another great weak 

 ness with bruin, that leads the bears of the 

 national parks to break into motor cars 

 searching for food. They know when food 

 is left in a car. We warn Sagebrushers to 

 remove all food from their cars at night, 

 but occasionally the warning is forgotten or ignored, and then we re 

 ceive a complaint that a fine car has been scratched up or the window 

 smashed by a hungry bear. Out in Yosemite National Park the Sage 

 brushers have been talking of taking out bear insurance to cover this 

 form of damage to cars. 



