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The Bear Who Never Got Angry

There was once a big brown bear, and he lived in a hollow tree in
a forest. He loved his house very much and liked to kee everything in
order.
!n the summer" time, when the woods were green and cool, he
did not use his house very much. But when winter came, and the days
were dark and cold, and the woods were white with snow, then the big
Brown Bear liked to stay inside his house. !n a corner he had a #ar of
honey and in the other corner he had a soft bed of dried leaves where
he could slee in the long winter nights.
The big Brown Bear was a kind"hearted old bear, who never got
angry, and everybody liked him and came often to see him. But it was
the White $abbit who came most often. %he said she liked to sit in the
big bear&s house because it was always so tidy and clean. 'ittle White
$abbit had a house of her own, but she never could kee it in order
because her children were very naughty. Her house was always in an
awful state.
The big bear was very olite to the little White $abbit whenever
she came to visit him. He o(ered her the best chair near the )re, so
that she might be very comfortable while she told him her troubles.
%he told him how her younger child, Bunny $abbit, fought with his
brothers, how the oldest son, *otton Tail, ran away from home, and
many other troubles.
The big brown bear gave her advice how to treat her children+ he
told her not to unish them for he was sure that if only she were very
kind, the children would surely be good.
Not long after this conversation, little White $abbit went into the
woods to look for food but never came back. The babies waited and
waited and cried and cried. But oor little White $abbit could not come
home again because she was caught in a tra, and a little boy took her
away for a et.
When the baby rabbits were very hungry, *otton Tail
remembered about the kind bear. He called his brothers and sisters
around him and said to them,
-'ittle White $abbit will not come back to us anymore. %he is
lost. And if we stay here alone we will starve. %o we must go to the big
bear and ask him to take care of us. He is very wise and very kind. !
will ask him because ! am the oldest and you all must do as ! say..
They all ut on their best clothes and went to the big bear&s
house. The bear looked very much surrised to see so many little
rabbits in front of his house.
-'ittle White $abbit, our mother, is lost, cried all the little rabbits,
holding their handkerchiefs over their eyes .-
-/h, dear, said the big bear, much distressed, that is very sad
news indeed. ! was very fond of your mother. %he often came to see
me. But ....
Now, to tell the truth, the big bear did not wish very much to
take care of all the babies, because there were so many of them and
all looked very hungry. But when they ut their handkerchiefs over
their eyes and looked so sad, he could not refuse them.
-Will you romise to be good children, and always do what ! tell
you to do0.
-1es, indeed., answered *otton Tail.
-1es, indeed., answered all the little rabbits.
%o at last the big bear let them come into his house and began
to take care of them. He washed their faces every morning and
brushed their fur, he mended all their clothes and he even got books
for them and began to teach them the letters. 2or a time the little
rabbits were very good . But, after a while, they grew tired of being
good. %o, one morning, when Big Brown Bear went out for a walk,
*otton Tail threw his books and said,
-'et&s not read any longer. The bear is away and doesn&t know
what we are doing. 'et&s have some fun until he comes back..
-What shall we do0.
-'et&s eat u his honey3.
And so they did" every dro of it3 When the Big Bear came home
he was very sorry to see what they did but he didn&t scold them
because he was very kind and did not know how to get angry.
The ne4t day the little rabbits were very good until the bear ut
himself into bed to take a na. *otton Tail called his brothers and
sisters and told them very softly,
-'et&s not be good anymore. 'et&s tease the bear and wake him
u..
And so all the little rabbits did all they could to tease the Big
Bear. They #umed u and down on his back, some of them ulled his
ears and one of them even tickled his nose with a straw. 1ou may be
sure that the Big Bear didn&t take a very long na. But when he woke
u, he did not scold them. He said good"bye to them, went o( his
house and, though the little rabbits waited a long, long time, he did not
come back.
Then *otton Tail and the other rabbits fell very sorry for what
they did and decided to look for the bear. And where do you think they
found him0 He was caught in the tra, too. All the rabbits were more
sorry for their behaviour. *otton Tail said,
-We are sorry that we were so naughty, Big Bear. But we will hel
you now. We love you because you are so good to us and never get
angry..
All together ulled the tra so hard, that the tra gave way and
the bear was free again.
%o they all went home together and when they got there, whom
should they see standing in the door but little White $abbit herself3
%he ran away from the little boy and came back to her babies, and
erhas you won&t believe it, but the big brown bear was really glad of
it3
Answer the questions:
1. What was the bear like? Look in the whole story and find out.
2. Where did he live? Describe his house.
. Who was his best friend?
!. What were the little rabbits like?
". Who was #otton $ail?
%. What ha&&ened to little White 'abbit?
(. Where did the rabbits )o when their *other didn+t co*e ho*e?
,. Was the bear )lad to have the rabbits? Why?
-. Did the rabbits &ro*ise to be )ood?
1.. Were they )ood?
11. What ha&&ened one day when the bear went out for a walk?
12. What did the rabbits do when the bear was slee&in)?
1. Did the bear )ot an)ry? What did he do then?
1!. Why did all the rabbits )o out in the woods?
1". Where did they find the bear?
1%. /ow did they hel& the bear?
1(. Who waited for the* when they ca*e back?
1,. Do you think the little rabbits were nau)hty after that?

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