COURAGEOUS BOYS. 291 



neighbouring bush, and offered it to the beast, which bit 

 it in two, allowing the child to retain the one half! 



"The woman who had the care of the children, on 

 returning to the Shealing, saw with her own eyes the bears 

 as they were retreating into the forest ; and when informed 

 of the danger to which her charge had been exposed, she was 

 horrified beyond expression.'' 



From the force of example, and from the hardy life they 

 lead, mere children in the northern forests often display a 

 hardihood and presence of mind little to be expected at their 

 tender years. 



" Two boys, cousins, one of ten, the other twelve years 

 of age," so we read in a Swedish journal, of the 13th of 

 November, 1851, "were, on the 1st of last October, tending 

 their parents' cows and sheep, on the outskirts of the forest, 

 in the parish of Evje and Robygdelag, in Norway. Towards 

 evening a she-bear, followed by two cubs, suddenly rushed 

 towards the herd. ' The bear is here !' exclaimed the elder 

 of the lads to the younger, who was at some little distance, 

 'pass opp ! pass opp /' that is, look out! look out! At 

 this time the beast was in the act of chasing one of the 

 sheep ; and though the boy was only provided with a stick, 

 he instantly ran to the rescue, and held up his frail weapon 

 in a menacing way towards the bear. But the odds were 

 too unequal ; for on his near approach, she rose on her hind 

 legs, and laid the gallant little fellow prostrate. 



" The younger boy, on hearing the cries of the elder, made 

 forthwith to the spot, where he found the bear lying over 

 his cousin, and not only distinctly heard a craunching sort 

 of noise, but saw the fangs of the beast in contact with his 

 head. In that part of the country, even the smallest lad 



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