Latest / Three Little Kittens Who Lost Their Mittens / Adventures of a Bear, and a Great Bear Too-Alfred Elwes

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Adventures of a Bear, and a Great Bear Too-Alfred Elwes · Three Little Kittens Who Lost Their Mittens

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of the Adventures of a Bear and a
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  Speaker 1: Great Bear Too. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
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  Speaker 1: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read by Marie
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  Speaker 1: Christian The Adventures of a Bear and a Great Bear
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  Speaker 1: Too by Alfred Elwis, Chapter one. At home. Yes, it
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  Speaker 1: is an at home to which I am going to
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  Speaker 1: introduce you. But not the at home that many of you,
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  Speaker 1: I hope all of you have learnt to love. But
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  Speaker 1: the at home of a bear. No carpeted rooms, no
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  Speaker 1: warm curtains, no glowing fireside, no pictures, no sofas, no tables,
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  Speaker 1: no chairs, no music, no books, no agreeable cozy chat,
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  Speaker 1: no anything half so pleasant, but soft moss or snow,
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  Speaker 1: spreading trees, skies with ever changing tinted clouds, some fun,
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  Speaker 1: some rough romps, a good deal of growling, and now
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  Speaker 1: and then a fight. With these points of difference, you
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  Speaker 1: may believe the at home of a bear is not
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  Speaker 1: quite so agreeable a matter as the at home of
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  Speaker 1: a young gentleman or lady. Yet I have no doubt
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  Speaker 1: Master Bruin is much more at his ease in it
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  Speaker 1: than he would find himself if he were compelled to
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  Speaker 1: conform to the usages of human society and behave as
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  Speaker 1: a gentleman ought to do. But there is a quality
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  Speaker 1: that is quite as necessary to adorn one home as
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  Speaker 1: the other, without which the most delightful mansion and the
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  Speaker 1: warmest cavern can never be happy, and with which the
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  Speaker 1: simplest cottage and the meanest den may be truly blessed.
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  Speaker 1: And that one quality is good temper. Of what a
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  Speaker 1: veil our comforts or even luxuries when there is no
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  Speaker 1: seasoning of good temper to enjoy them with, How many
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  Speaker 1: deficiencies can there not be overlooked when good temper is
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  Speaker 1: present to cover them with a veil. Perhaps you have
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  Speaker 1: not yet learned what a valuable treasure this good temper is.
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  Speaker 1: When you have read the history of my bear, you
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  Speaker 1: will be better able to form an opinion. I cannot
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  Speaker 1: tell you when this bear was born, nor am I
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  Speaker 1: quite sure where bears are born in so many parts
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  Speaker 1: of the world now that it becomes very difficult to
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  Speaker 1: determine what country heard their first growl, And they never
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  Speaker 1: think to preserve a memorandum of the circumstance. Let it
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  Speaker 1: suffice that our bear was born, that he had a
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  Speaker 1: Mamma and Papa, and some brothers and sisters, That he
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  Speaker 1: lived in a cavern surrounded by trees and bushes, That
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  Speaker 1: he was always a big lump of a bear, invariably
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  Speaker 1: wore a brown coat, and was often out of temper,
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  Speaker 1: or rather was always in temper. Only that temper was
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  Speaker 1: a very bad one. No doubt his parents would have
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  Speaker 1: been very willing to cure this terrible defect if they
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  Speaker 1: had known how, But the fact is they seemed always
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  Speaker 1: too much absorbed in their own thoughts to attend much
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  Speaker 1: to their family. Old mister Bruin would sit in his
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  Speaker 1: corner by the hour together sucking his paw, and his partner,
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  Speaker 1: Missus Bruin, would sit in her corner sucking her paw,
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  Speaker 1: whilst the little ones or big ones, for they were
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  Speaker 1: growing up fast, would make themselves into balls and roll
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  Speaker 1: about the ground, or bite one another's ears by way
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  Speaker 1: of a joke, or climb up the neighboring trees to
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  Speaker 1: admire the prospect, and then slip down again to the
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  Speaker 1: imminent destruction of their clothes. Not that a rent or
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  Speaker 1: two would have grieved their mother very much, for she
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  Speaker 1: was a great deal too old and too ignorant besides
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  Speaker 1: to think of mending them. When all these sports, Master
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  Speaker 1: Bruin the eldest was ever the foremost. But as certain
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  Speaker 1: as he joined in the romps, so surely were uproar
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  Speaker 1: and fighting. The consequence. The reason was clear enough. His
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  Speaker 1: temper was so disagreeable that although he was quite ready
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  Speaker 1: to play off his jokes on others, he could never
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  Speaker 1: bear to receive them in return. And being besides very
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  Speaker 1: fierce and strong, he came at length to be considered
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  Speaker 1: as the most unbearable bear that the forest had known
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  Speaker 1: for many generations, and in his own family was looked
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  Speaker 1: on as quite a bugbear. Now, I privately think that
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  Speaker 1: if a good oaken stick had been applied to his
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  Speaker 1: shoulders or any other sensitive part of his body whenever
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  Speaker 1: he displayed these fits of spleen, the exercise would have
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  Speaker 1: had a very beneficial effect on his disposition. But his father,
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  Speaker 1: on such occasions only uttered his opinion in so low
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  Speaker 1: a growl that it was impossib to make out what
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  Speaker 1: he said, and then sucked his paw more vigorously than ever.
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  Speaker 1: And his mother was much too tender hearted to think
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  Speaker 1: of mending his manners in so rude a way. So
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  Speaker 1: Master Bruin grew apace, until his brothers and sisters were
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  Speaker 1: wicked enough to wish he might some day go out
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  Speaker 1: for a walk and forget to come home again, or
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  Speaker 1: that he might be persuaded by a kind friend to
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  Speaker 1: emigrate without going through the ceremony of taking leave of
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  Speaker 1: his family. It began to be conjectured that some such
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  Speaker 1: event had occurred, when for three whole days he never
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  Speaker 1: made his appearance. The respectable family of the Bruins were puzzled,
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  Speaker 1: but calm, notwithstanding at this unusual absence. It evidently made
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  Speaker 1: them thoughtful, though it was impossible to guess what they
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  Speaker 1: thought about. If one could form an idea from the
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  Speaker 1: attitudes of the different members, each of whom sat in
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  Speaker 1: a corner, sucking his right paw and his left paw alternately.
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  Speaker 1: It was a family habit, you must know, I should say.
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  Speaker 1: Their thoughts were too deep for expression. But before their
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  Speaker 1: meditations were converted from uncertainty into mourning, the object of
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  Speaker 1: them made his appearance at the entrance of the cavern,
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  Speaker 1: with his coat torn, limping in his gait, and with
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  Speaker 1: an ugly wound in his head, looking all together as
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  Speaker 1: disconsolate a brute as you can well conceive, he did
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  Speaker 1: not condescend to say where he had been, nor what
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  Speaker 1: he had been doing. Perhaps no one made the inquiry,
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  Speaker 1: but it was very evident he had been doing no
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  Speaker 1: good and had got his reward accordingly. If, however, this
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  Speaker 1: great bear's ill temper was remarkable, before judge what it
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  Speaker 1: must have been with such a sore head. The experience
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  Speaker 1: of mankind has led to the opinion that there are
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  Speaker 1: few more disagreeable beings in creation than ill nurtured bears,
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  Speaker 1: Bears that have been ill licked. Those great fear is sullen,
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  Speaker 1: cross grained, and ill tempered beasts that are unhappily to
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  Speaker 1: be found in every part of this various world. But
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  Speaker 1: when all these unhandsome qualities are found in one individual
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  Speaker 1: of the species, and that one happens to have a
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  Speaker 1: sore head into the bargain, it is easy to believe
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  Speaker 1: the at home, which he honors or dishonors with his presence,
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  Speaker 1: can neither be very quiet nor particularly comfortable. Habit makes
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  Speaker 1: many things supportable which at first would seem beyond our
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  Speaker 1: powers of endurance. Mister and Missus b and indeed all
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  Speaker 1: the other bees, male and female, had got so used
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  Speaker 1: to the tyranny of this ill tempered animal that they
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  Speaker 1: put up with his moroseness almost without a growl. But
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  Speaker 1: there is a limit to sufferance beyond which neither men
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  Speaker 1: nor bears can travel, and that boundary was at last
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  Speaker 1: attained with the bees at As what I am now
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  Speaker 1: about to relate is, however, rather an important fact in
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  Speaker 1: my biography, I must inform you how the matter occurred,
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  Speaker 1: and what were the circumstances which led to it. You
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  Speaker 1: are perhaps aware that bears, being of rather an indolent disposition,
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  Speaker 1: are not accustomed to hoard up a store of provision
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  Speaker 1: for their wants in the winter, but prefer in their
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  Speaker 1: own country at least sleeping through the short, dreary days
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  Speaker 1: and long bitter nights, and thus avoid the necessity of
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  Speaker 1: taking food for some weeks, although they grow very thin
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  Speaker 1: during their lengthened slumbers. I forget what this time is
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  Speaker 1: called in bear's language, but we give it the name
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  Speaker 1: of hibernation. Now it happened that Missus Bruin had taken
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  Speaker 1: it into her head to lay by this winter a
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  Speaker 1: nice little stock which she very carefully buried at a
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  Speaker 1: short distance from the mouth of the cavern, when she
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  Speaker 1: felt the usual drowsiness of the season coming on, and
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  Speaker 1: having covered the spot with a heap of dead leaves
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  Speaker 1: that she might know it again when she woke up,
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  Speaker 1: she crawled into bed, and, turning her back to her
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  Speaker 1: old partner, who was already in a comfortable state of forgetfulness,
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  Speaker 1: went fast asleep. The whole family rather overslept themselves, for
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  Speaker 1: the sun was quite brilliant when they awoke, and it
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  Speaker 1: was very evident that they had been dozing away for
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  Speaker 1: some months. The ill tempered bear was the first, on
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  Speaker 1: his legs, and kicking his two nearest brothers as he
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  Speaker 1: got up, just to hint to them that he was
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  Speaker 1: awake again. He opened his mouth to its whole extent,
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  Speaker 1: and a very great extent it was, too, and stretching
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  Speaker 1: his limbs one after another, and giving himself a hearty shake.
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  Speaker 1: Instead of washing, shaving, and combing, he scuffled to the
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  Speaker 1: entrance of the cavern and sniffed at the fresh air.
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  Speaker 1: He sniffed and sniffed, and the more he sniffed, the
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  Speaker 1: more certainly did his nose whisper that there was something
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  Speaker 1: else besides fresh air which he was inhaling. The smell
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  Speaker 1: of the fresh air, too, or the something else, caused
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  Speaker 1: him a tremendous appetite, which was every moment becoming greater.
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  Speaker 1: And then it entered his bearish brain that where there
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  Speaker 1: was a smell, there must be something to occasion it. Whereupon,
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  Speaker 1: following that great nose of his, and he could not
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  Speaker 1: have had a better guide, he scuffled out of the
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  Speaker 1: cavern and down the path till he reached a little
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  Speaker 1: mound of earth and leaves, where the odor being strongest,
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  Speaker 1: he squatted down. With his great pause, He soon demolished
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  Speaker 1: the entrance to his mama's larder, and lost no time
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  Speaker 1: in pulling out some of the dainties it contained, which,
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  Speaker 1: without more ado, he set about devouring. Meanwhile, his brothers,
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  Speaker 1: who had been aroused by the affectionate conduct of the eldest,
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  Speaker 1: were by this time also wide awake, and had quite
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  Speaker 1: as good appetites as Bruin himself. And though on ordinary
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  Speaker 1: occasions they stood in great awe of that most ill
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  Speaker 1: tempered brute, it must be admitted that this was an
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  Speaker 1: extraordinary occasion, and they acted accordingly, just fancy being months
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  Speaker 1: without anything to eat, and having appetites feierce enough to
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  Speaker 1: devour one another. So they rushed to the spot where
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  Speaker 1: Bruin was making so excellent a meal, and without any
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  Speaker 1: other apology than a short grunt or two, they seized
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  Speaker 1: upon some of the hidden treasures, and with little ceremony,
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  Speaker 1: crammed them into their hungry jaws. Bruin was thunderstruck. Never
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  Speaker 1: before had they ever presumed to dip their paws into
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  Speaker 1: his dish, and now they were actually before his face,
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  Speaker 1: converting the most delicate morsels to their own use, and
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  Speaker 1: as it were, taking the food out of his very mouth.
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  Speaker 1: After an internal struggle of a few seconds, during which
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  Speaker 1: it seemed doubtful whether his emotions or his greediness in
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  Speaker 1: filling his jaw so full would choke him, he uttered
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  Speaker 1: a savage growl, and with one stroke of his huge paw,
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  Speaker 1: felled his younger brother to the ground. Then, turning to
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  Speaker 1: the second, he flew at him like a fury, and
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  Speaker 1: seemed resolved to make him share a similar fate. But
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  Speaker 1: the other, who was not wanting in courage, and who
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  Speaker 1: was strengthened by the idea that there was something still
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  Speaker 1: in the larder worth fighting for, and which he would
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  Speaker 1: certainly lose if he ran away. Warded off his blows,
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  Speaker 1: and by careful management, now dodging, now striking, kept his
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  Speaker 1: brother at bay, and avoided coming to such close quarters
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  Speaker 1: as to subject himself to Bruin's hug, for he knew
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  Speaker 1: if he once felt that embrace, there was not much
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  Speaker 1: chance of his having any appetite left with which to
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  Speaker 1: complete his half finished breakfast. The noise of the combat had, now, however,
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  Speaker 1: roused the family. Missus b was the first to make
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  Speaker 1: her appearance, and she was soon followed by the rest.
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  Speaker 1: Explanations ensued. Although the facts of the case were sufficiently clear,
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  Speaker 1: and Bruin's character was well known, Old Ursus Major drew
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  Speaker 1: himself up, and, for once in his life, assumed a
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  Speaker 1: dignified demeanor. The ill tempered bear stood abashed before his parents,
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  Speaker 1: although he moved his head to and fro in an
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  Speaker 1: obstinate manner, as though rejecting all interference. It is a
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  Speaker 1: pity I cannot relate to you what was said upon
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  Speaker 1: this occasion, for Old Bruin is reported to have made
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  Speaker 1: a very eloquent discourse on the horrible effects of ill
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  Speaker 1: temper and greediness, and good advice is worth having, whether
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  Speaker 1: uttered by a bear or any other animal. Suffice it that,
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  Speaker 1: after lecturing his son on the enormity of his offenses,
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  Speaker 1: which probably he was himself partly the cause of through
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  Speaker 1: not punishing many of his previous errors, he bid him
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  Speaker 1: quit forever his paternal roof and seek his fortune elsewhere,
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  Speaker 1: cautioning him at the same time that if he ever
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  Speaker 1: expected to get through the world with credit to his
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  Speaker 1: name and even comfort to his person, he must be honest,
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  Speaker 1: good tempered, and forbearing. Brewin took this advice in most
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  Speaker 1: ungracious part, and without exchanging a word with any of
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  Speaker 1: the family, although it was evident his poor old mother
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  Speaker 1: longed to hug him in her arms. He growled out
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  Speaker 1: some unintelligible words, and set forth upon his travels. End
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  Speaker 1: of chapter one chapter two of The Adventures of a
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  Speaker 1: Bear and a Great Bear Too. This is a LibriVox recording.
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: by Marie Christian The Ventures of a Bear and a
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  Speaker 1: Great Bear Too by Alfred Elwis, Chapter two upon his travels.
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  Speaker 1: There is no denying that when Bruin had got clear
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  Speaker 1: of the old familiar path and lost sight of the
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  Speaker 1: dwelling where he had hitherto spent his days, he felt
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  Speaker 1: most particularly uncomfortable, And if he had had the power
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  Speaker 1: of recalling the past, he would, in his present state
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  Speaker 1: of feeling no doubt, have done so. For the first
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  Speaker 1: time in his life, the sense of his ill temper
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  Speaker 1: struck him in all its ugliness, and as he sat
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  Speaker 1: down on a huge tree which was lying across his road,
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  Speaker 1: he looked such a picture of disconsolateness that it was
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  Speaker 1: evident he would have felt great relief if he could
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  Speaker 1: have shed some tears. Alas, how much does Bruin's condition
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  Speaker 1: remind us of little scenes among ourselves. We give way
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  Speaker 1: to our bad tempers and our selfishness. We make ourselves
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  Speaker 1: disagreeable and our friends on happy. We quarrel if we
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  Speaker 1: do not actually fight, And when we meet the reward
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  Speaker 1: of our waywardness, and find ourselves abandoned by those who
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  Speaker 1: would have loved us had we acted differently, we then
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  Speaker 1: moan over our fate and bitterly regret what we might
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  Speaker 1: have avoided. Alas poor human nature alas poor bear. I
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  Speaker 1: am truly sorry to observe that no act of repentance
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  Speaker 1: followed Bruin's sense of desolation. His first feeling of sorrow over,
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  Speaker 1: he felt indignant that he should have been so treated,
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  Speaker 1: but more than that, as he was still hungry, he
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  Speaker 1: felt regret at being denied a closer search into his
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  Speaker 1: old mother's larder. Whilst engaged in his various reflections, he
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  Speaker 1: happened to cast his eyes up to a neighboring hollow tree, where,
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  Speaker 1: at some height from the ground, a number of bees
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  Speaker 1: were flying in and out a great hole, with all
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  Speaker 1: the bustle and buzzing usual to those busy people. Now
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  Speaker 1: it was well known that bears are mightily fond of honey,
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  Speaker 1: and will run great risks in order to obtain this dainty,
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  Speaker 1: and Bruin was very far from being an exception to
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  Speaker 1: his tribe. He was too ignorant to reflect that it
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  Speaker 1: was a great deal too early in the season to
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  Speaker 1: hope for any store, But consulting only his own inclinations,
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  Speaker 1: he lost no time in climbing up the tree, and
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  Speaker 1: when he had reached the spot where the now angry
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  Speaker 1: bees were hurrying to and fro more vigorously than ever.
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  Speaker 1: He thrust his great paw into a hole with the
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  Speaker 1: hope of drawing forth a famous booty. But the indignant
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  Speaker 1: insects now came out in a swarm and attacked him
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  Speaker 1: with the utmost fury. Three of them settled on his
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  Speaker 1: nose and pricked him most unmercifully. A dozen or two
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  Speaker 1: planted themselves on a great patch behind where his trousers
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  Speaker 1: were worn thin, And a whole troop fastened on to
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  Speaker 1: the sore place in his head, for it was not
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  Speaker 1: quite healed up, and so stung him that roaring with
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  Speaker 1: pain and rage, he threw himself rather than descended from
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  Speaker 1: the tree, and went flying through the wood to get
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  Speaker 1: rid of his determined little enemies. They stuck fast, however,
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  Speaker 1: to their points of attack. Nor did Bruin get clear
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  Speaker 1: of his tormentors till he dashed himself into a pool
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  Speaker 1: of water and buried his head for a moment or
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  Speaker 1: two under the surface. It was with some degree of
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  Speaker 1: trepidation that he raised his nose above water and peeped
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  Speaker 1: about him. The bees were all gone, So he crawled
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  Speaker 1: out of the mud, and after an angry shake or
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  Speaker 1: two for his coat was quite wet. He resumed his journey.
