FABLES. 



347 



THE TRAVELLERS AXD THE BEAR. 



Two Men being to travel through a forest to- 

 gether, mutually engaged to stand by each other 

 in any danger they might encounter on the way. 

 They had not gone far, before a Bear rushed 

 towards them out of a thicket; upon which, one 

 of them, being a light nimble fellow, got up the 

 branches of a tree, and kept out of sight. The 

 other falling flat upon his face, and holding his 

 breath, lay still, while the Bear came up and 

 smelled at him, but not discovering any marks 

 of life, he walked quietly away again to the place 

 of his retreat, without doing the Man the least 

 harm. When all was over, the Spark who had 

 climbed the tree, came down to his Companion, 

 and asked him what the Bear said to him: for, 

 says he, I took notice that he clapt his mouth 

 very close to your ear. Why, said the other, he 



