“Oh, it’s a bear!” cried Alice. “I’m afraid!”
“Don’t be afraid,” said Bob. “It’s only a tame, trained bear.”
Don and Rex both barked at the bear, but, to their surprise, the bear spoke to them in animal language.
“Don’t be afraid,” the bear said, kindly. “I won’t hurt any one. I’m only going to do some tricks.” And when the men spoke to him, he turned somersaults, marched around like a soldier, with a wooden gun, and climbed a telegraph pole.
“Isn’t that a pretty good trick?” asked the bear.
“It certainly is,” said Don. “I can do some tricks, but I can’t climb telegraph poles.”
“Oh, I can do other things, too,” said the bear. “I have lots of fun going about the country with my masters.”
And, in another book, to be called “Dido, the Dancing Bear,” I shall tell you what happened to the big, shaggy creature.
Soon the automobile tire was mended, and away went Bob and Alice again, with Don and Rex, leaving Dido, the bear, sitting on the grass with the two men, eating a bun.
A little later Don was back on the farm again, and every one was glad to see him after all his adventures. And, as soon as he could, Don ran out to see Squinty, the comical pig.
“Where in the world have you been, Don?” asked Squinty.
“Oh, pretty nearly all over,” answered Don. “Has anything happened here since I’ve been gone?”
“Oh, I was bought by a boy, and I ran away, and I went up in a balloon, and I had many adventures,” said Squinty. “But I was glad to get back to the farm again.”
“So am I,” said Don. And then he went to look for a juicy bone. And so we will say good-by to Don, the runaway dog.
In all nursery literature animals have played a conspicuous part; and the reason is obvious, for nothing entertains a child more than the antics of an animal. These stories abound in amusing incidents such as children adore, and the characters are so full of life, so appealing to a child’s imagination, that none will be satisfied until they have met all of their favorites――Squinty, Slicko, Mappo, and the rest.
1 Squinty, the Comical Pig. 2 Slicko, the Jumping Squirrel. 3 Mappo, the Merry Monkey. 4 Tum Tum, the Jolly Elephant. 5 Don, a Runaway Dog. 6 Dido, the Dancing Bear. 7 Blackie, a Lost Cat. 8 Flop Ear, the Funny Rabbit. 9 Tinkle, the Trick Pony. 10 Lightfoot, the Leaping Goat. 11 Chunky, the Happy Hippo. 12 Sharp Eyes, the Silver Fox. 13 Nero, the Circus Lion. 14 Tamba, the Tame Tiger. 15 Toto, the Rustling Beaver. 16 Shaggo, the Mighty Buffalo. 17 Winky, the Wily Woodchuck.