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  Speaker 1: Bruin now traveled on till noon, and what with hunger
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  Speaker 1: and his long walk, you may believe his temper was
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  Speaker 1: not improved. A rustling noise on the left, accompanied every
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  Speaker 1: now and then with a short, contented kind of grunt,
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  Speaker 1: attracted his attention, and, looking through some brambles, he descried
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  Speaker 1: in an open space a very large bore with two
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  Speaker 1: most formidable tusks protruding from his jaws, busily engaged in
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  Speaker 1: rooting up the ground from which he had extracted a
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  Speaker 1: curious variety of roots and other edibles, the sight of
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  Speaker 1: which made Bruin's mouth water. For the first time in
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  Speaker 1: his life, he felt the necessity of civility, for though
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  Speaker 1: he had never made any personal acquaintance with the tribe
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  Speaker 1: to which the animal before him belonged, there were many
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  Speaker 1: tales current in his family of their ferocity when provoked,
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  Speaker 1: and the few reasoning powers he possessed were sufficient to
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  Speaker 1: assure him that not even his rough paws or burly
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  Speaker 1: strength would secure him from those glistening tusks if directed
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  Speaker 1: angrily against him. So Bruin resolved to try and be
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  Speaker 1: civil and with this determination, walked into the stranger's domain
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  Speaker 1: and accosted him in as polite a way as his
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  Speaker 1: rude nature would permit him to assume. The animal, who
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  Speaker 1: was known in his neighborhood as wild boar Esquire, on
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  Speaker 1: account of the extent of his property, received Bruin's advances
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  Speaker 1: with great caution, for he was naturally of a suspicious temper,
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: his bright, reddish eyes twinkling in a very unpleasant manner. Perceiving, however,
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  Speaker 1: that this unexpected visitor was but a mere youngster, and
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  Speaker 1: that he looked very hungry and tired, he grunted out
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  Speaker 1: a surly sort of welcome, and jerking his snout in
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  Speaker 1: the direction of the heap of provisions, bade him squat
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: down and make a meal. Bruin did not wait for
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: a second invitation, but, stretching out his huge legs, picked
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: up the fresh vegetables, which he thrust into his capacious
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: jaws with every appearance of relish. When his repast came
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: to an end, and this did not happen till there
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: was an end of the food, he wiped his mouth
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: with the back of his arm and looked at the boar,
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: and the boar who had said nothing during the disappearance
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: of the fruits of his morning's work, but had contented
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: himself with uttering a grunt or two, looked at Bruin
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: at length. He observed her. You have a famous appetite, ah,
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: answered the bear, And so would you if you had
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: not eaten anything for the last few weeks. After a pause,
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: her her, said mister Boer in a guttural voice. I
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: never tried, but a big fellow like you ought to
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: be able to get through a deal of work. Perhaps so,
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: observed the surly bear. But I don't intend to make
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: the experiment. After another pause, her an idle fellow, I'm afraid,
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: said mister Boer, half a side, and not quite so
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: civil as before his breakfast. Then, he exclaimed aloud, I
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: suppose you will make no objection to help me dig
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: up some more food, seeing that you have made away
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: with my dinner. Her, Who do you take me for?
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: Said the ungrateful beast, springing to his legs and eyeing
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: his entertainer with one of his furious looks. Who do
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: I take you for?
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: Her?
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: You graceless cub, exclaimed mister Bore in a rage, for
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: he was rather hasty in his manner, and his red
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: eyes twinkled, and his back began to get up in
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: a way which showed his agitation. Who do I take
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: you for?
• 22:29
  Speaker 3: Why?
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: I did take you for one who would be at
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: least thankful for the food given you when almost starving.
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: But I now perceive you are only an ugly lump
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: of a bear out of my sight this instant, or
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: for want of my own dinner, which you have devoured,
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: I shall perchance make a meal of you her her.
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: As he said these words, the bristles on his back
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: started up so furiously, and his tusks glistened so horridly
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: in a little ray of sunlight, which was peeping in
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: to see what was the matter. That Master Bruin felt
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: thoroughly frightened, and made a precipitate retreat, turning round at
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: every few steps to observe whether he were followed and
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: if it would be necessary to take refuge in one
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: of the trees. But wild boar Esquire only grunted out
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: his favorite expressions, which in this case was mixed with
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: a great deal of contempt, and recommenced digging for his dinner,
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: as if nothing had occurred to disturb his usual contented
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: state of mind. Brewin now traveled on till he reached
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: a stream which came bounding through this part of the
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: wood at a very rapid pace, and making a terrible
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: fuss because sundry large stones in the middle of its
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: course rather impeded its progress. The noise it made and
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: the anger it showed seemed to please our sulky bear mightily,
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: so he sat down on the bank with his toes
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: in the water to enjoy the spectacle. The scene was
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: a very striking one, and was fitted to charm the
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: most end different eye and bruin bare as he was,
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: could not help being attracted by it. Whatever his meditations. However,
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: it was not destined that he should pursue them long
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: without interruption, for his quick ear soon detected the sharp,
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: quick bark of several dogs, a sound that was carried
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: along by a breeze which swept by him at intervals.
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: He raised his head with his huge nose in the
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: air to sniff out any possible danger, and did not
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: seem at all pleased with the result of his observations,
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: for he drew first one foot and then the other
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: out of the water, and raised himself to his full height.
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: As he did so, a more than usual commotion in
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: the stream drew his attention when he perceived the round
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: head of a large otter appear above the surface, whilst
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: two bright eyes gave a hasty look all round on
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: observing Bruin, the head immediately disappeared, and at the same
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: moment a whole pack of terriers in hot haste came
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: weeping round a bank hard by, but stopped short on
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: finding themselves in the presence of such a formidable creature.
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: Bruin perceived that he had made an impression, and his
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: usual insolence returned, for he had at first been startled,
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: and he attributed the pause of the terriers to fear,
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: when in fact it was only the result of surprise.
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: If he had been a little better physiognomist, he would
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: have observed a certain air of determination about the little fellows,
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: which sufficiently showed that it was prudence or a sense
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: of duty which stayed them, and not a lack of courage.
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: They had been sent out to procure an otter, and
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: they were now deliberating among themselves whether it would be
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: wise to spend their time in quarreling with a bear.
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: After a short consultation, one who appeared to have the
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: guidance of the pack, uttered a decided little bark, and,
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: turning a little aside, endeavored to pass between bruin and
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: the stream, but sufficiently near to show that he was
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: not afraid to come into contact with him, Followed by
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: his companions. This evidently contemptuous mode of treating him aroused
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: all our ill tempered hero's bad humor, so, without considering
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: the consequences of the action, he raised his big paw
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: and knocked the leader down. The sturdy little fellows wanted
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: no further provocation, as if influenced by a single will,
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: they turned upon him and attacked him in front, flank,
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: and rear with an impetuosity which was at first irresistible
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: because unexpected, finding that those behind him were his greatest
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: and most successful tormentors, he very prudently sat himself down,
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: crushing one or two of them in his descent, then
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: springing to his legs, and as he did so, catching
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: several more in his arms. He hugged them till they
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: had no more breath in their bodies. When he dropped
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: them and took up a fresh supply, one of the
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: pack however, more alert than his fellows, sprang up and
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: seized him by the nose, making his teeth meat in
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: that prominent feature, and caused Bruin such intense pain that,
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: forgetting all his strategy, he tried to beat down his
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: determined little foe with his paws, and ran off, howling
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: in a most terrific manner, pursued by the remainder of
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: the pack, who bit at his hind legs, tore his
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: already ragged coat till it hung in ribbons. And when Bruin,
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: who having at length got rid of the bold little
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: fellow that had fastened to his nose, climbed up a tree,
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: they stood yelping at the foot of it till evening
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: had completely set in, when they slowly retired. And what
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: were our ill natured hero's thoughts as he sat upon
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: an elevated branch and gently rubbed his wounded snout. Why,
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: unfortunately for his own happiness, he laid the blame of
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: his mishap on any one or anything, rather than the
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: right being or circumstance. It was the otter's fault or
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: the dog's fault. Those dogs were always so quarrelsome or
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: it was his father's fault in driving him away from home.
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: In fact, everyone was in error, rather than himself and
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: his own disagreeable disposition. And here we may observe that
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: there are such characters as Bruin who bring disrepute on
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: a whole tribe. For we are too apt to form
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: our opinions of a nation by the few individuals we
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: may happen to fall in with. Although probably no conclusions
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: can be falser. Let us therefore be careful ere we
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: form our judgments, and let us not believe that all Bruins,
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: kindred and compatriots were sulky and ill tempered, because he
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: himself was such a disagreeable lump of a bear.
• 28:51
  Speaker 4: End of chapter two, Chapter three of the Adventures of
• 28:59
  Speaker 4: A Bear and a Great Bear Too. This is a
• 29:03
  Speaker 4: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 29:07
  Speaker 4: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 29:12
  Speaker 4: The Adventures of a Bear and a Great Bear Too
• 29:16
  Speaker 4: by Alfred Elwess town Wife. Bruin woke up next morning
• 29:21
  Speaker 4: with so uncomfortable a feeling of soreness from the rough
• 29:24
  Speaker 4: treatment he received that it was with some difficulty he
• 29:27
  Speaker 4: was enabled to move his heavy limbs, and he found
• 29:30
  Speaker 4: sitting so unpleasant a posture that he lay stretched across
• 29:34
  Speaker 4: two or three branches for several hours, and in a
• 29:38
  Speaker 4: very ill humor, indeed, watched the activity display beneath and
• 29:42
  Speaker 4: around him. Now a stealthy fox, upon some foraging expedition
• 29:47
  Speaker 4: would come creeping along his footfall scarcely heard on the
• 29:50
  Speaker 4: withered leaves and dead branches. Now a timid mouse would
• 29:54
  Speaker 4: leap limbly by, and at the least signal of danger
• 29:57
  Speaker 4: would disappear, as if by enchantment. Then a frolicsome squirrel,
• 30:02
  Speaker 4: faulting as fearlessly from bow to bow as if he
• 30:05
  Speaker 4: were not fifty feet from the ground, would arouse him
• 30:08
  Speaker 4: for a minute from his sulky mood, and light up
• 30:10
  Speaker 4: his fierce eyes with an expression of interest, which it
• 30:14
  Speaker 4: was very clear had no higher source than a hope
• 30:17
  Speaker 4: that the little tumbler might fall down and break his
• 30:19
  Speaker 4: neck for daring to be in such a good humor.
• 30:22
  Speaker 4: But the birds above all excited his anger. Foreseeing them
• 30:26
  Speaker 4: flying about gaily in the sun which tinged the tops
• 30:29
  Speaker 4: of the tree so gloriously, Ruin actually growled with indignition.
• 30:33
  Speaker 4: A sound which nearly caused that accident to master Squirrel
• 30:37
  Speaker 4: that our ungracious hero had desired for him, so terribly
• 30:40
  Speaker 4: was he frightened. A few days thus spent sufficiently recovered
• 30:45
  Speaker 4: him to render him capable of moving. When he descended
• 30:48
  Speaker 4: from his temporary hospital, and, with the aid of a
• 30:51
  Speaker 4: thick staff, which he had provided himself for the purpose,
• 30:55
  Speaker 4: set off once more, supplying his wants in the way
• 30:57
  Speaker 4: of food, with such edibles as fell in his way, albear,
• 31:01
  Speaker 4: not being remarkably particular concerning its quality or kind. One
• 31:05
  Speaker 4: only thought now possessed him, that of quitting the wooded
• 31:09
  Speaker 4: ground where his life had hitherto been passed, and reaching
• 31:12
  Speaker 4: one of those spots, where as he had heard his
• 31:15
  Speaker 4: parents relate, animals of various kinds congregate together and live
• 31:19
  Speaker 4: in habitations raised by their own ingenuity, in fact a city.
• 31:25
  Speaker 4: At least, he thought, if what I have heard of
• 31:27
  Speaker 4: such places be true, and that merit of every kind
• 31:30
  Speaker 4: is certain there to meet its reward and be properly appreciated,
• 31:34
  Speaker 4: I shall stand a better chance than my neighbors. With
• 31:37
  Speaker 4: this reflection, he shuffled on a little quicker, and the reader,
• 31:41
  Speaker 4: who has been thus allowed a private view of his
• 31:43
  Speaker 4: motives will observe that modesty was not among Bruin's list
• 31:47
  Speaker 4: of virtues. After day's march, with sundry restings by the way,
• 31:52
  Speaker 4: for he was not in good traveling order, he reached
• 31:55
  Speaker 4: the outskirts of the wood, and when he got beyond it,
• 31:58
  Speaker 4: he stood still to mark the process, which was in
• 32:01
  Speaker 4: sooth a very charming one, and the more striking to
• 32:05
  Speaker 4: him as being so entirely novel. As he stood on
• 32:09
  Speaker 4: a rising ground, the scene lay beneath, and the sun,
• 32:12
  Speaker 4: which was nearing the horizon, darted his level beams through
• 32:16
  Speaker 4: a gentle mist that was beginning to rise from the valley,
• 32:19
  Speaker 4: and made a wondrous golden haze, shedding beauty over every
• 32:23
  Speaker 4: object within its influence. A silvery brook ran from some
• 32:27
  Speaker 4: distant hills, and, after numerous windings, spread into a broad pond,
• 32:32
  Speaker 4: then narrowing again with an abrupt fall or two, which
• 32:35
  Speaker 4: made its pace the faster. It ran noiselessly through some
• 32:39
  Speaker 4: green meadows or cattle and horses were grazing, then made
• 32:43
  Speaker 4: a bend into the wood.
• 32:44
  Speaker 3: Where was lost of view. Bruin's quick eye, scarcely, however,
• 32:49
  Speaker 3: watched his course for his whole attention was riveted on
• 32:52
  Speaker 3: what to him was of more interest the city to
• 32:55
  Speaker 3: which his weary steps were directed. It stood upon the
• 32:58
  Speaker 3: margin of the rivulet, just before its waters expanded into
• 33:02
  Speaker 3: the little Lake, and seemed to occupy a considerable extent
• 33:05
  Speaker 3: of ground. It was neither handsomely nor regularly built, yet
• 33:10
  Speaker 3: it had an imposing effect as a whole, and in
• 33:13
  Speaker 3: Bruin's eyes, seemed to need nothing in the way of architecture.
• 33:17
  Speaker 3: Its inhabitants, I may observe in passing were principally descendants
• 33:21
  Speaker 3: of canine tribes, with a few pussies who, for some
• 33:25
  Speaker 3: worldly advantage had overcome their prejudices to such society, and
• 33:30
  Speaker 3: a flock or two of birds. As the latter, however,
• 33:34
  Speaker 3: were of a volatile disposition and were constantly on the move,
• 33:38
  Speaker 3: they resided principally in the higher portions of the city,
• 33:41
  Speaker 3: so that they might come and go without interfering with
• 33:44
  Speaker 3: the steadier habits of the animal population. Several horses and
• 33:48
  Speaker 3: black cattle resided in the environs, but with the exception
• 33:52
  Speaker 3: of a donkey or two, rarely entered the town, for
• 33:55
  Speaker 3: they found few inducements in the noisy streets to compensate
• 33:58
  Speaker 3: them for the charm and tranquility of a rural life.
• 34:02
  Speaker 3: After contemplating the scene for some time, Bruin slowly descended
• 34:06
  Speaker 3: the hill, his confidence in his own powers somewhat weakened
• 34:09
  Speaker 3: now he was in sight of the spot where they
• 34:11
  Speaker 3: were to be called into action. One reason for this
• 34:14
  Speaker 3: slight depression of his spirits arising probably from his ignorance
• 34:19
  Speaker 3: of the dwellers in the great city, for the intelligence
• 34:22
  Speaker 3: just communicated to the reader was at that time totally
• 34:25
  Speaker 3: unknown to him. The strange appearance also of every creature
• 34:30
  Speaker 3: he now met, contributed to abash him. For every one
• 34:34
  Speaker 3: who had any pretensions to respectability or over the coats
• 34:38
  Speaker 3: with which nature had provided them, clothes of a cut
• 34:40
  Speaker 3: that looked wonderful in the eyes of the untutored Bruin,
• 34:44
  Speaker 3: his own aspect was meanwhile not less odd in the
• 34:47
  Speaker 3: opinion of the more civilized animals. His untrimmed hair and beard,
• 34:52
  Speaker 3: his ragged coat, his queer gait, and the under strained
• 34:56
  Speaker 3: gape of wonder with which he steered around him were
• 34:59
  Speaker 3: suffer to excite the attention of the most indifferent. And
• 35:03
  Speaker 3: it was with a tolerably large train at his heels
• 35:05
  Speaker 3: that he reached the entrance to the principal street. Here
• 35:09
  Speaker 3: crowds of well dressed dogs, both male and female, the
• 35:13
  Speaker 3: latter always well attended, were walking about or idling the time. Away.
• 35:18
  Speaker 3: Town bred puppies with insolent stare were lunging at a return,
• 35:22
  Speaker 3: their delicate pause, proving how little they were used to labor.
• 35:26
  Speaker 3: On one side, Brude observed a gracefully proportioned white cat,
• 35:30
  Speaker 3: veiled gliding derearly along, whilst a strong cabby her nurse
• 35:35
  Speaker 3: purred behind, with three little kittens in her arms, mewing
• 35:39
  Speaker 3: to their hearts content. And on the other several huge
• 35:43
  Speaker 3: mastiffs stalking gravely in a row, like policemen in our
• 35:47
  Speaker 3: London streets, going to their beats, the animals to which
• 35:50
  Speaker 3: they have been compared being bound on a similar errand
• 35:54
  Speaker 3: these various sides proved to Bruin that there must be
• 35:57
  Speaker 3: a different agency at work to that which exist in
• 36:00
  Speaker 3: his native forest. He was wise enough to perceive that
• 36:03
  Speaker 3: mere animal force was not likely to succeed here or
• 36:08
  Speaker 3: hold the same position as it did in the land
• 36:10
  Speaker 3: where he was born and had spent his earlier years.
• 36:14
  Speaker 3: The appearances of wealth on one hand, The evidences of
• 36:17
  Speaker 3: a soldier like discipline and order, on the other convinced
• 36:21
  Speaker 3: him that this was no place to vent his zelf
• 36:23
  Speaker 3: humor by an exhibition of restrength, for that it was
• 36:26
  Speaker 3: sure to be more than its match. Whilst the uncertainty
• 36:29
  Speaker 3: of the punishment which would attend such outbreak, provided it
• 36:33
  Speaker 3: were indulged in, made him resolve at least to put
• 36:37
  Speaker 3: a curb upon his public conduct. This was the first
• 36:40
  Speaker 3: great step in Bruin's education, a step alas merely taught
• 36:45
  Speaker 3: him by his fears. Had its run from higher sources,
• 36:49
  Speaker 3: there would have been a chance of its doing permanent good.
