"From the deep soil at the bottom of the hole grew three big trees,
together with a certain amount of underbrush. Two of those were fir
trees, green and flourishing. The third was an old maple, with several
of its branches broken away. It was quite dead all down one side,
while on the other only a couple of branches put forth leaves. About a
small hole near the top of this dilapidated old tree Teddy Bear caught
sight of a lot of bees, coming and going. Then he knew where that
adorable smell came from. For though, as I think I have said, his
experience was extremely limited, his mother had managed to convey to
him an astonishing lot of useful and varied information.

"Teddy Bear had an idea that bees, in spite of their altogether
diminutive size, were capable of making themselves unpleasant, and also
that they had a temper which was liable to go off at half-cock.
Nevertheless, being a bear of great decision, he lost no time in
wondering what he had better do. The moment he had convinced himself
that the honey was up that tree, up that tree he went to get it."

"Oh!" cried the Babe, in tones of shuddering sympathy, as he felt at
his leg and his ear. "Oh! why _didn't_ he stop to think?"

Uncle Andy did not seem to consider that this remark called for any
reply. He ignored it. Stopping just at this critical point he
proceeded with exasperating deliberation to roll himself another fat
and clumsy cigarette. Then he applied fresh earth to both the Babe's
stings and his own. At last he went on.

"That tree must have been hollow a long way down, for almost as soon as
Teddy Bear's claws began to rattle on the bark the bees suspected
trouble and began to get excited. When he was not much more than