Johnny Bear 



pleased ; so, after all, it was chiefly her fault, for 

 she should not have permitted such things. 



Johnny had only three good legs, his coat 

 was faded and mangy, his limbs were thin, and 

 his ears and paunch were disproportionately 

 large. Yet his mother thought the world of 

 him. She was evidently convinced that he was 

 a little beauty and the Prince of all Bears, so, of 

 course, she quite spoiled him. She was always 

 ready to get into trouble on his account, and he 

 was always delighted to lead her there. Al- 

 though such a wretched little failure, Johnny 

 was far from being a fool, for he usually knew 

 just what he wanted and how to get it, if teas- 

 ing his mother could ( arry the point. 



II 



It was in the summer of 1897 that I made 

 their acquaintance. I was in the Park to study 

 the home life of the animals, and had been told 

 that in the woods, near the Fountain Hotel, I 

 could see Bears at any time, which, of course, I 

 scarcely believed. But on stepping out of the 

 back door five minutes after arriving, I came 



M5 