• 36:52
  Speaker 3: But what solid benefit can be reckoned on or attained
• 36:55
  Speaker 3: which arises from such a motive. The attention that the
• 36:58
  Speaker 3: rough stranger from a distant met with from civilized population
• 37:02
  Speaker 3: of Caneville, for that or something like it was the
• 37:06
  Speaker 3: name of the city, was beginning to be rather irksome
• 37:09
  Speaker 3: to him. Every lady dog, as she passed him, seemed
• 37:12
  Speaker 3: anxious to allow him plenty of room. The three kittens
• 37:15
  Speaker 3: and arms at sight of him set up a chorus
• 37:18
  Speaker 3: of cries, which their nurse tried in vain to appease.
• 37:22
  Speaker 3: A mastiff who was on guard on the opposite side
• 37:24
  Speaker 3: of the way, seemed very much inclined to interfere for
• 37:27
  Speaker 3: the preservation of public peace. Whilst a couple of puppies
• 37:31
  Speaker 3: touched off in the extreme of the then prevailing fashion
• 37:35
  Speaker 3: at Caneville, turned up their noses and their tails in
• 37:38
  Speaker 3: a way which seemed to render it perfectly marvelous how
• 37:41
  Speaker 3: they kept upon their legs. All this was sufficiently irritating
• 37:45
  Speaker 3: even to the most good natured of beings, and Bruin
• 37:48
  Speaker 3: found it especially hard to bear. He was assisted, however,
• 37:53
  Speaker 3: in his prudential resolution to abstain from any outward exhibition
• 37:56
  Speaker 3: of wrath, by a sound which was as new to
• 37:58
  Speaker 3: his ear as it was ext his feelings. It came
• 38:02
  Speaker 3: from the upper end of the street, where a crowd
• 38:04
  Speaker 3: had assembled, and as every one in his neighborhood seemed
• 38:08
  Speaker 3: to think the amusement it promised would be of a
• 38:10
  Speaker 3: more interesting kind than baiting a bear, and had hastened
• 38:14
  Speaker 3: in the direction whence it proceeded, Bruin thought he could
• 38:17
  Speaker 3: not do better than follow their example. On reaching the spot,
• 38:22
  Speaker 3: his great height enabled him to get a view of
• 38:24
  Speaker 3: what was going on, and as he pressed forward, the
• 38:28
  Speaker 3: animals with which he came in contact gladly made way
• 38:31
  Speaker 3: at his approach, so that in a few seconds he
• 38:35
  Speaker 3: stood in the front row of a large circle, the
• 38:38
  Speaker 3: center of which was occupied by a fat, overgrown pig
• 38:42
  Speaker 3: with an astonishingly long snout and a couple of rings
• 38:45
  Speaker 3: through it by way of ornament, two equally long ears
• 38:49
  Speaker 3: that had evidently been submitted to some curious operation, for
• 38:52
  Speaker 3: they were slit in various places and hung down from
• 38:55
  Speaker 3: his head like uncombed locks of hair, and a pair
• 38:58
  Speaker 3: of very sharp little eyes which seemed to have the
• 39:01
  Speaker 3: unpleasant power of piercing right through you, if in your
• 39:05
  Speaker 3: incessant wanderings a chance to catch a look from your own.
• 39:09
  Speaker 3: It was very evident that this animal, who was quite
• 39:12
  Speaker 3: a savant, or as we should say, a learned pig,
• 39:16
  Speaker 3: enjoyed a high reputation in the community of Caneville, where
• 39:20
  Speaker 3: he had been settled some time. And whenever, as now
• 39:24
  Speaker 3: he chose to make an outdoor exhibition of himself and
• 39:26
  Speaker 3: his powers, he was certain of a very full audience.
• 39:31
  Speaker 3: Behind him stood a punchy little bull dog with an
• 39:34
  Speaker 3: inflamed countenance evidently caused by too close application to a
• 39:38
  Speaker 3: mouth organ arranged in such a way as to be
• 39:41
  Speaker 3: at a convenient distance from his capacious muzzle. And before
• 39:45
  Speaker 3: him was a drum, an article on which Bruin looked
• 39:48
  Speaker 3: with a curious and most ludicrous expression of physiognomy. As
• 39:53
  Speaker 3: he was now in the foremost van he gradually engineer
• 39:56
  Speaker 3: and nearer to the object of his attraction, whilst the
• 39:59
  Speaker 3: learned beast was making preparations for a grand display. And
• 40:03
  Speaker 3: just as Bruin had reached the place where the drummer
• 40:05
  Speaker 3: had taken his stand her shrine, so was he called
• 40:10
  Speaker 3: gave orders for a flourish of music by way of
• 40:12
  Speaker 3: opening the performance, But how described the effect which the
• 40:16
  Speaker 3: sound produced on our bare At the first stroke of
• 40:19
  Speaker 3: the stick on the drum, he leaped from the ground
• 40:22
  Speaker 3: as if he had been shot. Then, giving utterance to
• 40:25
  Speaker 3: a prolonged howl, he began dancing about in a way
• 40:28
  Speaker 3: which would have been irresistibly funny if the audience had
• 40:32
  Speaker 3: not been too frightened to stop and witness it. As
• 40:35
  Speaker 3: it happened, a general panic seized a multitude and oft
• 40:39
  Speaker 3: when a good part of the population of Caneville howling, screaming,
• 40:43
  Speaker 3: and yelping to their various homes, where they, of course,
• 40:47
  Speaker 3: each gave a different version of the story. The learned
• 40:50
  Speaker 3: Pig alone and his faithful Tom, who would not run
• 40:53
  Speaker 3: away for anybody, were the only creatures who stood their ground.
• 40:57
  Speaker 3: The former, because he had traveled much was acquainted with
• 41:00
  Speaker 3: the peculiarities of bears, and the latter partly for the
• 41:04
  Speaker 3: reason just given, and in part because he was so
• 41:07
  Speaker 3: fixed to the drum that to go away without it
• 41:10
  Speaker 3: was impossible, and to go away with it without previous
• 41:14
  Speaker 3: packing would have been equally difficult. So he stood his
• 41:17
  Speaker 3: ground and watched the proceedings on the ceasing of the
• 41:21
  Speaker 3: music and dispersing of the crowd. Our hero also stood still,
• 41:25
  Speaker 3: as much surprised as any of the former spectators at
• 41:29
  Speaker 3: the effect he had produced, and then, feeling still more
• 41:32
  Speaker 3: sensibly the effects of his fatigues. He sat down, panting
• 41:36
  Speaker 3: and exhausted. The Pig, who had been quietly watching him
• 41:41
  Speaker 3: and had evidently been revolving some interesting thoughts in his
• 41:44
  Speaker 3: contemplative brain. Shortly after a rose and gathering up the
• 41:49
  Speaker 3: things which were to have figured in his evening's performance,
• 41:52
  Speaker 3: and assisting to pack the drum comfortably on Tom's back,
• 41:55
  Speaker 3: beckoned to the bar, and waddled gently off in an
• 41:58
  Speaker 3: opposite direction of the city, to that where Bruin had entered.
• 42:02
  Speaker 3: Our interesting brute hesitated a moment, but being nudged by Tom,
• 42:07
  Speaker 3: who uttered at the same time a word or two
• 42:09
  Speaker 3: of encouragement, which, to render intelligible may be translated by
• 42:14
  Speaker 3: come along, stupid, he mechanically followed this fast young dog,
• 42:18
  Speaker 3: and they all reached the pig's apputation just as evening
• 42:21
  Speaker 3: was falling, after the bear had been regaled with a
• 42:25
  Speaker 3: most hearty supper for pigs. It may be remarked by
• 42:29
  Speaker 3: the way our famous caterers, his learned host unfolded to
• 42:33
  Speaker 3: him his plans. He explained the nature of his own avocations,
• 42:37
  Speaker 3: how that he had supported himself and saved a nice
• 42:40
  Speaker 3: little store, besides through telling the fortunes and relating the
• 42:44
  Speaker 3: age of the lady dogs and doglets of Caneville, and
• 42:47
  Speaker 3: how he performed sundry conjuring tricks, which, though easy enough
• 42:51
  Speaker 3: when found out, had earned for him an astonishing reputation
• 42:55
  Speaker 3: among the simple animals of the city, who never had
• 42:58
  Speaker 3: penetrated the secret. He explained, besides that there were many
• 43:03
  Speaker 3: more he could perform if his figure were more slim,
• 43:07
  Speaker 3: and its movements as active as they had been some
• 43:09
  Speaker 3: years ago before time. By increasing his rotundity had less
• 43:14
  Speaker 3: in the ease of his motions, but that if Bruin
• 43:18
  Speaker 3: would undertake to learn them, his fortune was as good
• 43:20
  Speaker 3: as maid. For he Herr Schweine, would not only teach
• 43:24
  Speaker 3: him all he knew, but would reward him with half
• 43:27
  Speaker 3: the profits derived from his performance when he should have
• 43:31
  Speaker 3: mastered his studies. This proposal so jumped with Bruin's humor
• 43:36
  Speaker 3: that he consented without further solicitation, and it was agreed
• 43:39
  Speaker 3: that his engagement should commence for the following day. With
• 43:43
  Speaker 3: the morning sun did our hero's lessons begin, And as
• 43:48
  Speaker 3: nature had not added stupidity to its various weaknesses, he
• 43:51
  Speaker 3: made really rapid progress. But poor Piggy found it dreadfully
• 43:56
  Speaker 3: hard work, and more than once repented his bargain or.
• 44:00
  Speaker 3: The reflection and circumstances had made him a philosopher, and
• 44:04
  Speaker 3: traveling had taught him experience. It required all his philosophy
• 44:08
  Speaker 3: and his utmost skill to support the weight of Bruin's
• 44:11
  Speaker 3: unhandsome temper and prevent an utter breach between them. Pride, however,
• 44:17
  Speaker 3: and a natural wish to reap the harvest which he
• 44:19
  Speaker 3: had sown at the cost of so much pains and
• 44:22
  Speaker 3: labor induced him to persevere, and the day at length
• 44:26
  Speaker 3: arrived when Bruin was to make his next appearance in public.
• 44:30
  Speaker 3: Since the first evening of his arrival, he had kept
• 44:32
  Speaker 3: strictly within his employer's grounds, and had familiarized his mind
• 44:37
  Speaker 3: with a mouth organ in the drum. But now the
• 44:40
  Speaker 3: sun had risen that was to shine on him again abroad,
• 44:43
  Speaker 3: he felt considerably lated. The idea of sporting a handsome
• 44:46
  Speaker 3: pair of silk drawers and a medal with a ribbon
• 44:49
  Speaker 3: round his neck, and a silver anklet, contributing not a
• 44:52
  Speaker 3: little to produce the feeling. The pig, who knew the
• 44:56
  Speaker 3: value of notoriety in such cases, had from early morning
• 45:00
  Speaker 3: kept tom parading the streets with a large placard over
• 45:03
  Speaker 3: his shoulders, announcing the arrival of a distinguished foreigner, engaged
• 45:08
  Speaker 3: by her shrine at ruinous expense for a limited number
• 45:12
  Speaker 3: of representations, to perform his extraordinary and intensely interesting feats
• 45:17
  Speaker 3: before the highly discriminating public of Caneville. The highly discriminating
• 45:23
  Speaker 3: being thus prepared, assembled in the great square, the place
• 45:27
  Speaker 3: chosen for the exhibition long before the appointed hour. The
• 45:31
  Speaker 3: ladies were arranged in the foremost rank with a politeness
• 45:35
  Speaker 3: that was perfectly edifying, whilst not so fashionable dogs and
• 45:39
  Speaker 3: cats got as near as possible to the reigning favorites.
• 45:42
  Speaker 3: Curs of inferior degree occupied the outermost ranks, and a
• 45:46
  Speaker 3: bird or two got gallery places above the heads of
• 45:49
  Speaker 3: the animal spectators. It was when expectation was raised to
• 45:53
  Speaker 3: that pitch which usually finds vent in the most discordant cries,
• 45:57
  Speaker 3: that Bruin, carrying a bag, followed by Tom with a drum,
• 46:02
  Speaker 3: made his appearance, a sight which caused universal approbation. Some
• 46:07
  Speaker 3: praised his evident strength, others admired his dress, and some
• 46:11
  Speaker 3: again criticized his figure. But when he drew out from
• 46:14
  Speaker 3: his bag a quantity of singular objects and Tom struck
• 46:18
  Speaker 3: up an extraordinary extemporary air with variations on the pipes,
• 46:22
  Speaker 3: accompanied by sundry vicious blows on the drum, public curiosity
• 46:26
  Speaker 3: was strained to the utmost. When the music ceased, Bruin
• 46:31
  Speaker 3: imperatively waved the spectator's back and their performance began. He
• 46:36
  Speaker 3: handled a pair of knives in a way which made
• 46:38
  Speaker 3: the beholders tremble, for those implements were swallowed and appeared
• 46:42
  Speaker 3: again at the tips of his paws or the end
• 46:44
  Speaker 3: of his nose, without doing him any injury. And they
• 46:47
  Speaker 3: were forced into his arms and drawn furiously across his
• 46:51
  Speaker 3: throat without causing the slightest wound. And then they were
• 46:55
  Speaker 3: tucked into his waistband, and after sundry contortions and leaps
• 46:59
  Speaker 3: and affected ates, they were pulled from out of his
• 47:02
  Speaker 3: capacious jaws where they had stuck fast, to the wonder
• 47:06
  Speaker 3: and delight of the spectators. Then he took up three
• 47:09
  Speaker 3: balls of polished brass, which seemed too heavy for any
• 47:12
  Speaker 3: fashionable puppy present to lift, and commenced a wonderful series
• 47:16
  Speaker 3: of exploits with them. Now they leaped a great height
• 47:19
  Speaker 3: into the air, one after another, with a rapidity which
• 47:23
  Speaker 3: made the crowd's eyes water. Then they ran over his shoulders,
• 47:27
  Speaker 3: and down his back, and between his legs, and over
• 47:29
  Speaker 3: his shoulders again, in a continuous stream. And then they
• 47:33
  Speaker 3: went bumping over every projecting part of his body, leaping here,
• 47:37
  Speaker 3: jumping there, now on the top of his head, now
• 47:40
  Speaker 3: on the tip of his nose, and never falling to
• 47:43
  Speaker 3: the ground, and always going this game with such wondrous swiftness,
• 47:47
  Speaker 3: as though there were thirty balls in steam of three.
• 47:50
  Speaker 3: But the feet which pleased them most, and which may
• 47:53
  Speaker 3: be called the crowning effort of the display, was when
• 47:56
  Speaker 3: Bruin balanced a short stick on his forehead with a
• 47:58
  Speaker 3: pewter plate on top of it, which by some mysterious
• 48:02
  Speaker 3: agency was made to spin round and round and dazzle
• 48:06
  Speaker 3: the optics of the crowd as it glittered in the sun.
• 48:09
  Speaker 3: At this marvelous sight, there was a burst of admiration.
• 48:13
  Speaker 3: Tom blewet's pipes and hammered at his drums with the
• 48:16
  Speaker 3: utmost energy. Two well dressed young dogs, who had been
• 48:20
  Speaker 3: paying particular attention to a tall, young lady with a long,
• 48:23
  Speaker 3: sentimental nose over which a vail dropped gracefully. She was,
• 48:28
  Speaker 3: evidently one of the aristocratic Greyhound family, gaped with wonder
• 48:33
  Speaker 3: as they stared at the whirling cutor. The young lady
• 48:36
  Speaker 3: herself looked on with a gaze where surprise and admiration
• 48:39
  Speaker 3: were singularly mingled, and the curs, who are less accustomed
• 48:44
  Speaker 3: to restrain their feelings, gave vent to them in vigorous howls.
• 48:48
  Speaker 3: The success was indeed complete, and when Tom went round
• 48:52
  Speaker 3: with the plate, a rich harvest amply repaid the pains
• 48:55
  Speaker 3: which had been bestowed on the rehearsals. End of chapter
• 48:59
  Speaker 3: three Read by Nancy Cochran Kerbian Gilbert Arizona, January fourteenth,
• 49:05
  Speaker 3: two thousand, twenty three. Chapter four of the Adventures of
• 49:14
  Speaker 3: A Bear and a Great Bear Too. This is a
• 49:18
  Speaker 3: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
• 49:23
  Speaker 3: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
• 49:29
  Speaker 3: The Adventures of a Bear and a Great Bear Too
• 49:32
  Speaker 3: by Alfred L. Wess Prosperity Herschfein. That very learned pig,
• 49:38
  Speaker 3: who had stationed himself in an unobserved corner of the
• 49:41
  Speaker 3: throng in order that he might witness the behavior of
• 49:44
  Speaker 3: his pupil, was delighted, though not astonished, at his success,
• 49:50
  Speaker 3: and gave vent to his feelings in as marked a
• 49:52
  Speaker 3: manner as a philosopher and an animal of his peculiar
• 49:56
  Speaker 3: temperament could be expected to betray. Even he went so
• 50:00
  Speaker 3: far as to beg Bruin to embrace him and experiment.
• 50:03
  Speaker 3: He was not likely to desire repeated, for that malicious
• 50:07
  Speaker 3: beast gave him so severe a squeeze as to cost
• 50:10
  Speaker 3: him and indigestion for several days after Vicky's calculations and
• 50:15
  Speaker 3: the joy which he built on them, would not have
• 50:17
  Speaker 3: been of so solid a kind if he had known
• 50:20
  Speaker 3: a little more of Bruin's disposition. But though an animal
• 50:24
  Speaker 3: of experience and knowledge of the world, he was in
• 50:28
  Speaker 3: this case too blinded by his pride to form his
• 50:31
  Speaker 3: usually correct judgment. He only considered what the bare owed
• 50:35
  Speaker 3: to him in the way of gratitude for clothing, feeding,
• 50:38
  Speaker 3: and civilizing. He grunted with satisfaction as he revolved in
• 50:43
  Speaker 3: his thoughts the goodly treasure which Bruin might be the
• 50:45
  Speaker 3: means of his acquiring. For philosopher and animal of the
• 50:49
  Speaker 3: world as he was, he had not been able to
• 50:52
  Speaker 3: divest himself of two grand vices, gluttony and avarice. The
• 50:57
  Speaker 3: former belonged to his tribe, the life to himself, and
• 51:01
  Speaker 3: though at first sight they would seem in contradiction with
• 51:04
  Speaker 3: each other, he managed somehow to permit in his own
• 51:08
  Speaker 3: proper person that both should have equal sway, and the
• 51:12
  Speaker 3: older he grew, the larger and firmer rooted. Did these
• 51:15
  Speaker 3: two passions become. He was getting also so unwieldy that
• 51:20
  Speaker 3: indolence was to a certain extent forced upon him. And
• 51:25
  Speaker 3: this was another powerful consideration which induced him to look
• 51:28
  Speaker 3: on the accession of Bruin as a real benefit. Unhappy, however,
• 51:34
  Speaker 3: the lot of that animal, who should repose any degree
• 51:37
  Speaker 3: of confidence in good to be derived from such a
• 51:40
  Speaker 3: temper and disposition, as day by day developed some new
• 51:43
  Speaker 3: feature which helped to betray a character singularly unamiable and unattractive.
