began to be afraid to go into that land. As for the beasts and birds,
they all feared him and kept as far away from him as they could.

"After a time a brave hunter with his son wandered into the kingdom of
the great bear to hunt. Day after day old Mah-to followed the man and
boy. But the hunter was cautious as well as, brave, and the old bear was
afraid of his sharp arrows and did not dare to attack him openly.

"When the snow began to fall, the hunter built a lodge and kindled a
fire. He cut down a great many trees and brought the wood close to the
door of the lodge.

"'Now,' said he, to his son, 'we must keep the fire going day and night.
Then we shall not freeze.'

"Old Mah-to, who was sneaking about the lodge, heard this and thought,
'I will watch and wait until they have gone away or are asleep, and then
I will put out the fire. Then they will have to go away or else freeze.'

"But the hunter was very careful. When he went out to hunt, he left the
boy in the lodge to keep the fire burning. The old bear was afraid of
the fire, which he thought was some kind of magic, and so he did not
dare to touch the boy. At night the hunter and the boy watched the fire
by turns, and so kept it burning brightly.

"The old bear watched for many days before his chance came. At last one
day when the hunter had gone away, the little boy fell asleep and
allowed the fire to burn low.

"'Now,' thought the old bear, 'now is my chance.' So he walked into the