Beside the spring were a number of Little Bear's
old friends dressed in green satin coats, who were playing
leapfrog. They asked Little Bear to play with them,
and soon he was showing the frogs what long leaps he
could make. And then, in a little while, many baby
rabbits came and joined in the fun. The next that Little
Bear knew, he was chasing baby rabbits over the rocks
and catching nuts that the squirrels threw to him from
the tree tops and having a joyful playtime.

An hour passed quickly, and then Little Bear suddenly
remembered that he had started out to run a race.
Back he ran to the path and away he flew toward the
goal, while the baby rabbits laughed and danced and
danced and laughed. Father Bear had sent them to
play with Little Bear, but they did not know why he
had sent them until that minute.

[Illustration: Grandpa Tortoise had reached his goal]

Stepping along, stepping along, slowly but surely,
Grandpa Tortoise had reached the goal, just as he had in
the long-ago day when he ran the race with the hare.
Little Bear, as he came near the goal, heard the neighbors
shouting, "Hurrah for the champion! Hurrah
for the champion! Hurrah for Grandpa Tortoise!"
Even Father Bear was shouting.

Little Bear remembered his manners and, as his
father had told him what to do if he lost the race, straightway