• 51:49
  Speaker 3: So day by day did here Schwine's habitation resound with
• 51:52
  Speaker 3: growls and grunts of anger, where formerly reigned a complete calm.
• 51:57
  Speaker 3: Bruin's performances, also lacking novelty, began to pall upon the
• 52:01
  Speaker 3: public taste. And though Tom trudged about with his placards
• 52:05
  Speaker 3: more vigorously than ever, and more the souls of his
• 52:08
  Speaker 3: poor paws than with the exercise, the novelty was dying out,
• 52:12
  Speaker 3: and the fashionable puppies began to be witty in their
• 52:15
  Speaker 3: whispered remarks upon the person of the bearer. The bear
• 52:18
  Speaker 3: had got a great deal too lazy to learn any
• 52:21
  Speaker 3: fresh exploits, and the pig, indeed, was almost too much
• 52:25
  Speaker 3: out of spirits to teach them. Besides this, Bruin had
• 52:29
  Speaker 3: acquired habits of rather an expensive kind to indulge, which
• 52:33
  Speaker 3: required a good deal of money, and as her Schweine
• 52:36
  Speaker 3: suspected that his due half of the now diminished receipts
• 52:40
  Speaker 3: was withheld from him, quarrels not unnaturally ensued. These various
• 52:45
  Speaker 3: annoyances produced a great change in poor Piggy, who perhaps
• 52:50
  Speaker 3: felt more deeply the overthrow of his pet projects than
• 52:53
  Speaker 3: the actual loss as Bargain had entailed on him. Though
• 52:57
  Speaker 3: the loss itself was not trifling, for Bruin's enormous appetite,
• 53:01
  Speaker 3: which he indulged to a frightful extent, went considerably beyond
• 53:05
  Speaker 3: the income that his diminished exertions produced, and there was
• 53:09
  Speaker 3: a chance, as matters stood, that this resource would soon
• 53:13
  Speaker 3: fail altogether. It is not surprising, then, if the Air
• 53:16
  Speaker 3: should contemplate breaking off his engagement and terminating at once
• 53:21
  Speaker 3: the difficulties which seemed to threaten him by turning the
• 53:25
  Speaker 3: great bear adrift upon the world. But a stronger power
• 53:28
  Speaker 3: than a pig's was about to settle the question, a
• 53:31
  Speaker 3: power to which all animals are equally amenable, And thus
• 53:35
  Speaker 3: was it brought into action. It was evening Bruin and Tom,
• 53:40
  Speaker 3: the former in excessively ill humor, the latter much as usual.
• 53:44
  Speaker 3: Though Sulky returned home where the air waited them with impatience.
• 53:49
  Speaker 3: It did not require a very great amount of sagacity
• 53:52
  Speaker 3: to learn that they had been unsuccessful, for disappointment was
• 53:56
  Speaker 3: plainly visible on the features of both. From Bruin nothing
• 54:00
  Speaker 3: could be obtained in the way of information, for he
• 54:03
  Speaker 3: had thrown himself from the ground and stuffed his white
• 54:06
  Speaker 3: jaws with some delicacies. Piggy had reserved for his own supper.
• 54:10
  Speaker 3: So it was to Tom his master's eyes were directed
• 54:13
  Speaker 3: for an explanation. Now that valuable servant's fort never lay
• 54:18
  Speaker 3: in making an eloquent discourse, or even in describing the
• 54:21
  Speaker 3: most ordinary facts in a plain and intelligible manner, and
• 54:25
  Speaker 3: in this instance, as his feelings interfered with the relation
• 54:28
  Speaker 3: of facts, a tolerably large stock of patience and some
• 54:32
  Speaker 3: cleverness to boot were needed to understand the account. This
• 54:37
  Speaker 3: was after cross examination what Herr Schweind managed to comprehend.
• 54:42
  Speaker 3: They had gone to the market place as usual, and
• 54:46
  Speaker 3: to their delight found it crowded. Immediately jumping to the
• 54:50
  Speaker 3: conclusion that the public mind of Kineville was not so
• 54:53
  Speaker 3: utterly degraded as they had begun to fancy it. The
• 54:56
  Speaker 3: innocent conjecture was soon, however, disabused, for on their drawing
• 55:00
  Speaker 3: nearer they observed that faithless population gathered about another distinguished
• 55:06
  Speaker 3: foreigner with a remarkably long beard and a fierce pair
• 55:09
  Speaker 3: of horns, who proclaimed himself a magician from beyond the
• 55:13
  Speaker 3: land where the sun rose, and rejoiced in the name
• 55:16
  Speaker 3: of doctor capricornis a V G T and m U
• 55:20
  Speaker 3: h s, which the great learning of her Schweine interpreted
• 55:24
  Speaker 3: by a very great traveler or thief, a member of
• 55:28
  Speaker 3: the universal herbage or humbug society. Now, the feasts displayed
• 55:33
  Speaker 3: by this new candidate for public favor were of the
• 55:36
  Speaker 3: stupidest order. Remember this is not the statement of a
• 55:40
  Speaker 3: disinterested party, consisting merely in pointing out any pebble on
• 55:44
  Speaker 3: the ground that any one of the crowd should have
• 55:46
  Speaker 3: previously fixed on, and mounting to the top of the
• 55:49
  Speaker 3: little ladder, and balancing himself on the tips of his
• 55:52
  Speaker 3: horns at the upper round. Yet it was enough to
• 55:55
  Speaker 3: excite the enthusiasm of the lookers on nor could all
• 55:59
  Speaker 3: the crimes of Bruin, bidding them come and see what
• 56:02
  Speaker 3: true genius really was, Nor all the dulcet notes of Tom,
• 56:06
  Speaker 3: though he blew out his pipes till he was black
• 56:08
  Speaker 3: in the face, and thrashed his drum till he beat
• 56:11
  Speaker 3: in his crown, procured them a single spectator. Thoroughly disgusted,
• 56:16
  Speaker 3: they quitted the spot and returned home, Bruin getting into
• 56:20
  Speaker 3: a dispute with one of the city police by the
• 56:22
  Speaker 3: way for comporting himself bearishly towards a richly dressed and
• 56:26
  Speaker 3: genteel looking cat who was quietly serenading his mistress seated
• 56:31
  Speaker 3: at a balcony. As Tom finished his relation, a slight
• 56:36
  Speaker 3: squeak issued from the pig's throat, but from its profoundest depths,
• 56:40
  Speaker 3: as if it came from the bottom of his heart.
• 56:43
  Speaker 3: Once or twice, indeed, he turned his snout to the
• 56:46
  Speaker 3: place where the bear, who had finished his employer's supper,
• 56:50
  Speaker 3: lay at his full length asleep, as though he intended
• 56:53
  Speaker 3: to arouse him. But his philosophy or his physical weakness
• 56:57
  Speaker 3: made him change his resolution, and, making a motion to
• 57:01
  Speaker 3: Tom to lend him some assistance, he tottered off with
• 57:04
  Speaker 3: difficulty to bed, where he cast himself down as if
• 57:08
  Speaker 3: he were tired of the world and its struggles. At least,
• 57:11
  Speaker 3: his manner so far affected Tom that he could not
• 57:14
  Speaker 3: prevail on himself to quit his master's side. But after
• 57:18
  Speaker 3: watching him with interest for a full hour, and observing
• 57:22
  Speaker 3: him in a deep sleep, he stretched his body upon
• 57:25
  Speaker 3: some clean straw instead of seeking his own crib, and
• 57:28
  Speaker 3: was soon likewise in a state of forgevefulness. It must
• 57:32
  Speaker 3: have been about midnight that Tom was aroused by a
• 57:35
  Speaker 3: suppressed grunting. He started up, and, by the aid of
• 57:39
  Speaker 3: the moon, beheld her schwine. Lying on his back, and
• 57:43
  Speaker 3: convulsively taking his legs in the air. He ran to
• 57:46
  Speaker 3: his head and tried to raise him up, but his
• 57:49
  Speaker 3: weight was more than he could manage. So he called
• 57:51
  Speaker 3: out in his loudest voice for the assistance of ruin.
• 57:55
  Speaker 3: That ungracious beast. However, though waked by the noise, felt
• 57:59
  Speaker 3: no inclise the nation to have his repose disturbed. So
• 58:02
  Speaker 3: bid him hold his peace and let honest folks go
• 58:05
  Speaker 3: to sleep. Tom was a thoroughly faithful creature at heart,
• 58:09
  Speaker 3: though a rough and untutored one. The want of feeling
• 58:12
  Speaker 3: displayed by the bear, and his ingratitude in thus allowing
• 58:16
  Speaker 3: his master to struggle without even lending him a paw,
• 58:20
  Speaker 3: aroused all the indignation of his honest nature. So flying
• 58:24
  Speaker 3: at Master Bruin, he caught hold of the tip of
• 58:26
  Speaker 3: his ear and bit it till the great beast roared
• 58:29
  Speaker 3: with pain and effectually roused. Followed his adversary about the place.
• 58:34
  Speaker 3: In order to punish him for his insolence in his
• 58:37
  Speaker 3: awkward evolutions, he caught one of his legs in a
• 58:40
  Speaker 3: heap of straw and fell full sprawl over poor hair shwine.
• 58:45
  Speaker 3: A small grunt like a sigh with a bad coal
• 58:48
  Speaker 3: escaped the learned pig. It was his last, for when
• 58:52
  Speaker 3: Bruin raised himself up, he found his lay employer perfectly motionless.
• 58:57
  Speaker 3: Nor did all his efforts, such as pulling his stout
• 59:01
  Speaker 3: and shaking his trotters and twisting his tail, succeed in
• 59:05
  Speaker 3: producing the slightest impression. The bear was puzzled. He squatted
• 59:10
  Speaker 3: down beside his old master and sucking his right paw,
• 59:14
  Speaker 3: whilst he scratched his pate with his left, gazed long
• 59:17
  Speaker 3: at the prostrate body. Meanwhile, Tom drew nigh and guessing
• 59:22
  Speaker 3: at the truth from his companion's attitude and the pig's
• 59:25
  Speaker 3: breathless quiet, raised his nose to the roof of the dwelling,
• 59:29
  Speaker 3: and uttered a long and dismal howl of sorrow, again
• 59:33
  Speaker 3: and again at reveunerbals did the faithful servant thus deplore
• 59:37
  Speaker 3: his master's fate, till Bruin, angered by the noise, threw
• 59:41
  Speaker 3: the broken drum at the unconscious mourner with such effect, indeed,
• 59:46
  Speaker 3: that the shattered extremity alighted on his crown and for
• 59:49
  Speaker 3: the time completely buried him, his voice sounding singularly sepulchrol
• 59:54
  Speaker 3: from the depths of the hollow instrument. It effectually stopped
• 59:57
  Speaker 3: the current of his grief by creating a flood of
• 59:59
  Speaker 3: ears diation, which only respect for the dead prevented his
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 3: given vent to, for he would otherwise have little heeded
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 3: either the strength or verocity of his antagonists. Bruin, who
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 3: had betrayed no feeling of any kind at the sight
• 1:00:13
  Speaker 3: of his late benefactor, thus converted into pork, now returned
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 3: to his own bed and was soon again in a
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 3: comfortable snore. But the faithful tom still sat beside the
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 3: body of his master and patiently watched there till daylight
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 3: the sun rose, and many neighbors, apprised of the event,
• 1:00:32
  Speaker 3: made their appearance, some urged by curiosity to see how
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 3: a dead pig looked, some stimulated by avarice hoping there
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 3: might be a trifle or two to pick up, and
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 3: a few from a higher motive, the wish, namely to
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 3: show respect for the memory of the deceased by assisting
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 3: if necessary his survivors. Herr Schweine, however, had come amongst
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 3: them alone, nor was it thought that he had kith
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 3: or kin, for no mention of an amiable frau or sal,
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 3: no syllable of any interesting piglet had ever issued from
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 3: his learned jaws. He died as he had lived among strangers,
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 3: and alas all the learning he had acquired was destined
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 3: to perish with him. For, with one exception, her Schwine
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 3: had never committed any of his thoughts or experiences to writing.
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 3: I have said, with one exception, for the occasion is
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 3: worth noting, as it was on a matter interesting, indeed
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 3: to every epicure in the universe. The subject which then
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 3: engaged his pen or the following title signs by which
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 3: the most unobservant may detect in the soils of the
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 3: world the existence of truffles, together with an essay on
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 3: the most effectual mode of cultivating them. And it may
• 1:01:50
  Speaker 3: well be conjectured, from the great learning and fitness of
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 3: the writer to deal with such a subject, how much
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 3: new light must have been thrown upon it. Unfortunately, the
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 3: tribes of Gourmand's and poor Piggy's fame, this valuable paper
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 3: was never destined to electrify the world. For Cast into
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 3: the street by Bruin, among other articles considered alas of
• 1:02:13
  Speaker 3: no value, it was picked up by some ignorant puppy
• 1:02:16
  Speaker 3: passing by, who, seeing it written in German character, and
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 3: not understanding a word of it, tore up the priceless
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 3: document to make lights for his cigars. Two mastiffs, who
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 3: had been informed of the death, kept watch meanwhile without
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 3: the house, and when night again came on, they were
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 3: joined by a couple of ugly curs, whose business it
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 3: was to convey the body to its last resting place
• 1:02:41
  Speaker 3: without the city, for the dogs, with great good sense,
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 3: had an intense dislike to bury the dead among the living.
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 3: The mortal remains of Herschwine, being placed upon a kind
• 1:02:53
  Speaker 3: of sledge, were drawn slowly down to the little lake,
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 3: followed by Tom as chief and only mourner, for Bruin
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 3: was so devoid of feeling as to refuse even this
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 3: last tribute to the memory of one who had been
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 3: his best friend. And when the funeral procession reached the water,
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 3: the body was gently let down into the current, which
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 3: bore it gradually away. Poor Tom sent after it a
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 3: prolonged and melancholy howl, the last sat adieu of a
• 1:03:20
  Speaker 3: simple but faithful heart, and then, turning his steps, which
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 3: were mechanically leading him towards his late home, in quite
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 3: an opposite direction, he set off upon a lonely pilgrimage,
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 3: resolving in his own mind that many a scene should
• 1:03:35
  Speaker 3: be traversed ere he again gazed on his native city
• 1:03:38
  Speaker 3: of Caneville. Meanwhile, Bruin, who felt not the least alarm
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 3: at Tom's continued absence, found himself suddenly in a position
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 3: of the highest prosperity. As no one was there to
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 3: claim the property of the deceased, he took possession of
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 3: it as his right. Every corner was ransacked, every hiding
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 3: place examined at a large store or costumes and things
• 1:04:01
  Speaker 3: of every kind gathered in the course of the late heires,
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 3: wanderings in different lands were dragged from their obscurity. His
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 3: present habitation did not, however, suit his change of fortune.
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 3: He must have a house in the most fashionable corner
• 1:04:17
  Speaker 3: of the town. When this was obtained, not satisfied with
• 1:04:21
  Speaker 3: the simple name his father's had honestly borne for so
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 3: many generations, he resolved to dub himself a nobleman, which
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 3: he could the more easily do in a place where
• 1:04:30
  Speaker 3: his connections were unknown. So styled himself Count von Bruin.
• 1:04:34
  Speaker 3: Forthwith the wardrobe of his late learned employer furnished him
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 3: with a suit of astonishingly fine clothes, which fitted him
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 3: to a nicety. So on every fine morning, dressed therein
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 3: with his hat cocked upon his crown, his paws grasping
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 3: a cane, and placed under his coat tails, so as
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 3: to show off all the glory of his waistcoat, frill
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 3: and splendid jewelry, he marched in the streets. He made
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 3: so imposing a figure in his new dress, and assumed
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 3: such an air of pomposity, that it was no wonder
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 3: the uninitiated should have been deceived and have taken him
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 3: for a lion of the very first nobility. Nor can
• 1:05:14
  Speaker 3: we be surprised that a poor cur almost in a
• 1:05:17
  Speaker 3: state of nudity, should, in the most abject manner, supplicate
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 3: a trifle from his lordship, that an ignorant cat in
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 3: passing should take off his cap and make a profound bow,
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 3: or a kitten just behind cross its paws as though
• 1:05:34
  Speaker 3: it stood in the presence of a superior There was one, however,
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 3: who penetrated through all his disguise, one who had watched
• 1:05:42
  Speaker 3: him with interest when he made his debut in the
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 3: public square and drew down such abundant admiration, and who,
• 1:05:49
  Speaker 3: by some feeling for which she could not account, had
• 1:05:52
  Speaker 3: followed his varying fortunes till she saw him thus rich,
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 3: superbly dressed, and strutting down the street as o'kaneville were
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 3: too small to hold him. And that one was the
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 3: Honorable Miss Greyhound. End of Chapter four, read by Nancy
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 3: Cochwan Gergen Gilbert Arizona, December twenty one, twenty twenty two.
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 5: Chapter five of the Adventures of a Bear and a
• 1:06:23
  Speaker 5: Great Bear Too. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 5: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 1:06:32
  Speaker 5: to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org read by T. R.
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 5: Love The Adventures of a Bear and a Great Bear
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 5: Too by Alfred Elwess were versus solitary, as were Bruins
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 5: habits by nature. He had felt since his residence in
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 5: a town a change stealing gradually over him, and the
• 1:06:56
  Speaker 5: necessity of companionship becoming every day more sensibly experienced.
• 1:07:02
  Speaker 3: In his late.
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 5: Position, he had had the constant companionship of Tom, and
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 5: the learned society of his master, which indeed he was
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 5: but little capable of appreciating, besides the acquaintance of some
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 5: inferior animals whom he had managed to fall in with
• 1:07:20
  Speaker 5: during his idle hours, though these must have been of
• 1:07:23
  Speaker 5: the very lowest class. The reader, who is aware of
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 5: the character of that great beast will readily suppose Tom was, however,
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 5: now gone. Poor Schwine too had departed, and Bruin's fine
• 1:07:37
  Speaker 5: clothes and altered condition entirely precluded at present a return
• 1:07:43
  Speaker 5: to his former associates society he felt he must have,
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 5: and upon his choice now depended his future fortunes. It
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 5: was whilst this necessity was pressing on his brain. That
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 5: one morning, when lolling in all the indolence of ignorantrant's
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 5: ally to wealth, he was surprised at the appearance of
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 5: a diminutive spaniel, admitted by his porter, who dressed in
• 1:08:09
  Speaker 5: a rich scarlet. Livery bore a letter in his belt,
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 5: which he presented with a certain fawning grace to our hero,
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 5: and hastily departed. This was the first epistle that Worthy
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 5: had ever held in his own pause, so it may
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 5: well be judged he was but little prepared to investigate
• 1:08:29
  Speaker 5: its contents. He turned it over and over, and then
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 5: put it to his nose, for the scent which it
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 5: emitted was pleasant to his sense of smile. But still
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 5: this gave him no hint at its meaning. Never before
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 5: had he felt the annoyance which a want of education
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 5: inevitably causes, But now that it did strike him. Instead
• 1:08:52
  Speaker 5: of arousing his energies to cure so serious a defect,
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 5: a cure too, which he could, under present circumstance answers
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 5: so easily accomplish, it only moved his anger to think
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 5: that the little scrap of paper which he held in
• 1:09:08
  Speaker 5: his paw, and which he could without the slightest effort
• 1:09:12
  Speaker 5: crush into nothingness, withheld its secrets from him, whilst every
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 5: mincing puppy in the streets could command its every word. Ah,
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 5: Master Bruin, Master Bruin, you are not the first to
• 1:09:28
  Speaker 5: make the discovery that knowledge is superior to brute force.
