laughing. "While you coax," he said, "I shall go for a
walk."

Coaxing did not do any good. When Little Bear saw
his father wander away, he told his mother that he
did not feel like going into the water that morning. He
hoped she would please excuse him. And so she excused
him.

Soon Father Bear came back, smiling and happy. "I
have found a bridge," said he. "An old log has fallen
across the river a little way upstream, where, on the other
side, blackberries are almost as big as ducks' eggs.
Little Bear can walk across on the log."

"All right, I'll do it," promised Little Bear, and gladly
followed his father until the Three Bears reached the
bridge.

[Illustration: In a little while he bobbed up]

But while Little Bear was skipping joyfully over the
log, trying to reach the opposite bank before his father
and mother could swim across, the log turned over and
sent Little Bear head first into the river. Fortunately,
he knew enough to keep his mouth shut, and in a little
while he bobbed up, shaking his head to get the water
out of his eyes and his ears and paddling like a duck.
That was all there was to it, because, ever after, Little
Bear could swim.