the bear sees the “grasshopper pig,” hears the “huntsmen” and is present at the “escape”
when snythergen woke up, sancho wing was sorry to have to tell him that the bear had resumed his midnight prowlings and might call upon them at any time.
“we must prepare to defend ourselves,” said sancho wisely, as he perched on snythergen’s ear.
“how can a pig defend himself from a bear?”[88] asked squeaky, absent-mindedly biting one of snythergen’s toes.
“simple,” said sancho. “give him what he wants. you flatter yourself if you think he wants you. he is after food, that is all.”
“well, let us give it to him,” said snythergen, “as long as he doesn’t share squeaky’s weakness for toes.”
“just what i was thinking,” said sancho. “let us set a bear lunch every night, and to make sure he will find it we must spread it in a circle around the house. then, no matter from what direction the bear approaches, he will find something to eat across his path.”
“i’ve heard that round foods make people fat,” said snythergen. “maybe food served on a round table will make the bear fat.”
“that wouldn’t help us any,” said sancho wing, “for fat bears are as dangerous as lean ones.”
“won’t it be pretty expensive boarding a bear?” asked squeaky.
“of course,” said sancho wing, “but if we find we can’t afford to feed him we can build an airplane and journey to a land where there are no bears. we may have to travel to the end of the sky to find such a place, but who cares?”
[89]
at sancho wing’s suggestion snythergen set to work at once to build a supper table. when completed it encircled the house and resembled a well planed sidewalk. that night squeaky set the table, being careful to spread the food so thin that it went all the way around.
there were so many hungry beings in the forest besides the bear that sancho wing had to keep a keen look-out for thieves, and his duties kept him very busy. one minute he would be scanning the woods from the top of his tower, the next he would dive down to the round table to scream at the small animals that were forever nibbling. often he was obliged to call squeaky and even snythergen, to chase away the larger birds, the rabbits, and the squirrels. each night they set the table as late as they dared to prevent so much of the food being stolen.
on the evening of the fourth day the bear paid them a call, but he did not attempt to enter the house. the lunch on the round table stopped him. walking all the way around he ate everything, then went around again to see if he had overlooked any crumbs. squeaky happened to be very fussy about table manners, and he had scattered salad forks, finger bowls and napkins here and there hoping the bear would take the hint; but the big beast paid no attention[90] to them, and ate only with his knife and his paws in the most vulgar manner.
the bear was a hearty eater and what made matters even more serious, his appetite was growing. soon it was evident that the food supply would not last much longer. the three friends realized that the “outer works” as they called the lunch table, was all that stood between them and disaster. and now in spite of their efforts they were unable to keep abreast of the beast’s increasing desire for food. there was nothing to do but to adopt snythergen’s plan of building an airplane and fleeing to a land where there were no bears. they began work immediately and hurried all they could, but even so they ran out of food when there was still another day’s work to be done on the plane.
“if we can only keep him away to-night we are saved,” said squeaky.
[91]
then went around again to see if he had overlooked any crumbs
[92]
snythergen dressed in his tree suit to be ready in case of trouble. carefully squeaky set the round table with what few morsels he could scrape up, arranging them to appear like a bountiful meal. the bear came a little earlier than usual that night, and made short work of the slim repast. indeed snythergen had just time to tiptoe out and take his place as a tree when the beast devoured the last bite of food[93] and looked hungrily about for more. in a stage whisper snythergen called to squeaky who was still in the house, to warn him of his danger. fortunately the pig was awake and whispered back that he was coming. a moment later snythergen heard the most awful squealing and squeaky came running out, the bear after him. sancho wing was flying above the pig to encourage him.
“don’t squeal so! save your breath for running!” he cried. the bear was gaining. bending over snythergen touched his roots with his top limbs, to be ready. but squeaky was slow on his feet, even when running for his life, and already the bear was upon him. sure of his prey the great beast slowed up to brace himself for a lunge. quick as lightning snythergen shot out his branches and grabbed the pig, lifting him to safety.
the bear did not suspect that a tree could come to the rescue of a pig, and so sure was he that his victim could not escape, he closed his eyes as he struck at him. but he opened them quickly enough when his paw struck nothing solider than air. the pig had vanished! but where, and how? his disappearance had been as sudden as it was complete, and the bear had not an idea where to look for him. too surprised[94] for growls, the big brute rushed distractedly about looking here and there. naturally it did not occur to him to look up into the tree tops, for whoever heard of a pig climbing a tree!