• 1:09:33
  Speaker 5: Angry or not, he wished to know the meaning of
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 5: the note, and summoned to his presence one who had
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 5: managed to procure the chief place in his household. Counting
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 5: Fox as he was, he commanded that worthy to read
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 5: its contents aloud. Fox obeyed, not at all displeased that
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 5: he should be selected for this duty, as he foresaw
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 5: from the so called count's ignorance that he would be
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 5: able at a future period to turn his intimate knowledge
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 5: of his master's secrets to good account. He therefore read
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 5: as follows. You may believe I must be actuated by
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 5: a strong feeling in your favor when I thus forget
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 5: what is due to my sex and rank, and overcome
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 5: all the prejudices which canine society builds up as a
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 5: barrier to intercourse with foreigners. I confess it the feeling
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 5: is a strong one, but I rely on your honor
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 5: to save me from the ill effects my imprudence might
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 5: otherwise lay me open to if you are willing to
• 1:10:42
  Speaker 5: know farther and are the animal I take you for,
• 1:10:46
  Speaker 5: you will be in waiting tomorrow evening after sunset, at
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 5: the extremity of the muse in the cat's quarter of
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 5: the city. This missive, written in bold but feminine characters,
• 1:10:59
  Speaker 5: was without signature. And when Fox had retired with a
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 5: cunning leer upon his sharp features, and Bruin was left
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 5: alone to meditate upon the singularity of the adventure, that
• 1:11:12
  Speaker 5: great beast lost himself in conjectures as to the rider,
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 5: and figured, to his imagination a creature very different, no doubt,
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 5: to the being actually in question. His impatience, however, to
• 1:11:27
  Speaker 5: get over the interval of time which must elapse ere
• 1:11:31
  Speaker 5: his curiosity could be gratified, was sensibly felt by every
• 1:11:35
  Speaker 5: inmate of the mansion. Nothing seemed to go right. The
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 5: soup was tasteless, the viands were overdone, and the vegetables raw.
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 5: Never was there so fastidious a bear. The cook more
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 5: than once contemplated some rash act. The poor little turnspits
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 5: crept into corners with their tails between their legs, fully
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 5: expecting to be sackedrificed in some moment of wrath, whilst
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 5: the various house servants, pussies of doubtful reputation, seemed to
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 5: creep about the place as though there were every moment
• 1:12:11
  Speaker 5: in dread of being accused of purloining certain savory made dishes,
• 1:12:17
  Speaker 5: reserved especially for Cook's private friends. Fox, too, the steward
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 5: and factotum of the establishment, appeared not to possess his
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 5: usual sleek and quiet ease, but as the evening drew near,
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 5: got restless and fidgety, though he tried to be calm
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 5: and even more jocose than usual. He had been absent
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 5: half the morning. No one knew for what purpose, not
• 1:12:43
  Speaker 5: that he ever condescended to divulge the causes of his movements,
• 1:12:48
  Speaker 5: But there was a slyer look in his eyes, and
• 1:12:51
  Speaker 5: a sharper appearance about his clever pointed nose than ordinarily
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 5: animated those features. The hour drew nigh, the sun was
• 1:13:02
  Speaker 5: going down when the Count band Bruin, most superbly dressed,
• 1:13:06
  Speaker 5: sallied forth from his dwelling. His demeanor was observed and
• 1:13:10
  Speaker 5: criticized by every domestic in his household, who, crowding to
• 1:13:15
  Speaker 5: the windows, watched that great bear go forth as he
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 5: fancied to conquer Fox allowed him to turn the corner.
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 5: Then enveloped in a cloak which completely hid his figure,
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 5: he let himself out and glided after his master. Brewin
• 1:13:33
  Speaker 5: meanwhile strutted on till he reached the quarter of the
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 5: city inhabited by the descendants of the feline race, And
• 1:13:41
  Speaker 5: as he had never before been in that part of
• 1:13:44
  Speaker 5: the town, he was at first utterly confounded by the
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 5: discordant cries. Instead too, of the order prevailing in the
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 5: canine portions, the inhabitants seemed to take delight in the
• 1:13:57
  Speaker 5: wildest gymnastic demonstration, and certainly seemed to prefer the housetops
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 5: to any other lounging place. Kittens in horrible abundance were
• 1:14:08
  Speaker 5: frisking about in every direction, and the scene was altogether
• 1:14:13
  Speaker 5: of a character which seemed to justify the wisdom of
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 5: the magnates of Kingville in obliging this singular people to
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 5: dwell in a distinct part of the town, a rule which,
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 5: with a few exceptions, was strictly carried out. On reaching
• 1:14:30
  Speaker 5: the Mews, a place so called at the outskirts of
• 1:14:33
  Speaker 5: the city in this direction, and sufficiently removed from the
• 1:14:37
  Speaker 5: noisy streets as to make the spot a very solitary one.
• 1:14:42
  Speaker 5: Bruin perceived he was alone at the rendezvous, so to
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 5: while away the time, he strutted to and fro and
• 1:14:49
  Speaker 5: meditated in his usual style on his own self importance.
• 1:14:55
  Speaker 5: He was aroused from his reverie by a slight bark
• 1:14:59
  Speaker 5: or cough, and raising his head, he perceived in the
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 5: dim light a tall and graceful figure. Deeply veiled. He
• 1:15:07
  Speaker 5: hastily advanced his rough nature for the first time touched
• 1:15:12
  Speaker 5: at this proof of confidence and his vanity, suddenly rising
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 5: to a dangerous height, and taking the delicate white paw
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 5: which drooped gracefully from a mantle within his own, he
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 5: unclosed his jaws to make some tender speech, But before
• 1:15:30
  Speaker 5: he had time to commit himself by his ignorance, the
• 1:15:34
  Speaker 5: young lady uttered an aristocratic squeak and darted away with
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 5: the utmost swiftness, and Bruin at the same instant found
• 1:15:43
  Speaker 5: himself seized by a strong grip from behind. He turned
• 1:15:48
  Speaker 5: round with a violence which threw his assailant a dozen
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 5: paces off into a pool of stagnant water, his own
• 1:15:55
  Speaker 5: coat being slip right up the back by the movement,
• 1:15:59
  Speaker 5: but he was at once attacked by half a dozen
• 1:16:02
  Speaker 5: others who seemed bent on his destruction. Bruin's great strength, however,
• 1:16:07
  Speaker 5: served him in good stead. With his back against an
• 1:16:11
  Speaker 5: old wall, he received the assaults of his adversaries with
• 1:16:15
  Speaker 5: all his wonted ferocity, so that after ten minutes fighting,
• 1:16:19
  Speaker 5: they drew off, leaving two of their number motionless on
• 1:16:23
  Speaker 5: the ground, and a third struggling in vain to escape
• 1:16:27
  Speaker 5: from the unsavory hole where the whisk of Bruin's coat
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 5: tails had cast him to this spot, Bruin now proceeded, and,
• 1:16:35
  Speaker 5: sitting himself down on the edge, told the struggling dog
• 1:16:40
  Speaker 5: he would help him out if he would divulge the
• 1:16:43
  Speaker 5: meaning of this unexpected attack on him. The half drowned
• 1:16:48
  Speaker 5: car having supplicated the bear in vain to let him
• 1:16:51
  Speaker 5: out before he commenced his narration in accents, sadly interrupted
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 5: by his throat getting at intervals choked with dirty water,
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 5: explained that himself and the others of his assailants were
• 1:17:04
  Speaker 5: the attendants of one of the most noble families in Kingville,
• 1:17:08
  Speaker 5: and that their master, learning from some member of count
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 5: Van Bruin's household that he the Count, intended meeting the
• 1:17:17
  Speaker 5: eldest daughter at this spot to night, had commanded a
• 1:17:21
  Speaker 5: body of his servitors to be in readiness to fall
• 1:17:24
  Speaker 5: upon him and, if possible, take him prisoner for presuming
• 1:17:29
  Speaker 5: to raise or lower his eyes to a damsel of
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 5: such standing. Scarcely had Bruin heard this communication to an end,
• 1:17:38
  Speaker 5: than despite his promise and the poor dog's cries, he
• 1:17:42
  Speaker 5: caught up a huge clot of earth and dropped it
• 1:17:45
  Speaker 5: upon the devoted head of the struggling animal beneath. There
• 1:17:49
  Speaker 5: was a great splash, and a bubble or two came
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 5: to the surface of the horrid pool, and the brutal
• 1:17:55
  Speaker 5: deed was consummated. Yet at the same moment, Bruin regretted
• 1:18:00
  Speaker 5: he had been so precipitate, for he had not learnt
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 5: which member of his household had played the spy. As
• 1:18:09
  Speaker 5: he slowly left the place, he revolved this subject in
• 1:18:12
  Speaker 5: his mind, but could come to no satisfactory conclusion, for
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 5: though Fox appeared the most likely to be guilty, that
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 5: worthy animal had made himself so useful to his master
• 1:18:25
  Speaker 5: that he could not well manage without him. He resolved
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 5: nevertheless to watch him closely, and with this prudent resolve
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 5: he reached his own door. Very different was his appearance
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 5: now to that which presented on his issuing from the mansion,
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 5: his coat torn to ribbons, his hat without a crown,
• 1:18:47
  Speaker 5: his majestic frill rumpled and bloody, and his waistcoat without
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 5: a single button left wherewith to restrain the exuberance of
• 1:18:55
  Speaker 5: his linen. All his domestics were eager in their inquire
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 5: and offers of service, and Fox was so overpowering in
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 5: his expressions of regret that all suspicion vanished from Bruin's
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 5: brain at once, and he attributed his informants tale to
• 1:19:15
  Speaker 5: some malicious calumny invented to save his life and conceal
• 1:19:20
  Speaker 5: the true cause of the attack upon him. Our hero,
• 1:19:24
  Speaker 5: finding that the paths of gallantry were filled with so
• 1:19:27
  Speaker 5: much unpleasantness, resolved like a prudent animal to avoid them
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 5: carefully in the future. But as his desire for an
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 5: introduction to society continued, he availed himself of the offer
• 1:19:42
  Speaker 5: of his steward, who promised to procure him introductions to
• 1:19:47
  Speaker 5: youth of the best families, the class with which Fox
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 5: managed to bring him into connection was the most worthless
• 1:19:56
  Speaker 5: in King Bill, consisting of fast, young dogs who had
• 1:20:00
  Speaker 5: a singular knack of reversing the order of nature and
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 5: going to bed when other animals were getting up and
• 1:20:08
  Speaker 5: thinking of rising when the discreet part of the world
• 1:20:12
  Speaker 5: deemed it time to retire to rest. They had formed
• 1:20:17
  Speaker 5: themselves into a sort of club, which they called the
• 1:20:20
  Speaker 5: Hard and Fast, And indeed no terms could better express
• 1:20:25
  Speaker 5: the habits of the members, for they gamed hard, drank hard,
• 1:20:30
  Speaker 5: and talked hard, and lived so uncommonly fast that it
• 1:20:35
  Speaker 5: was not surprising that, though quite young, they should have
• 1:20:39
  Speaker 5: many of the infirmities of age. To these worthies, Bruin
• 1:20:44
  Speaker 5: was an acquisition, for he was rich, ignorant, and gullible,
• 1:20:49
  Speaker 5: whilst they were poor, grasping and unscrupulous. At the very
• 1:20:54
  Speaker 5: first interview, all parties were equally delighted with each other.
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 5: They ease of his new companion's manners was perfectly charming
• 1:21:03
  Speaker 5: to Bruin, who considered it as a proof of their breeding,
• 1:21:07
  Speaker 5: and every following day strengthened the connection. Riotous parties of
• 1:21:13
  Speaker 5: pleasure were constantly projected, for which their friend von Bruin
• 1:21:17
  Speaker 5: paid banquets of the most expensive kind were always spread
• 1:21:21
  Speaker 5: upon his table, at which his dear fellows of the
• 1:21:25
  Speaker 5: club assisted themselves. And indeed so closely were the bonds
• 1:21:31
  Speaker 5: of union drawn, that after some time many of them
• 1:21:35
  Speaker 5: could not bear to separate from their esteem count, and
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 5: therefore took up their residence with him altogether. If disorder
• 1:21:44
  Speaker 5: were running such a race and company with the chief
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 5: of the establishment, it may be conjectured that but little
• 1:21:52
  Speaker 5: prudence or economy was displayed by the domestics. Extravagance of
• 1:21:58
  Speaker 5: every kind ran riot amongst them, as wildly as with
• 1:22:02
  Speaker 5: their master, and they scrupled not at all sorts of
• 1:22:06
  Speaker 5: petty pilfering where there were none to censure or restrain. Fox,
• 1:22:12
  Speaker 5: it is true, had the right and possessed the influence
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 5: requisite to do so, but for some evil design of
• 1:22:19
  Speaker 5: his own, possibly that is, private peccadillos, might escape unnoticed.
• 1:22:25
  Speaker 5: He seemed tacitly to submit to such a state of things,
• 1:22:29
  Speaker 5: and in some instances actually encouraged it. And what could
• 1:22:34
  Speaker 5: be the only result of such a life of dissipation
• 1:22:38
  Speaker 5: unchecked by a single effort of discretion, Why nothing but
• 1:22:42
  Speaker 5: the most irretrievable ruin and ruined the bear was after
• 1:22:47
  Speaker 5: three months trial, and when following a banquet of several
• 1:22:51
  Speaker 5: days duration, the clouded intellects of the beast were made
• 1:22:56
  Speaker 5: sensible of the fact when he found his table cleared
• 1:22:59
  Speaker 5: for the last time, both of servants and guests, when
• 1:23:04
  Speaker 5: he traversed the various apartments of his mansion and observed
• 1:23:08
  Speaker 5: all stripped, destroyed, and echoing only to the sound of
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 5: his own footsteps. When in fine he discovered that he
• 1:23:17
  Speaker 5: was again alone in the world, without any portion of
• 1:23:21
  Speaker 5: that wealth which he had so sadly abused, and with
• 1:23:25
  Speaker 5: many new am vicious tastes which he had no longer
• 1:23:29
  Speaker 5: the means to gratify. Bitter indeed were his lamentations, shocking
• 1:23:35
  Speaker 5: his fits of anger. These over and they lasted long,
• 1:23:39
  Speaker 5: long days. He seriously examined the state of his affairs.
• 1:23:44
  Speaker 5: With the exception of the clothes upon his back and
• 1:23:47
  Speaker 5: a little change in his pocket, he possessed absolutely nothing,
• 1:23:52
  Speaker 5: so effectually had his kind friends and faithful servants stripped
• 1:23:57
  Speaker 5: him of his means. It was therefore, with no enviable feelings,
• 1:24:02
  Speaker 5: he left the house, his house, no longer to seek
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 5: a shelter for his head and a crust to appease
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 5: his hunger. He carefully avoided all his former resorts, and
• 1:24:14
  Speaker 5: directed his steps to those parts of the town where
• 1:24:18
  Speaker 5: poverty and vice were accustomed to assemble, strong in their
• 1:24:22
  Speaker 5: numbers and their misery. Among them. He now strove to
• 1:24:27
  Speaker 5: bury his griefs and acquire consolation, but alas it was
• 1:24:32
  Speaker 5: at the cost of every hope of virtue which might
• 1:24:35
  Speaker 5: yet lurk in his nature. Characters like Bruins, that are
• 1:24:40
  Speaker 5: ever more apt to imitate the evil than the good
• 1:24:43
  Speaker 5: which is around them, can only acquire some fresh stain
• 1:24:48
  Speaker 5: from every contact with the wicked, and thus our bare
• 1:24:52
  Speaker 5: sunk lower and lower in the scale of beasts, till
• 1:24:57
  Speaker 5: many even of his new associates at last shrunk from him.
• 1:25:03
  Speaker 5: Some months after Bruin's being turned out of his splendid home,
• 1:25:07
  Speaker 5: there was a great fair held just without the town
• 1:25:10
  Speaker 5: of Caneville, and, as is usual in such cases, the
• 1:25:15
  Speaker 5: lowest orders of the population assembled there. The honorable Miss Greyhound,
• 1:25:21
  Speaker 5: who had been a prey to feelings of a very
• 1:25:24
  Speaker 5: mixed nature since her interrupted interview with Bruin, had joined
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 5: a party of fashionables in an unusually long walk, and
• 1:25:34
  Speaker 5: on their return to the city by a different route,
• 1:25:37
  Speaker 5: they came upon the fair. They stopped on a rising
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 5: ground at some little distance to view the sports. Then,
• 1:25:45
  Speaker 5: observing a group with a tall, ungainly figure in the
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 5: center a little to the right, they drew nearer to
• 1:25:52
  Speaker 5: observe the proceedings. The great beast in the center had
• 1:25:56
  Speaker 5: his back to them, so they could not observe his features,
• 1:26:00
  Speaker 5: but they saw that his clothes were ragged, his whole
• 1:26:03
  Speaker 5: appearance very dirty, and his hat a particularly bad one.
• 1:26:08
  Speaker 5: A dozen of heavy sticks were at his feet, and
• 1:26:11
  Speaker 5: a couple were under his arm, whilst at some twenty
• 1:26:15
  Speaker 5: paces distant, two wands with an ornament or trinket at
• 1:26:20
  Speaker 5: the top of each, were stuck upright in a straw bag,
• 1:26:24
  Speaker 5: ready to be thrown at by any adventurous puss or
• 1:26:28
  Speaker 5: puppy who had a coin at his disposal. A couple
• 1:26:32
  Speaker 5: of cats were lovingly walking at some distance, another was
• 1:26:36
  Speaker 5: climbing a large tree which overhung the place, and a
• 1:26:40
  Speaker 5: fourth was lazily seated high above, Whilst in the neighborhood
• 1:26:44
  Speaker 5: of the animal who was presiding over the scene were
• 1:26:48
  Speaker 5: several dogs and a cat or two waiting for their turn.
• 1:26:53
  Speaker 5: The tall beasts now altered his position, and the strongly
• 1:26:57
  Speaker 5: marked features of a bear became plainly visible to the party.
