head and make her cry. Then his father or his mother would cuff _him_.
Somehow, he never could learn not to strike out when he became angry.
That was why he was called Cuffy. It happened sometimes that a day or
two would pass without Cuffy's cuffing his sister. And Mr. Bear and Mrs.
Bear would begin to think that at last Cuffy had been cured of his bad
habit.

"I do believe the child is growing better mannered," Mrs. Bear would say
to her husband, as they watched their son and daughter playing upon the
floor. And then just as likely as not, the first thing they knew Cuffy
would give Silkie a good, hard box on the ear, or a slap right on the
end of her nose.

But for a long time every winter Cuffy was never naughty. You might
think that that was just before Christmas. But no--it was not then. All
winter long Cuffy was just as good as any little bear could be. He was
good because he was asleep! You see--when cold weather came, Mr. and
Mrs. Bear and their children stayed in their cozy house, which was snug
and warm, and slept and slept and slept for weeks and weeks until spring
came.

Now, this tale begins on the very first day of spring. And on that day
Mr. Bear waked up. He rose slowly to his feet, for his bones felt stiff
because he had been asleep for such a long time. And he was hungry--oh!
very hungry, because he had not eaten anything for months and months,
since he went to sleep at the beginning of winter.

He went to the door of his house and looked out. And he saw that the
weather was warm and fine. So he stepped back into the bedroom and
said--