50 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



of all the joists ; and at last readied the summit, which 

 was one hundred and twenty feet high. He looked much 

 pleased when he had completed this operation, and the 

 workmen treated him with great civility. They were 

 going to lower him in a bucket, but to this he would not 

 consent, and descended as he had mounted ; being so 

 pleased with his prowess, that he repeated his visit. 



A Norwegian had tamed a bear so completely, that 

 he used to stand at the back of his master's sledge, where 

 he kept so good a balance, that it was impossible to 

 upset him: if the sledge went on one side, the bear 

 threw his weight in the opposite direction, and so kept 

 up the equilibrium. One day, however, his master, in 

 sport, drove over the worst ground he could find, 

 hoping to throw the bear off. This, however, only served 

 to irritate him ; and he vented his ill-humour by giving 

 his master a tremendous blow across the shoulders. 



A countryman in Russia, when seeking honey, climbed 

 a very high tree, the trunk of which was hollow ; and 

 finding there was a large quantity of comb in it, he de- 

 scended, and stuck fast in the tenacious substance there 

 deposited. He was so far distant from home, that his 

 voice could not be heard, and he remained two days in 

 this situation, relieving his hunger with the honey. He 

 began to despair of ever being extricated, when a bear, 

 who, like himself, came for the sake of the honey, slid 

 down the hollow, hind-part foremost. The man, in 

 spite of his alarm, seized hold of him ; and the bear, 

 also in a great fright, clambered out as fast as he could, 

 dragging the man up with him, and when clear of his 

 tail-bearer, made off as fast as possible. 



The drollest and most accomplished of all bears, was 

 the celebrated Martin, of Paris, \vhose dancing, climbing, 