• 1:27:01
  Speaker 5: At the same time he caught sight of the fashionable group,
• 1:27:06
  Speaker 5: and with a fierce expression in his eye, surlily invited
• 1:27:11
  Speaker 5: the well dressed males to take their chance at three
• 1:27:14
  Speaker 5: throws a penny. A gentle howl from Miss g was
• 1:27:18
  Speaker 5: the only reply as the party hastily retreated, for she
• 1:27:23
  Speaker 5: recognized in the dirty, degraded beast who was presiding over
• 1:27:27
  Speaker 5: this vulgar sport, the object she had once looked on
• 1:27:31
  Speaker 5: with affection, the once wealthy Count von Bruin. End of section.
• 1:27:38
  Speaker 6: Five, chapter six of The Adventures of a Bear and
• 1:27:47
  Speaker 6: a Great Bear Too. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 1:27:52
  Speaker 6: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 1:27:55
  Speaker 6: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Adventures of
• 1:28:00
  Speaker 6: a Bear and a Great Bear Too by Alfred Jules Progress.
• 1:28:06
  Speaker 6: The fair of Kneville was like fairs in most other
• 1:28:09
  Speaker 6: parts of the world, and contained the usual elements of
• 1:28:11
  Speaker 6: fun and wickedness, toys and dirt, sweets and other messes.
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 6: As all these various ingredients looked best at night, when
• 1:28:19
  Speaker 6: the broad sun was withdrawn and an artificial light very
• 1:28:22
  Speaker 6: feebly supplied its place. It was towards evening that the
• 1:28:25
  Speaker 6: fair began to fill and doubtful characters to ply their
• 1:28:29
  Speaker 6: various vocations. It was a matter of remark that there
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 6: was much more quarreling and ill humor in the fair
• 1:28:35
  Speaker 6: this particular year than there had been in several previous periods.
• 1:28:40
  Speaker 6: And it was also observed that a tall and powerful bear,
• 1:28:43
  Speaker 6: no other than our hero Bruin, was ever in the
• 1:28:46
  Speaker 6: midst of it, either as an instigator or a principle.
• 1:28:50
  Speaker 6: This circumstance made the authorities more than usually alert and
• 1:28:54
  Speaker 6: caused Master Bruin to be closely watched. It was at
• 1:28:57
  Speaker 6: the close of the last day, after many scenes evil
• 1:29:00
  Speaker 6: which it is not necessary to describe, that a serious
• 1:29:03
  Speaker 6: disturbance arose in the part of the field where Bruin
• 1:29:06
  Speaker 6: had his stand. Blows soon followed angry words, and the
• 1:29:10
  Speaker 6: contending parties flew at each other with great ferocity. Growled, fouled, growl,
• 1:29:15
  Speaker 6: and bite preceded bite, so that a good deal of
• 1:29:18
  Speaker 6: blood was shed, ill blood, so perhaps better out than in.
• 1:29:23
  Speaker 6: And as bruins sticks were conveniently at hand as weapons
• 1:29:26
  Speaker 6: of offense, they were soon seized upon and use sewed
• 1:29:29
  Speaker 6: indiscriminately that almost every throw told, many were stretched on
• 1:29:33
  Speaker 6: the ground, and one of the massive police was thought
• 1:29:36
  Speaker 6: to be killed. This was a serious offense. Indeed, those
• 1:29:40
  Speaker 6: who knew the penalty attending such a calamity instantly took flight.
• 1:29:45
  Speaker 6: They were as instantly pursued, and went about to be captured.
• 1:29:48
  Speaker 6: With one voice denounced Bruin as the culprit, though in
• 1:29:52
  Speaker 6: fact it was not he who had struck the blow,
• 1:29:55
  Speaker 6: and they knew it. But such was his known ferocity
• 1:29:58
  Speaker 6: and ill temper, that to shield themselves they were ready
• 1:30:01
  Speaker 6: to give up the wrong beast, whom no one loved,
• 1:30:04
  Speaker 6: and whom everyone would have suspected as the author of
• 1:30:07
  Speaker 6: the calamity. So the bear, in spite of his prostestations
• 1:30:10
  Speaker 6: of innocence, and in spite two of a most ferocious resistance,
• 1:30:14
  Speaker 6: in the course of which he got more than one
• 1:30:16
  Speaker 6: savage bite from a small animal he had injured, he
• 1:30:19
  Speaker 6: was dragged off to prison. The place used for this
• 1:30:23
  Speaker 6: purpose was a portion of a ruined castle, standing in
• 1:30:26
  Speaker 6: the center of the town, on the banks of the rivulet.
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 6: Before spoken of the ruin itself of great antiquity, and
• 1:30:32
  Speaker 6: having been evidently erected by a very different class of
• 1:30:35
  Speaker 6: beings than that which formed the present population of Caneville.
• 1:30:40
  Speaker 6: Several compartments were adapted for the purpose, all more or
• 1:30:43
  Speaker 6: less secure, but the square stone chamber into which Bruin
• 1:30:46
  Speaker 6: was thrust was the strongest of them all. The door
• 1:30:50
  Speaker 6: opened outwards, was closed on him and secured by a
• 1:30:53
  Speaker 6: heavy mass of rock, which the united efforts of several
• 1:30:57
  Speaker 6: police rolled against it, And, having thus deposited the prisoner
• 1:31:01
  Speaker 6: in safety, a couple mounted guard at the entrance, in case,
• 1:31:04
  Speaker 6: by any chance, the great strength of the bear should
• 1:31:06
  Speaker 6: succeed in removing the fastening. Bruin seemed, however, in no humor,
• 1:31:12
  Speaker 6: to make the experiment. Sore and worn out. He crawled
• 1:31:16
  Speaker 6: into a corner, and was soon fast asleep, resuming his
• 1:31:20
  Speaker 6: dream some of his old avocations. He woke at daylight
• 1:31:25
  Speaker 6: and immediately rose to examine his prison. The door he
• 1:31:28
  Speaker 6: sniffed at, but passed by. The window was at so
• 1:31:32
  Speaker 6: great a height from the floor that he could not
• 1:31:33
  Speaker 6: reach it upon tiptoe, but he remarked that a very
• 1:31:37
  Speaker 6: delicious puff of air came down an aperture originally used
• 1:31:40
  Speaker 6: as a chimney. He moved hastily towards it, and many
• 1:31:44
  Speaker 6: feet above observed the blue sky and the large branch
• 1:31:47
  Speaker 6: of a tree waving over the aperture. Had monstewar as
• 1:31:51
  Speaker 6: the police been aware of Bruin's climbing propensities, they would
• 1:31:55
  Speaker 6: have scarcely have left this point unguarded. As it was,
• 1:31:58
  Speaker 6: the bear proceeded immediately to take advantage of it. With
• 1:32:02
  Speaker 6: a spring, he caught hold of an opening formed by
• 1:32:04
  Speaker 6: a missing stone, and drawing his body up with his paw,
• 1:32:08
  Speaker 6: he stuck his foot into the hole and pressed his
• 1:32:10
  Speaker 6: broad back against the opposing side. A projecting brick gave
• 1:32:15
  Speaker 6: him a second hold, and then the difficulty was over.
• 1:32:18
  Speaker 6: For the chimney narrowing, he managed to get up by
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 6: simple pressure of his knees and back and the use
• 1:32:23
  Speaker 6: of his broad and muscular paws. A few seconds sufficed
• 1:32:27
  Speaker 6: for him to reach the top, on which he sat
• 1:32:29
  Speaker 6: with his heels dangling in the air, to enjoy the
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 6: prospect and take breath while he deliberated on his further proceedings. Meanwhile,
• 1:32:37
  Speaker 6: an inquiry had been entered upon by the authorities of
• 1:32:40
  Speaker 6: Kanevale concerning the riot in which one of the police
• 1:32:43
  Speaker 6: was alleged to have been killed, but as the object
• 1:32:46
  Speaker 6: of the inquiry limped into the assembly during the sitting,
• 1:32:49
  Speaker 6: it was not considered worth while to hear evidence as
• 1:32:52
  Speaker 6: to the authors of his death. And as he moreover
• 1:32:56
  Speaker 6: distinctly stated that the beast who struck the blow was
• 1:32:59
  Speaker 6: not a bear, it was ordered that the bear, who
• 1:33:01
  Speaker 6: was in custody on the charge should be liberated forthwith
• 1:33:05
  Speaker 6: Great was the surprise of his guards, however, on proceeding
• 1:33:08
  Speaker 6: to his prison, to find that he had anticipated the
• 1:33:11
  Speaker 6: verdict and had taken the liberty of setting himself free
• 1:33:14
  Speaker 6: in what way was pretty clear, as on looking up
• 1:33:17
  Speaker 6: the chimney, there were no less amused than astonished to
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 6: see him just in the act of swinging himself onto
• 1:33:22
  Speaker 6: the projecting branch of the tree, and disappeared from their view.
• 1:33:26
  Speaker 6: They ran around into the court to mark the end
• 1:33:28
  Speaker 6: of the bruin's maneuvers, but he had been too quick
• 1:33:31
  Speaker 6: for them. Not knowing of his being again a free bear,
• 1:33:35
  Speaker 6: and apprehensive of being pursued, he had descended the tree
• 1:33:39
  Speaker 6: with utmost velocity, climbing over a ruined wall and dropping
• 1:33:43
  Speaker 6: not lightly into the stream, with a few bold strokes,
• 1:33:46
  Speaker 6: reaching the opposite shore, where he immediately climbed the leafy oak,
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 6: with the intention of waiting till the hue and cry
• 1:33:52
  Speaker 6: was over. He kept his position very quietly all day,
• 1:33:57
  Speaker 6: rather surprised that no commotion should be visible in or
• 1:34:00
  Speaker 6: about the prison, of which he commanded a great view,
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 6: And as evening was falling, he resolved to descend and
• 1:34:07
  Speaker 6: recross the stream higher up seek refuge in some one
• 1:34:11
  Speaker 6: of his late haunts. Just as he was about putting
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 6: this resolution into effect, he heard voices behind the tree,
• 1:34:17
  Speaker 6: and lay quiet still to listen. But what was his
• 1:34:21
  Speaker 6: astonishment as they drew nearer to perceive that one of
• 1:34:24
  Speaker 6: the two foxes from whom the sounds preceded was his
• 1:34:28
  Speaker 6: former Stuart and factotum. His interest in their movements was
• 1:34:32
  Speaker 6: of course increased, and he listened with his ears and
• 1:34:35
  Speaker 6: eyes bent down to catch every syllable and look. The
• 1:34:39
  Speaker 6: stranger fox, it appeared, was about crossing the brook to
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 6: the city. The other one had accompanied him thus far,
• 1:34:46
  Speaker 6: but refused to enter the town. On this the following
• 1:34:49
  Speaker 6: words reached Bruin's ear. Stranger, I have noticed more than once, cousin,
• 1:34:55
  Speaker 6: that you avoid the town, and yet I have known
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 6: you to declare that no one but a crow could
• 1:35:01
  Speaker 6: live in the country. It is true, my dear fellow,
• 1:35:04
  Speaker 6: But since I left his service, you know I don't
• 1:35:07
  Speaker 6: care to run the risk of meeting him. Haha. I
• 1:35:10
  Speaker 6: see you are rather apprehensive that he should seize you
• 1:35:14
  Speaker 6: by the throat and exclaim my money or your life. Hush, hush,
• 1:35:18
  Speaker 6: who knows what ears may be listening enough that I
• 1:35:21
  Speaker 6: have comfortable competency, I don't choose to run the risk
• 1:35:25
  Speaker 6: of losing it. Well, well, cousin, I say no more.
• 1:35:28
  Speaker 6: But remember your grandfather of mine never left his home
• 1:35:32
  Speaker 6: for fear of meeting with a wolf who owed him
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 6: a grudge, and was found dead in his bed, having
• 1:35:37
  Speaker 6: been murdered by the very wolf. After all, come, you
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 6: needn't look so down about it, old fellow. Nothing half
• 1:35:43
  Speaker 6: so bad, I hope will come to you. Tata, so
• 1:35:47
  Speaker 6: saying the stranger. Fox took leave of his cousin and
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 6: was soon on the opposite shore. Fox waited till he
• 1:35:54
  Speaker 6: saw him land, and then slowly turned to retrace his steps. Scarcely, however,
• 1:35:59
  Speaker 6: had he taken half a dozen paces. Then a rushing
• 1:36:02
  Speaker 6: noise smote his ears, and before he could raise his head,
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 6: a heavy body struck him down between the shoulders with
• 1:36:08
  Speaker 6: a violence that dashed him flat to the ground. He
• 1:36:12
  Speaker 6: neither moved nor uttered a cry. His neck was broken
• 1:36:15
  Speaker 6: with a savage howl bruin, For it is easy to
• 1:36:18
  Speaker 6: guess that it was he put his heavy paw upon
• 1:36:20
  Speaker 6: the other's chest, but finding it still, he examined his clothes.
• 1:36:24
  Speaker 6: Once he took all the valuables. He paused in his
• 1:36:27
  Speaker 6: work to chide his own precipitity, for had he allowed
• 1:36:31
  Speaker 6: the fox, he might perhaps have learned his dwelling and
• 1:36:34
  Speaker 6: regained a great part of his property. It was too
• 1:36:37
  Speaker 6: late now, so giving a savage kick on the face
• 1:36:40
  Speaker 6: of the unfortunate animal, he heaved it over with leaves and
• 1:36:43
  Speaker 6: pursued his original intent of regaining the city, and before
• 1:36:47
  Speaker 6: night was once more beneath the roof of the late associate.
• 1:36:51
  Speaker 6: He remained for several days, perfectly quiet and inactive, but
• 1:36:55
  Speaker 6: finding no search was instituted for him, he little by
• 1:36:58
  Speaker 6: little resumed his old habit, and, as many new to
• 1:37:02
  Speaker 6: their cost, his old overbearing temper among the tastes, prevailing
• 1:37:06
  Speaker 6: to an immense extent in the community of Caneville, A
• 1:37:09
  Speaker 6: great love for those dainties which we call oysters, had
• 1:37:13
  Speaker 6: always been remarkable. It occurred to Bruin, as he had
• 1:37:16
  Speaker 6: now some trifling capital, that he would invest a portion
• 1:37:19
  Speaker 6: in such articles as made up the fixtures and stock
• 1:37:23
  Speaker 6: and trade of an oyster merchant. The former expression is, however,
• 1:37:27
  Speaker 6: a misnomer, for the stall and tubs included under the
• 1:37:30
  Speaker 6: term fixtures would be more properly described as movables. It
• 1:37:35
  Speaker 6: was soon effected, and Bruin, having chosen a semi respectable
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 6: thoroughfare where he would have a chance of a customer
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 6: or to from the upper and would not be too
• 1:37:44
  Speaker 6: far removed from the lower class of Caneville society, he
• 1:37:47
  Speaker 6: planted to stall, arranged his tub, spruced up to his
• 1:37:50
  Speaker 6: own person with the addition of a most formidable collar
• 1:37:53
  Speaker 6: and a most doubtfully clean apron, and vociferated his penny
• 1:37:57
  Speaker 6: a lot pups penny a lot, in a way which
• 1:38:01
  Speaker 6: greatly edified the bystanders. The bystanders were, however, soon induced
• 1:38:05
  Speaker 6: to become purchasers, for very few of them could resist
• 1:38:09
  Speaker 6: oysters if they had the wherewithal to purchase them. And
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 6: Bruin's natives were so fine and fresh, and he had
• 1:38:15
  Speaker 6: so clever a knack of opening that it was really
• 1:38:18
  Speaker 6: worth the money to see him do that, and many
• 1:38:21
  Speaker 6: actually went there for the purpose, so that it really
• 1:38:24
  Speaker 6: seemed that he had at last hit upon a business
• 1:38:27
  Speaker 6: for which he was entirely suited, which met also the
• 1:38:30
  Speaker 6: public views, and that a short time would enable him
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 6: with prudence to save provisions for his old age. But
• 1:38:37
  Speaker 6: alas the perversity of bears, no sooner did anything like
• 1:38:42
  Speaker 6: a smile from fortune's face alight upon him than he seemed, resolved,
• 1:38:46
  Speaker 6: by his uncompromising temper, to turn it into a frown.
• 1:38:49
  Speaker 6: As long as the business was new to him, he
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 6: took pleasure in performing the duties belonging to it in
• 1:38:55
  Speaker 6: a proper manner, a little roughly, it may be, but
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 6: still properly. Directly, it grew familiar, and he became careless,
• 1:39:02
  Speaker 6: and he had the most wilful habit of aggravating his customers,
• 1:39:06
  Speaker 6: which could not, of course continue without seriously injuring his trade.
• 1:39:11
  Speaker 6: For instance, when some pert young puppy would come forward,
• 1:39:14
  Speaker 6: in civil enough request his one or two pennies worth
• 1:39:18
  Speaker 6: of natives, Bruin would first insist on having the money
• 1:39:22
  Speaker 6: paid down, and then tantalize his customer by offering him
• 1:39:26
  Speaker 6: the opened oyster and hastily withdrawing it just as the
• 1:39:28
  Speaker 6: impatient jaws were about to close on the desired morsel.
• 1:39:32
  Speaker 6: And so to the end, to the vast irritation of
• 1:39:35
  Speaker 6: many an irascible little animal, And a day came when
• 1:39:39
  Speaker 6: the same spirit caused the upset of his trade and
• 1:39:42
  Speaker 6: set a veto upon his selling the natives, at least
• 1:39:45
  Speaker 6: in Kineville for the future. A fox and a young
• 1:39:48
  Speaker 6: terrier had both paid their money and were eagerly waiting
• 1:39:51
  Speaker 6: their oysters, disturbing by their clamor a grave old dog
• 1:39:55
  Speaker 6: who was licking the shell of his last pennisworth, when
• 1:39:58
  Speaker 6: a domestic from a wealthy family aid in a superb
• 1:40:01
  Speaker 6: livery cloak came up to order a lot for his master.
• 1:40:05
  Speaker 6: The usual game, if it could be called so, when
• 1:40:08
  Speaker 6: all the fun was on one side was being played.
• 1:40:11
  Speaker 6: Three distinct efforts had been made by terrier to get
• 1:40:14
  Speaker 6: his second installment, When in the struggle which ensued, the
• 1:40:18
  Speaker 6: vinegar bottle was knocked over, the court came out, and
• 1:40:22
  Speaker 6: the perfidious fluid highly adulterated with vitriol. For to the
• 1:40:26
  Speaker 6: shame be it spoken, the dogs of distillers did not
• 1:40:29
  Speaker 6: hesitate to endanger their lives. That the inhabitants with such
• 1:40:32
  Speaker 6: practices poured in full volume over the rich livery cloak
• 1:40:36
  Speaker 6: of the servant, which was completely soiled. The master, who
• 1:40:40
  Speaker 6: was as powerful as he was Avaricius, made a formal
• 1:40:43
  Speaker 6: complaint against Bruin and his stall as a nuisance, and
• 1:40:46
  Speaker 6: as it is impossible even in Kineville to obtain perfect justice,
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 6: the report, without other inquiry was taken as correct, and
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 6: Bruin boiled with rage and had the mortification of seeing
• 1:40:57
  Speaker 6: as tubs smashed, his stall destroyed, and his natives scattered
• 1:41:01
  Speaker 6: all abroad without being able to strike a blow in
• 1:41:04
  Speaker 6: their defense. End of chapter six. Read by Jim Shield,
• 1:41:10
  Speaker 6: Los Angeles, California, December twenty eighth, twenty twenty two.
