[Illustration: _Between times Little Bear asked questions_ ]

LITTLE BEAR
AT WORK AND AT PLAY

WHEN LITTLE BEAR BRAGGED

One rainy day the three bears were sitting by the fire
in their comfortable house in the woods, telling stories.
First Father Bear would tell a story, and then Mother
Bear would tell a story, and then Father Bear would
have a turn again. Between times Little Bear asked
questions.

The three were happy and merry until Mother Bear
told the old story about the race between the hare and
the tortoise, and how the slow-going tortoise was the
first to reach the goal because the hare took a nap and
did not wake up until after the tortoise had passed him
and had won the race.

"You see," Mother Bear explained, "the hare was so
sure he could win that he did not even try to reach the
goal quickly. He was so swift-footed that he thought
he could go to sleep if he chose and still come out ahead
of the patient tortoise."

"Wasn't he silly!" exclaimed Little Bear. "If I were
going to run a race with Grandpa Tortoise, I should go