“did i really see a pig at all?” thought the bear, “or am i losing my mind! it wouldn’t be surprising with that neuralgia from the ice!”
he paused as the thought struck him: “i wonder if by any possibility it could have been the grasshopper pig?”
the day before the bear had been reading the story of the grasshopper pig to a neighbor’s cubs out of a book of nursery rhymes called “mother moose.” this pig seemed to disappear in much the same way as the one in the story. for the grasshopper pig is said to make long leaps so suddenly that he cannot be seen making them. one moment he is standing beside you and the next, bingo! he is a hundred feet away!
“well, if it’s the grasshopper pig, i might as well save myself the bother of looking,” thought the bear; “no one has ever been able to catch him!”
as he came to the place where snythergen was standing he sniffed curiously, and although[95] snythergen did his best to stand still, it is not surprising that he failed. for it takes something stronger than flesh and blood to stand still while a bear walks around you and stops to paw your bark, to rub his hungry head against your trunk, or to try his vicious teeth on your roots.
no wonder the trunk of the tree trembled and its branches twitched nervously. the big animal was puzzled by the shaking as he nosed about snythergen’s extremities and clawed at them. it was more than wood and sap could stand and the badly frightened boy was weakening rapidly. again snythergen felt the sinking feeling that had come over him the day the small boy had crawled out on an upper branch. tottering from side to side, he caught himself with an effort.
for a while squeaky managed somehow to hold on with his teeth and legs, but his teeth were chattering and he was shivering all over with terror. and a sudden twist of the tree shook him so violently that he lost his footing. desperately he reached for a limb. he missed it, and fell crashing through the branches!
with remarkable quickness of thought snythergen brought his lower limbs together to form a basket in which to catch the falling pig.[96] plunging through the branches squeaky landed upon snythergen’s leafy chest, safe for the time being, but stunned and out of breath.
“it is the grasshopper pig,” cried the bear, seeing him, “and i’ve got him up a tree!”
eager to get at squeaky, he pawed snythergen’s tender bark and pushed against him roughly.
all this time sancho wing’s little brain had been puzzling to find some way to save his pals. flying a little distance and hiding among the leaves he hallooed at the top of his piping voice, hoping the woodchoppers might be in the forest, and hear him. anxiously the bear glanced around. the hallooing reminded him of the sound the hunters made, and thinking best not to take any chances he strolled away cautiously.
the three friends breathed a sigh of relief and squeaky began to dance for joy.
“we haven’t escaped yet,” sancho wing reminded him. “the bear will return when he discovers the hunters are not after him. we must finish the airplane immediately.”
at once they resumed work and kept at it until the plane was completed. and now it needed only to be tested. it was new and stiff and repeatedly the engine refused to start, though snythergen cranked it again and again.[97] it was nearing the bear’s lunch time and sancho wing flew away to the cave to see what the big brute was up to. soon he came back out of breath, panting so hard he could scarcely speak, for he had raced all the way.
“quick, quick!” he gasped.
snythergen and squeaky understood and snythergen cranked so furiously he was wet through with perspiration.
“let me try it,” urged squeaky impatiently when snythergen had to rest a moment to get breath, and the pig grasped the crank and pulled with all his strength. but he had turned it only half way round when it flew back, and sent him sprawling. sancho, who had flown back to keep track of the bear, now darted up to report him only a few hundred yards away.
“crank as if your life depended on it!” he cried.
frantically the little bird flew back and forth to tell them each time how much nearer the bear had come. snythergen was cranking mightily while squeaky piled in what scanty luggage could be collected in a jiffy.
“he’s almost here!” groaned sancho wing.
snythergen heard the crackling of sticks under the brute’s feet. “it’s now or never,” thought he, putting all his strength into one last[98] pull. the engine gave a sickly “pop.” snythergen’s heart sank. but there was another little “pop.” others followed slowly, then more rapidly. now the explosions were in quick succession. the engine was running! the three scrambled aboard. the airplane coasted down hill and rose gently from the ground. they were saved.