• 1:41:21
  Speaker 2: Chapter seven of the Adventures of a Bear and a
• 1:41:23
  Speaker 2: Great Bear Too. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
• 1:41:28
  Speaker 2: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 1:41:32
  Speaker 2: to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Read by Jessica
• 1:41:36
  Speaker 2: Castro Rapple. The Adventures of a Bear and a Great
• 1:41:41
  Speaker 2: Bear Too by Alfred Elwis Downhill ruined that great animal
• 1:41:48
  Speaker 2: was seated on a bank overhanging the river, which, being
• 1:41:51
  Speaker 2: shallow at this spot, brawled loudly over its pebbly bed,
• 1:41:55
  Speaker 2: some parts of which were dry. It was at such
• 1:41:59
  Speaker 2: a distance from the city that all the noises common
• 1:42:02
  Speaker 2: to its streets were united into one buzz or hum,
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 2: and the whole scene was well adapted to suggest meditations
• 1:42:09
  Speaker 2: upon private matters or the affairs of the world in general.
• 1:42:13
  Speaker 2: Yet Bruin did not seem influenced by any such reflections.
• 1:42:17
  Speaker 2: If one might venture a guess from the appearance of
• 1:42:20
  Speaker 2: his physiognomy, one would say that nothing in particular occupied
• 1:42:23
  Speaker 2: his brains. True, his looks were black, his head was
• 1:42:27
  Speaker 2: cast down. His eyes, as usual, were cunning and ferocious,
• 1:42:31
  Speaker 2: but then they were always so, and consequently presented no
• 1:42:35
  Speaker 2: index of what was passing within. Suddenly his features brightened,
• 1:42:41
  Speaker 2: his face assumed an expression of interest, and he put
• 1:42:44
  Speaker 2: his paw gently behind him to secure a stone, whilst
• 1:42:48
  Speaker 2: his gaze was intently fixed on a dry spot of
• 1:42:51
  Speaker 2: the bed below. Following the direction of his look, one
• 1:42:55
  Speaker 2: might have perceived an uncommonly fat frog pulling with all
• 1:42:59
  Speaker 2: his strength at the leg of another one, whose body
• 1:43:03
  Speaker 2: was hidden behind a heap of pebbles, and certainly the
• 1:43:06
  Speaker 2: sight was one to amuse a wiser head than a bear's,
• 1:43:11
  Speaker 2: the standing place of the paunchy little animal being very
• 1:43:13
  Speaker 2: green and slippery, and the leg to which he so
• 1:43:17
  Speaker 2: tightly clasped belonging to a fellow creature of no ordinary robustness.
• 1:43:22
  Speaker 2: The struggle was diversified every few seconds by the fat
• 1:43:25
  Speaker 2: fellow toppling onto his nose or back, or being dragged
• 1:43:29
  Speaker 2: behind the heap, and then suddenly reappearing, still holding with
• 1:43:33
  Speaker 2: passionless determination to that devoted leg, and tumbling about without
• 1:43:38
  Speaker 2: uttering a syllable. It was when the greater part of
• 1:43:41
  Speaker 2: his body was exposed to view in a position more
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 2: comical than dignified. So great were his exertions that bruined stone,
• 1:43:50
  Speaker 2: cast with unerring aim, descended upon the unfortunate frog. It
• 1:43:55
  Speaker 2: hit him upon the softest and most projecting part of
• 1:43:58
  Speaker 2: his back, and had the effect of raising him instantly
• 1:44:01
  Speaker 2: into a perpendicular position. When looking round and observing the
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 2: huge beast above about to repeat the application, he clapped
• 1:44:09
  Speaker 2: his broad hand over the wounded place and limped hastily away.
• 1:44:13
  Speaker 2: Nor could all the enticements of the bear conveyed it
• 1:44:15
  Speaker 2: is true in very unflattering language, induce him to expose
• 1:44:19
  Speaker 2: his person to the chances of a second throw. Bruin's
• 1:44:24
  Speaker 2: attention was shortly after aroused anew by observing a wretched
• 1:44:28
  Speaker 2: old dog tottering under the weight of a large bundle
• 1:44:31
  Speaker 2: strapped upon his back, which he was conveying to the city.
• 1:44:35
  Speaker 2: He came within a few feet of the bear, whom
• 1:44:37
  Speaker 2: he knew slightly, and, casting down his load, which he
• 1:44:40
  Speaker 2: seemed to have brought from a distance, wiped his face
• 1:44:43
  Speaker 2: with his ragged tail. Bruin was the first to speak
• 1:44:49
  Speaker 2: Bruin with a grunt, hard at work as usual, A
• 1:44:52
  Speaker 2: flip flip, Yes, master Bruin, these are hard times. No
• 1:44:57
  Speaker 2: bone to pick without it, you know, Bruin, with a
• 1:45:01
  Speaker 2: very emphatic grunt. That depends. Some have lots of bones
• 1:45:06
  Speaker 2: and fine clothes and warm beds without doing anything harder
• 1:45:10
  Speaker 2: for them than picking the one, putting on the other,
• 1:45:12
  Speaker 2: and sleeping on the third. But never mind that, what
• 1:45:16
  Speaker 2: have you got there in your bundle, old fellow?
• 1:45:19
  Speaker 7: Flip?
• 1:45:20
  Speaker 2: Why songs, master Bruin, and you, who are fond of music,
• 1:45:23
  Speaker 2: might make mints of money by selling them, if you'd
• 1:45:26
  Speaker 2: only choose to do it, Bruin, pricking up his ears.
• 1:45:30
  Speaker 7: Ah, master, flip and in what way? Flip? Why?
• 1:45:34
  Speaker 2: Here are all the new songs that have been sung
• 1:45:36
  Speaker 2: for the last ten seasons by the Catterwollic Society at
• 1:45:40
  Speaker 2: their new hall, and a lot more besides, printed in
• 1:45:43
  Speaker 2: half a dozen columns, three times as long as my tail,
• 1:45:47
  Speaker 2: and all for a penny. Why the very names of
• 1:45:50
  Speaker 2: them are worth double the money. I'm going to take
• 1:45:53
  Speaker 2: this package to old Poutry, the bookseller, and if you're
• 1:45:56
  Speaker 2: in want of a job, I'll recommend you to him
• 1:45:59
  Speaker 2: as one of the vendors. The proposal in Bruin's state
• 1:46:03
  Speaker 2: of finance was not to be despised, for since his
• 1:46:06
  Speaker 2: forced retirement from business, he had found his stomach and
• 1:46:10
  Speaker 2: his pockets, by a very natural sympathy, suffering from precisely
• 1:46:14
  Speaker 2: the same complaint, a degree of emptiness, namely which there
• 1:46:19
  Speaker 2: seemed no chance of.
• 1:46:20
  Speaker 7: Finding a remedy for.
• 1:46:22
  Speaker 2: But he had sundry doubts as to his capabilities for
• 1:46:25
  Speaker 2: the new employment he was about seeking, particularly as he
• 1:46:29
  Speaker 2: was aware his reputation was more notorious than favorable. To
• 1:46:34
  Speaker 2: his surprise, however, though his person was well known to
• 1:46:37
  Speaker 2: the individual poutry. Not the slightest objection seemed to be
• 1:46:41
  Speaker 2: made on the score of anything. The terms of his agreement,
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 2: alas not remarkably liberal, were arranged. Bruin spent a couple
• 1:46:50
  Speaker 2: of days in conning over his task and forgetting to
• 1:46:53
  Speaker 2: thank the poor dog who had procured him his situation.
• 1:46:57
  Speaker 2: He once more entered the busy streets of Caneville to
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 2: add his bass voice to the other cries of that
• 1:47:02
  Speaker 2: populous city. His appearance as he made his way into
• 1:47:06
  Speaker 2: the center of the most active thoroughfare, holding in one
• 1:47:09
  Speaker 2: paw his list of songs longer than most of the inhabitants,
• 1:47:13
  Speaker 2: whilst his.
• 1:47:13
  Speaker 7: Other was thrust into his trousers pocket.
• 1:47:16
  Speaker 2: The impudent leer on his face as he surveyed his audience,
• 1:47:20
  Speaker 2: and the careless set of his clothes, which big as
• 1:47:24
  Speaker 2: he was, seemed a size too capacious for him, immediately
• 1:47:28
  Speaker 2: attracted a crowd. A butcher's dog, who had been ordered
• 1:47:32
  Speaker 2: to make all speed to number ten in the same
• 1:47:34
  Speaker 2: street with a leg of mutton in his basket, stayed
• 1:47:37
  Speaker 2: to gape and listen although he was standing opposite number nine.
• 1:47:42
  Speaker 2: A young pup from a neighboring alley ran out at
• 1:47:44
  Speaker 2: the sound of his voice to learn the news. A
• 1:47:47
  Speaker 2: spaniel with long, curly hair and medicine basket on his
• 1:47:51
  Speaker 2: arm could not resist the temptation of just stopping to hear,
• 1:47:55
  Speaker 2: though three servants of one of his master's patients were
• 1:47:58
  Speaker 2: scouring the streets in search of him.
• 1:48:00
  Speaker 7: Nor could an eminent.
• 1:48:01
  Speaker 2: Vocalist of the feline tribe La Signorina Pussetta Scraciolini pass
• 1:48:07
  Speaker 2: by without lending an ear to the wonderful list of melodies.
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 2: There was another figure, too, who slackened her pace as
• 1:48:13
  Speaker 2: she was passing the group, and by an irresistible impulse,
• 1:48:17
  Speaker 2: seemed compelled to draw near and listen. She was richly
• 1:48:21
  Speaker 2: dressed in mantle and hood, which thrown gracefully back, displayed
• 1:48:25
  Speaker 2: a head and neck of aristocratic proportions.
• 1:48:29
  Speaker 7: She seemed ill, however, and.
• 1:48:30
  Speaker 2: Weak, for her delicate paws were resting on a stick,
• 1:48:34
  Speaker 2: as though such aid were requisite, whilst her short breathing
• 1:48:37
  Speaker 2: seemed to hint that her sorrows were bringing her nearer
• 1:48:40
  Speaker 2: to her doom. She must have been once possessed of
• 1:48:44
  Speaker 2: considerable beauty, and even now there was enough remaining to
• 1:48:47
  Speaker 2: distinguish the honorable miss Greyhound thus surrounded Bruin vociferated with
• 1:48:54
  Speaker 2: all the power of his lungs. Oah, never were such
• 1:48:59
  Speaker 2: time here you are only look double your own length
• 1:49:03
  Speaker 2: of songs for one penny, enough paper to make yourselves
• 1:49:07
  Speaker 2: a coat to wrap yourselves in.
• 1:49:09
  Speaker 7: Melody, only one penny.
• 1:49:11
  Speaker 2: Five hundred of the choicest songs of the Catterwalic and
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 2: puppy and amalgamated harmonic societies, and upwards of five hundred
• 1:49:19
  Speaker 2: more of the most popular ditties of Caneville, and all
• 1:49:23
  Speaker 2: for one penny. And then he croaked forth the following doggerel,
• 1:49:28
  Speaker 2: the most acceptable poetry by the way of the city,
• 1:49:31
  Speaker 2: in which the titles of their songs were dragged in
• 1:49:35
  Speaker 2: without any regard to order to make up a rhyme.
• 1:49:38
  Speaker 2: Here's what's a clock? And like a rock he stood
• 1:49:41
  Speaker 2: upon his dignity, with pups alive, and we are five
• 1:49:45
  Speaker 2: and dozens more.
• 1:49:46
  Speaker 3: Who'll buy?
• 1:49:47
  Speaker 7: Who'll buy?
• 1:49:48
  Speaker 2: Here's puss was out, and Piggy's snout was longer far
• 1:49:51
  Speaker 2: than I can tell, With merry dogs and yellow frogs
• 1:49:55
  Speaker 2: in scores.
• 1:49:56
  Speaker 7: I'm ready here to sell.
• 1:49:58
  Speaker 2: Here's burning size and a all those eyes and songs
• 1:50:01
  Speaker 2: for kittens newly born with stay, oh, stay, and don't
• 1:50:06
  Speaker 2: say nay, and some no worse for being worn. Here's
• 1:50:10
  Speaker 2: love's an ass and past the glass, and Jucky is
• 1:50:13
  Speaker 2: the dog for me?
• 1:50:14
  Speaker 7: Here's did you ever?
• 1:50:15
  Speaker 2: No? I never, and I hope it yet may be,
• 1:50:19
  Speaker 2: and all for one penny. And thus he went down
• 1:50:23
  Speaker 2: the street, disposing of his wares with wonderful rapidity and
• 1:50:27
  Speaker 2: producing sundry forced accompaniments to his own wretched song by
• 1:50:31
  Speaker 2: treading on the toes of all the pups who were
• 1:50:34
  Speaker 2: attracted by curiosity to his vicinity. A second and a
• 1:50:38
  Speaker 2: third supply was exhausted before the canine and feline public
• 1:50:42
  Speaker 2: of Caneville got tired of purchasing their own measure of song.
• 1:50:47
  Speaker 2: Whether a fourth would have been successful, there was no
• 1:50:49
  Speaker 2: chance of discovering, for old Poutry looked in vain for
• 1:50:53
  Speaker 2: Bruin with the proceeds of the last lot.
• 1:50:56
  Speaker 7: Day after day passed by.
• 1:50:58
  Speaker 2: And still he was absent, until it was deemed necessary
• 1:51:01
  Speaker 2: to have a search after him. For some time he
• 1:51:05
  Speaker 2: eluded all inquiries, as he well knew his fate if
• 1:51:08
  Speaker 2: his hiding place were discovered, For having appropriated the money
• 1:51:12
  Speaker 2: of his master to his own use. He was fully
• 1:51:15
  Speaker 2: aware that his person would have to pay the penalty
• 1:51:18
  Speaker 2: of his transgression. He skulked about the lowest purlieus of
• 1:51:23
  Speaker 2: the city, among curs of the most degraded character, as
• 1:51:27
  Speaker 2: dirty and negligent in body as they were debased in mind,
• 1:51:31
  Speaker 2: until in hourly fear of being betrayed, he felt that
• 1:51:35
  Speaker 2: the worst certainty would be preferable to such a state
• 1:51:38
  Speaker 2: of suspense and alarm, so resolved to deliver himself up
• 1:51:42
  Speaker 2: and brave the worst. He was again cast into prison.
• 1:51:47
  Speaker 2: For that he was prepared, But he was not prepared
• 1:51:50
  Speaker 2: for the wretched place of confinement to which he was
• 1:51:52
  Speaker 2: now condemned. On being first thrust into it, he could
• 1:51:56
  Speaker 2: not behold all its horror. But when his eye got
• 1:52:00
  Speaker 2: accustomed to the semi darkness, he found himself in a
• 1:52:03
  Speaker 2: dismal cell underground, half full of water from the overflowing
• 1:52:07
  Speaker 2: of the river, and teeming with numerous crawling, slimy things,
• 1:52:13
  Speaker 2: a little hole half choked with earth and stones, let
• 1:52:17
  Speaker 2: in all the place possessed of light and air. And
• 1:52:20
  Speaker 2: as only the air which could ever visit the place,
• 1:52:23
  Speaker 2: had to pass over a bed of stagnant mud. Ere
• 1:52:25
  Speaker 2: it reached the spot, it possessed but few refreshing properties. Ruin,
• 1:52:32
  Speaker 2: who had, in his despair, given himself quietly up to
• 1:52:35
  Speaker 2: the authorities, thinking probably that by the very act he
• 1:52:38
  Speaker 2: might procure some mitigation of his sentence. Now that he
• 1:52:41
  Speaker 2: perceived his doom, gave way to one of those fearful
• 1:52:45
  Speaker 2: bursts of rage which no experience had succeeded in teaching
• 1:52:49
  Speaker 2: him to curb. He howled till the dirt sticking about
• 1:52:52
  Speaker 2: the vaulted ceiling and the earth choking up the air
• 1:52:55
  Speaker 2: hole dropped piecemeal to the ground, and every insect that
• 1:53:00
  Speaker 2: had ears covered them up the best way it could
• 1:53:02
  Speaker 2: to prevent its becoming instantaneously deafened by the horrid sound.
• 1:53:07
  Speaker 2: Then tearing round and round and round the confined space
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 2: of his cell till there seemed to him fifty windows
• 1:53:14
  Speaker 2: instead of one, and the single door appeared, suddenly placed
• 1:53:18
  Speaker 2: in every part of the miserable vault. He struck his
• 1:53:22
  Speaker 2: head against the rugged wall of his prison, and toppled
• 1:53:25
  Speaker 2: over senseless onto the ground.
• 1:53:29
  Speaker 7: End of chapter seven.
• 1:53:37
  Speaker 3: Chapter eight of the Adventures of a Bear and a
• 1:53:39
  Speaker 3: Great Bear Too. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox
• 1:53:44
  Speaker 3: recordings are in the public domain. For more information or
• 1:53:47
  Speaker 3: to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. The Adventures of
• 1:53:52
  Speaker 3: a Bear and a Great Bear Too by Alfred Elwess
• 1:53:57
  Speaker 3: at Rest. It is not easy to say how long
• 1:54:00
  Speaker 3: Bruin remained insensible, but it must have been some time,
• 1:54:04
  Speaker 3: for when he recovered himself there was a feeling of
• 1:54:07
  Speaker 3: weakness about him, as though he had been fasting long.
• 1:54:11
  Speaker 3: His head, too, felt sadly dizzy as he rose from
• 1:54:14
  Speaker 3: his cold bed and pushed his nose against the whole
• 1:54:17
  Speaker 3: of a window to procure a little air. From this,
• 1:54:20
  Speaker 3: he withdrew to pace his narrow cell, and as the
• 1:54:24
  Speaker 3: turning round increased his giddiness. On reaching the opposite wall,
• 1:54:28
  Speaker 3: he retraced his step backwards, and so continued for a
• 1:54:31
  Speaker 3: full hour, gently moving his head meanwhile to the right
• 1:54:34
  Speaker 3: and left, as was his wont Then, getting into the
• 1:54:38
  Speaker 3: driest corner, he threw himself of a heap on the ground, and, mechanically,
• 1:54:43
  Speaker 3: resuming the old family practice of sucking his paw, tried
• 1:54:46
  Speaker 3: to bring his mind to bear upon his situation, but
• 1:54:49
  Speaker 3: this was a matter of no little difficulty, for the
• 1:54:52
  Speaker 3: late events of his life had tended very considerably to
• 1:54:56
  Speaker 3: weaken an intellect that was never remarkable for strength, and
• 1:55:00
  Speaker 3: so he sat and relapsed into a dozy state, where forgetfulness,
• 1:55:04
  Speaker 3: for the most part presided. At times, it is true,
• 1:55:08
  Speaker 3: he would wake up and the old fire lighting in
• 1:55:11
  Speaker 3: his eyes. He would dash upon the ground as he
• 1:55:14
  Speaker 3: observed the prison walls close around him. But the feeling
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 3: was momentary, and it was evident that the indulgence of
• 1:55:20
  Speaker 3: his evil passions had so far clouded his reason that
• 1:55:24
  Speaker 3: a few weeks solitary confinement would deprive him of all
• 1:55:27
  Speaker 3: power of reflection forever. Evening had come again, though it
• 1:55:31
  Speaker 3: was dark night in Bruin's cell, and had been so
• 1:55:34
  Speaker 3: for hours, when suddenly he heard, or fancied, he heard
• 1:55:39
  Speaker 3: his name uttered in a loud whisper, a fear he
• 1:55:42
  Speaker 3: had never before experienced, and apprehension of he knew not
• 1:55:45
  Speaker 3: what stole over him. And it was not till the
• 1:55:49
  Speaker 3: voice a little louder, exclaimed Bruin. Bruin, I say that
• 1:55:55
  Speaker 3: he dared venture a reply, when, after an effort he said,
• 1:56:00
  Speaker 3: who calls a friend? Was the ready answer A friend?
