Two of the little bears, Fatty (who was the one who had been sucking his
paws) and Dumpy, were delighted to have a new playmate, and they told
him he might come over and slide down their hill, but the third one,
Sprawley, scowled and grumbled. "Another one to be eating up our meat,"
he said. "Just as if there weren't enough of us without."

Still he went over with them to the icehill and they all began sliding
down.

After a while Sprawley said: "I know a great deal nicer hill than this
one. It's just a little farther on; come on and I'll show it to you."

"Oh," said Fatty, "but suppose we should see some ice-mermen?"

"Pooh!" said Sprawley, "I ain't afraid. It's a great deal nicer than
this. Come on."

So the three little bears and Teddy trotted on to another hill, and it
really was much longer and steeper than the other; it went down almost
to the edge of the sea.

They had slidden down it only a few times when Dumpy cried out: "Oh!
look! look! There are some ice-mermen and they are making faces at me."

There they were, sure enough, looking over the edge of the ice,--ugly
little gray things with mouths like fishes, and they were making faces,
and presently they began to sing,--

"Bear cubs! Bear cubs! Look at their toes;
Look at their ears and their hair and their nose.