of the garbage-heap, Grumpy turned to her son and said something which,
judging from its effect, must have meant: "Johnny, my child, I think you
had better stay here while I go and chase those fellows away."

Johnny obediently waited; but he wanted to _see_, so he sat up on his
hind legs with eyes agog and ears acock.

Grumpy came striding along with dignity, uttering warning growls as she
approached the four Bears. They were too much engrossed to pay any heed
to the fact that yet another one of them was coming, till Grumpy, now
within fifteen feet, let out a succession of loud coughing sounds, and
charged into them. Strange to say, they did not pretend to face her,
but, as soon as they saw who it was, scattered and all fled for the
woods.

Slim Jim could safely trust his heels, and the other two were not far
behind; but poor Fatty, puffing hard and waddling like any other very
fat creature, got along but slowly, and, unluckily for him, he fled in
the direction of Johnny, so that Grumpy overtook him in a few bounds
and gave him a couple of sound slaps in the rear which, if they did not
accelerate his pace, at least made him bawl, and saved him by changing
his direction. Grumpy, now left alone in possession of the feast, turned
toward her son and uttered the whining _Er-r-r Er-r-r Er-r-r-r,_ Johnny
responded eagerly. He came "hoppity-hop" on his three good legs as fast
as he could, and, joining her on the garbage, they began to have such a
good time that Johnny actually ceased grumbling.

[Illustration]

He had evidently been there before now, for he seemed to know quite well