• 1:56:05
  Speaker 3: Exclaimed Bruin savagely, Then you can't be seeking me, for
• 1:56:09
  Speaker 3: I've got no friends. Come, Come, Bruin, said the voice again,
• 1:56:14
  Speaker 3: don't be testy. It's I the Captain, and you know
• 1:56:18
  Speaker 3: I never played you false. Bruin now indeed recognize a
• 1:56:22
  Speaker 3: voice as that of perhaps the most desperate dog in Kingville.
• 1:56:28
  Speaker 3: He was a bloodhound of large size and formidable strength,
• 1:56:31
  Speaker 3: and such ferocity and daring that few occurred to come
• 1:56:35
  Speaker 3: into contact with him, lest, by some chance they should
• 1:56:39
  Speaker 3: be involved in a quarrel which could only have a
• 1:56:41
  Speaker 3: disastrous termination. Public report fixed more than one deep crime
• 1:56:46
  Speaker 3: upon this caline desperado, but still somehow he escaped the
• 1:56:50
  Speaker 3: power of the law. Bruin felt flattered at his attention
• 1:56:54
  Speaker 3: and inquired what had brought him there? Why, replied the Captain,
• 1:56:59
  Speaker 3: this is the third time. Might have been here already,
• 1:57:01
  Speaker 3: But though I have called out your name so loudly
• 1:57:03
  Speaker 3: that I expected to alarm the guard, I have got
• 1:57:06
  Speaker 3: no answer till to night. I shouldn't have come back again,
• 1:57:09
  Speaker 3: for I thought you were dead. So I have been nearly, Captain,
• 1:57:14
  Speaker 3: answered Bruin. But I am not quite gone yet. You
• 1:57:17
  Speaker 3: hear now you have found me alive. Though what is
• 1:57:20
  Speaker 3: it you want? And how can I shut up here?
• 1:57:23
  Speaker 3: Be of any interest to you?
• 1:57:26
  Speaker 7: Listen?
• 1:57:26
  Speaker 3: To me, Bruin, said the captain, as he squeezed his
• 1:57:29
  Speaker 3: nose into the tiny window and dropped his voice to
• 1:57:32
  Speaker 3: a low whisper. If you were out and at liberty,
• 1:57:36
  Speaker 3: would you feel inclined to join me and one or
• 1:57:38
  Speaker 3: two others in a job we intend to come off
• 1:57:40
  Speaker 3: to night. Bruin hastened to reply, but the Captain interrupted him, saying,
• 1:57:46
  Speaker 3: don't be in a hurry to make a promise until
• 1:57:48
  Speaker 3: you know what it is for. Shut up here as
• 1:57:51
  Speaker 3: you are, you can't betray the secret if you would,
• 1:57:54
  Speaker 3: so I don't mind revealing it. Four of us mean
• 1:57:57
  Speaker 3: to break into old Lord Greyhound's house to night. Were
• 1:57:59
  Speaker 3: we here there is money enough to enrich us for
• 1:58:01
  Speaker 3: our lives. But as we're likely to have some hard
• 1:58:05
  Speaker 3: work and stout resistance, and think we are not strong
• 1:58:08
  Speaker 3: enough yet for the business, we should like you to
• 1:58:11
  Speaker 3: join us, if you choose to do so. Bruin reflected
• 1:58:15
  Speaker 3: a moment where reflection was ruined. Had he at once
• 1:58:19
  Speaker 3: and scornfully rejected the horrible temptation, there would still have
• 1:58:23
  Speaker 3: been hope for him. But besides the prospect of liberty,
• 1:58:28
  Speaker 3: though he did not yet know how that was to
• 1:58:29
  Speaker 3: be effected, there was the chance of enriching himself once again,
• 1:58:34
  Speaker 3: and above all, there was a prospect of revenge against
• 1:58:38
  Speaker 3: the dog who had once sought its life because he
• 1:58:40
  Speaker 3: had been selected as an object of preference by his daughter.
• 1:58:44
  Speaker 3: His meditations therefore were at once brought to an end
• 1:58:48
  Speaker 3: by his resolution to accept the proposal. But before he
• 1:58:51
  Speaker 3: did so, the caution he had acquired by associating with
• 1:58:55
  Speaker 3: such beasts as the captain made him say, let us
• 1:58:59
  Speaker 3: understand each other clearly, you said, just now. If I
• 1:59:03
  Speaker 3: were out and at liberty, have you then the power
• 1:59:06
  Speaker 3: to set me free? Provided you will be of the
• 1:59:09
  Speaker 3: party and agree to our terms, answered the captain. And
• 1:59:13
  Speaker 3: how if I refuse, pursued Bruin. Why, replied the captain
• 1:59:18
  Speaker 3: quickly and ferociously. You'll stop there till you starve. I
• 1:59:23
  Speaker 3: accept your offer, said Bruin, after the slightest possible pause.
• 1:59:28
  Speaker 3: And I would have done so without the alternative, for
• 1:59:30
  Speaker 3: private reasons of my own. So let me out, old fellow,
• 1:59:34
  Speaker 3: as fast as you like. And you give your word,
• 1:59:38
  Speaker 3: said the captain. The word of a bear, replied Bruin.
• 1:59:43
  Speaker 3: The other exclaimed, all right, I shall see you again
• 1:59:46
  Speaker 3: at half an hour never did half an hour seem
• 1:59:50
  Speaker 3: so long as minute after minute flew by. There broke
• 1:59:54
  Speaker 3: upon Bruin's misty brain a notion that perhaps this was
• 1:59:58
  Speaker 3: only a trick of the captain's to get him to
• 2:00:00
  Speaker 3: declare his willingness to join any desperate deed in order
• 2:00:03
  Speaker 3: to ruin him. But then again, he could discover no
• 2:00:07
  Speaker 3: reason for such enmity, and could see no advantage accruing
• 2:00:11
  Speaker 3: to that individual by such a course. At the very idea, however,
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 3: of such betrayal, his teeth gnashed together, his eyes glared
• 2:00:19
  Speaker 3: in the darkness like two live coals, and he involuntarily
• 2:00:23
  Speaker 3: crossed his huge paws over his chest, as though hugging
• 2:00:26
  Speaker 3: some imaginary enemy. But he recovered his self possession on
• 2:00:30
  Speaker 3: hearing a grating noise at the other side of the cell,
• 2:00:33
  Speaker 3: which gradually became louder, until at last, augusta air which
• 2:00:38
  Speaker 3: revived his spirits, came whistling round the vault and told
• 2:00:42
  Speaker 3: that his path was open. The captain, too, was in
• 2:00:45
  Speaker 3: an instant by his side to confirm it. He passed
• 2:00:49
  Speaker 3: through an aperture caused by an open iron door, preceded
• 2:00:53
  Speaker 3: by his companion, who had, however, first cautiously reclosed and
• 2:00:57
  Speaker 3: fastened up the secret entrance, and as they traversed a
• 2:01:01
  Speaker 3: damp and dark tunnel, the captain explained the mystery by
• 2:01:04
  Speaker 3: saying this place had been known to him some time,
• 2:01:07
  Speaker 3: though it was unsuspected by the authorities, and that the
• 2:01:10
  Speaker 3: exterior entrance was so covered up by brambles that no
• 2:01:13
  Speaker 3: one ignorant of the spot could ever imagine what lay behind,
• 2:01:18
  Speaker 3: or would care to explore the threatening passage if by
• 2:01:21
  Speaker 3: any chance they discovered it. As Bruin was exhausted for
• 2:01:25
  Speaker 3: want of food, and it still wanted some hours of
• 2:01:28
  Speaker 3: the time appointed for their undertaking, they proceeded to one
• 2:01:32
  Speaker 3: of the old resorts, and regaled most heartily the sense
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 3: of liberty after his confinement, raising the bare spirits to
• 2:01:39
  Speaker 3: the highest pitch. At length, the time of Grenon arrived,
• 2:01:44
  Speaker 3: and the party, prepared for their desperate and wicked undertaking,
• 2:01:48
  Speaker 3: set out. It has been mentioned in a previous part
• 2:01:51
  Speaker 3: of this history that Lord Greyhound was one of the
• 2:01:54
  Speaker 3: principal grandees in Caneville, both as regarded fortune and family,
• 2:01:59
  Speaker 3: and that he lived in a palace befitting his condition.
• 2:02:03
  Speaker 3: A crowd of domestics belonged to his household. But the
• 2:02:06
  Speaker 3: captain was aware that their cribs were remote, and that
• 2:02:09
  Speaker 3: but little in the shape of resistance was to be
• 2:02:12
  Speaker 3: feared from them should they be aroused. Still, great caution
• 2:02:16
  Speaker 3: was requisite, for if they did not bite, they could bark,
• 2:02:20
  Speaker 3: and that would be equally as fatal to their success.
• 2:02:23
  Speaker 3: On this occasion, the only difficulty to be got over
• 2:02:27
  Speaker 3: was the vigilance of a porter who slept below, whose
• 2:02:30
  Speaker 3: fidelity to his master had been tried on more than
• 2:02:33
  Speaker 3: one occasion, although what made such attachment singular in this
• 2:02:37
  Speaker 3: instance was the fact that the said porter was one
• 2:02:40
  Speaker 3: of the Feline tribe, a cat in fact of large
• 2:02:44
  Speaker 3: dimensions and peculiarly savage nature. Bruin, however, took upon himself
• 2:02:50
  Speaker 3: the task of quieting this servant and keeping watch below,
• 2:02:54
  Speaker 3: whilst the others should ransack dimension, a place of rendezvous
• 2:02:58
  Speaker 3: being appointed where they were to meet in case of alarm.
• 2:03:02
  Speaker 3: To avoid suspicion, they proceeded alone to the scene of
• 2:03:05
  Speaker 3: their intended crime, and, favored by darkness, they reached it unchallenged.
• 2:03:11
  Speaker 3: Having gently tried the fastenings in one or two places,
• 2:03:14
  Speaker 3: they resolved to make the attempt at a small door
• 2:03:17
  Speaker 3: at the back, which seemed the most weakly guarded. Bruin
• 2:03:21
  Speaker 3: pushed it first quietly with his huge shoulder, and, finding
• 2:03:25
  Speaker 3: it gradually yielding without further ado, he placed his knee
• 2:03:29
  Speaker 3: against the lower panel, and with less noise than might
• 2:03:32
  Speaker 3: have been expected, sent the door flying from its fastenings.
• 2:03:36
  Speaker 3: He was the first to enter, though the others were
• 2:03:38
  Speaker 3: close behind. But he had not taken two steps within
• 2:03:42
  Speaker 3: the house than he saw, as he thought, two balls
• 2:03:45
  Speaker 3: of fire on the floor before him. It was his
• 2:03:48
  Speaker 3: last look of worldly things, or at the same moment,
• 2:03:52
  Speaker 3: the porter cat, for it was. He sprang at the
• 2:03:56
  Speaker 3: huge giant like a fury, and dug his long and
• 2:03:58
  Speaker 3: pointed talons into Bruin's eyes with a howl so dreadful,
• 2:04:03
  Speaker 3: so awful in its intense agony, rage, that it seemed
• 2:04:07
  Speaker 3: to spring from a supernatural source. The affrighted beast rolled
• 2:04:10
  Speaker 3: over and over in his pain, crushing the cat to
• 2:04:13
  Speaker 3: death in his struggles. Then, feeling even amidst his suffering,
• 2:04:17
  Speaker 3: the necessity of safety, he rose to his feet and
• 2:04:21
  Speaker 3: ran on on on. He knew not whither till he
• 2:04:24
  Speaker 3: fell himself in the midst of water and heard the
• 2:04:27
  Speaker 3: rushing which it made so instantaneous had been the whole transaction,
• 2:04:32
  Speaker 3: that the truth was never rightly known. The family, nay
• 2:04:37
  Speaker 3: the neighborhood, aroused by the hard noise, rushed to the
• 2:04:40
  Speaker 3: spot to find the faithful porter dead, with every bone shattered.
• 2:04:45
  Speaker 3: The door was open, but no creature was there to
• 2:04:47
  Speaker 3: tell the tale. One alone suspected it, one to whom
• 2:04:51
  Speaker 3: that cry of agony was the death blow. For two
• 2:04:55
  Speaker 3: days after the event, the honorable Miss Greyhound slept with
• 2:04:58
  Speaker 3: her father's the victim of a misplaced and unworthy attachment,
• 2:05:03
  Speaker 3: and bruin Where was he alas poor beast? Three days
• 2:05:08
  Speaker 3: after this event, he was discovered by the authorities, half
• 2:05:12
  Speaker 3: dead with pain, and led back to prison, which he
• 2:05:15
  Speaker 3: had left with so little ceremony. His senses, however, were
• 2:05:19
  Speaker 3: so bewildered by his situation that he could neither explain
• 2:05:23
  Speaker 3: how he had escaped from his dungeon, nor the cause
• 2:05:26
  Speaker 3: of his present deplorable condition. Perhaps, too, he deemed it
• 2:05:30
  Speaker 3: more prudent to be silent on both these matters, his judges, nevertheless,
• 2:05:35
  Speaker 3: taking into consideration his now helpless state, and rightly thinking
• 2:05:39
  Speaker 3: his powers of mischief were much abated by the loss
• 2:05:42
  Speaker 3: of his eyes, hardened his previous offense and thrust him
• 2:05:46
  Speaker 3: alone and helpless on the world. For many a long
• 2:05:49
  Speaker 3: year did the ill fated animal drag on his worsome existence,
• 2:05:54
  Speaker 3: living on the charity, the scanty charity of Caneville. Deprived
• 2:05:59
  Speaker 3: of sight, no longer able to acquire a livelihood by
• 2:06:03
  Speaker 3: his labor, Weary and full of remorse, he daily took
• 2:06:07
  Speaker 3: his round through the public streets, soliciting a penny for
• 2:06:10
  Speaker 3: the poor, blind, a dog induced for a weekly trifle,
• 2:06:16
  Speaker 3: and the prospect of an extra bon or two thrown
• 2:06:18
  Speaker 3: to him sometimes by the compassionate as they went. Their
• 2:06:21
  Speaker 3: melancholy way led him in his wanderings at first. However,
• 2:06:26
  Speaker 3: either from ignorance or carelessness, or a courage malice, he
• 2:06:30
  Speaker 3: would often guide his helpless master into positions of difficulty
• 2:06:34
  Speaker 3: in danger from which he could scarce have extricated himself
• 2:06:38
  Speaker 3: but for the assistance of some benevolent passers by. Though
• 2:06:41
  Speaker 3: his situation in such cases be it said to the
• 2:06:45
  Speaker 3: shame of the inferior population of Caneville, too often excited
• 2:06:49
  Speaker 3: derish and laughter instead of aid and consolation. Once, indeed,
• 2:06:54
  Speaker 3: he was seriously hurt by the wilful inattention of his
• 2:06:57
  Speaker 3: guide for tottering along as usual one fine morning, with
• 2:07:01
  Speaker 3: his staff in one hand, the string attached to the
• 2:07:04
  Speaker 3: dog's collar in the other, and his head with the
• 2:07:06
  Speaker 3: sightless eyes raised sadly in the air, whilst he uttered
• 2:07:10
  Speaker 3: his plaintive cry of have pity on the poor blind.
• 2:07:14
  Speaker 3: The last word was suddenly converted from a doleful wine
• 2:07:17
  Speaker 3: to a howl of pain as his body came in
• 2:07:19
  Speaker 3: contact with the post which stood right across his path. Time,
• 2:07:24
  Speaker 3: which cures all things, brought at last an effectual remedy
• 2:07:29
  Speaker 3: to his sufferings, and that remedy was death. Ere that
• 2:07:33
  Speaker 3: great foe or friend relieved poor Bruin. He had learnt
• 2:07:36
  Speaker 3: to be repentant of his former life, and was often
• 2:07:39
  Speaker 3: known to reprove in others iny tendency to those faults
• 2:07:43
  Speaker 3: of temper or disposition which had been his own ruin.
• 2:07:47
  Speaker 3: If he could have recovered the use of his eyes
• 2:07:49
  Speaker 3: and have mingled once more with the business of life,
• 2:07:53
  Speaker 3: it is a question whether he would have acted up
• 2:07:55
  Speaker 3: to the precepts which he now inculcated. But as the experiment,
• 2:08:00
  Speaker 3: it was never tried, nor could be. It is but
• 2:08:03
  Speaker 3: charitable to thank the best. Months after he had departed
• 2:08:07
  Speaker 3: this sinful world. A stripy traveler with a particularly white
• 2:08:11
  Speaker 3: mouth and short address entered the city of Kneville. He
• 2:08:16
  Speaker 3: stated that he was a native of the place and
• 2:08:18
  Speaker 3: had been wandering far away in other lands. He made
• 2:08:21
  Speaker 3: various inquiries concerning for her inhabitants of the town, and
• 2:08:25
  Speaker 3: among others, asked for Bruin his life. Much as I
• 2:08:30
  Speaker 3: have recounted, it was told to him, and long did
• 2:08:33
  Speaker 3: the stranger ruminate over the details. Many portions of it
• 2:08:36
  Speaker 3: were indeed known to him, for the traveler was no
• 2:08:40
  Speaker 3: other than our old acquaintance Tom. But all was interesting.
• 2:08:45
  Speaker 3: When he had heard it to the end he uttered
• 2:08:47
  Speaker 3: these only words which might indeed serve for moral and
• 2:08:52
  Speaker 3: poor Bruin's epitaph, ah, he was a great bear. End
• 2:08:57
  Speaker 3: of Chapter eight, read by Nancy cockrankin Gilbert, Arizona, December
• 2:09:03
  Speaker 3: twenty sixth, two thousand, twenty two. End of the Adventures
• 2:09:07
  Speaker 3: of a Bear and a Great Bear Too by Alfred
• 2:09:10
  Speaker 3: Elwis