The Bear-Story

THAT ALEX "IST MAKED UP HIS-OWN-SE'F"     W'y, wunst they wuz a Little Boy went out     In the woods to shoot a Bear. So, he went out     'Way in the grea'-big woods - he did. - An' he     Wuz goin'along - an'goin'along, you know,     An' purty soon he heerd somepin' go "Wooh!" -     Ist thataway - "Woo-ooh!" An' he wuz skeered,     He wuz. An' so he runned an' clumbed a tree -     A grea'-big tree, he did, - a sicka-more tree.     An' nen he heerd it agin: an' he looked round,     An' 't'uz a Bear! - a grea'-big, shore-nuff Bear! -     No: 't'uz two Bears, it wuz - two grea'-big Bears -     One of 'em wuz - ist one's a grea'-big Bear. -     But they ist boff went "Wooh! " - An' here they come     To climb the tree an' git the Little Boy     An'eat him up!         An' nen the Little Boy     He 'uz skeered worse'n ever! An' here come     The grea'-big Bear a-climbin' th' tree to git     The Little Boy an' eat him up - Oh, no! -     It 'uzn't the Big Bear 'at clumb the tree -     It 'uz the Little Bear. So here he come     Climbin' the tree - an' climbin' the tree! Nen when     He git wite clos't to the Little Boy, w'y nen     The Little Boy he ist pulled up his gun     An' shot the Bear, he did, an' killed him dead!     An' nen the Bear he falled clean on down out     The tree - away clean to the ground, he did     Spling-splung! he falled plum down, an' killed him, too!     An' lit wite side o' where the' Big Bear's at.     An' nen the Big Bear's awful mad, you bet! -     'Cause - 'cause the Little Boy he shot his gun     An' killed the Little Bear. - 'Cause the Big Bear     He - he 'uz the Little Bear's Papa. - An' so here     He come to climb the big old tree an' git     The Little Boy an' eat him up! An' when     The Little Boy he saw the grea'-big Bear     A-comin', he 'uz badder skeered, he wuz,     Than any time! An' so he think he'll climb     Up higher - 'way up higher in the tree     Than the old Bear kin climb, you know. - But he -     He can't climb higher 'an old Bears kin climb, -     'Cause Bears kin climb up higher in the trees     Than any little Boys In all the Wo-r-r-ld!     An' so here come the grea'-big Bear, he did, -     A-climbin' up - an' up the tree, to git     The Little Boy an' eat him up! An' so     The Little Boy he clumbed on higher, an' higher.     An' higher up the tree - an' higher - an' higher -     An' higher'n iss-here house is! - An' here come     Th' old Bear - clos'ter to him all the time! -     An' nen - first thing you know, - when th' old Big Bear     Wuz wite clos't to him - nen the Little Boy     Ist jabbed his gun wite in the old Bear's mouf     An' shot an' killed him dead! - No; I fergot, -     He didn't shoot the grea'-big Bear at all -     'Cause they 'uz no load in the gun, you know -     'Cause when he shot the Little Bear, w'y, nen     No load 'uz anymore nen in the gun!     But th' Little Boy clumbed higher up, he did -     He clumbed lots higher - an' on up higher - an' higher     An' higher - tel he ist can't climb no higher,     'Cause nen the limbs 'uz all so little, 'way     Up in the teeny-weeny tip-top of     The tree, they'd break down wiv him ef he don't     Be keerful! So he stop an' think: An' nen     He look around - An' here come th' old Bear!     An' so the Little Boy make up his mind     He's got to ist git out o' there some way! -     'Cause here come the old Bear! - so clos't, his bref's     Purt 'nigh so's he kin feel how hot it is     Aginst his bare feet - ist like old "Ring's" bref     When he's ben out a-huntin' an's all tired.     So when th' old Bear's so clos't - the Little Boy     Ist gives a grea'-big jump fer 'nother tree -     No! - no he don't do that! - I tell you what     The Little Boy does: - W'y, nen - w'y, he - Oh, yes -     The Little Boy he finds a hole up there     'At's in the tree - an' climbs in there an' hides -     An' nen the old Bear can't find the Little Boy     Ut-tall! - But, purty soon th' old Bear finds     The Little Boy's gun 'at's up there - 'cause the gun     It's too tall to tooked wiv him in the hole.     So, when the old Bear find' the gun, he knows     The Little Boy ist hid 'round somers there, -     An' th' old Bear 'gins to snuff an' sniff around,     An' sniff an' snuff around - so's he kin find     Out where the Little Boy's hid at. - An' nen - nen -     Oh, yes! - W'y, purty soon the old Bear climbs     'Way out on a big limb - a grea'-long limb, -     An' nen the Little Boy climbs out the hole     An' takes his ax an' chops the limb off!... Nen     The old Bear falls k-splunge! clean to the ground     An' bust an' kill hisse'f plum dead, he did!     An' nen the Little Boy he git his gun     An' 'menced a-climbin' down the tree agin -     No! - no, he didn't git his gun - 'cause when     The Bear falled, nen the gun falled, too - An' broked     It all to pieces, too! - An' nicest gun! -     His Pa ist buyed it! - An' the Little Boy     Ist cried, he did; an' went on climbin' down     The tree - an' climbin' down - an' climbin' down! -     An'-sir! when he 'uz purt'-nigh down, - w'y, nen     The old Bear he jumped up agin! - an he     Ain't dead ut-tall - ist 'tendin' thataway,     So he kin git the Little Boy an' eat     Him up! But the Little Boy he 'uz too smart     To climb clean down the tree. - An' the old Bear     He can't climb up the tree no more - 'cause when     He fell, he broke one of his - He broke all     His legs! - an' nen he couldn't climb! But he     Ist won't go 'way an' let the Little Boy     Come down out of the tree. An' the old Bear     Ist growls 'round there, he does - ist growls an' goes     "Wooh! woo-ooh!" all the time! An' Little Boy     He haf to stay up in the tree - all night -     An' 'thout no supper neever! - Only they     Wuz apples on the tree! - An' Little Boy     Et apples - ist all night - an' cried - an' cried!     Nen when 'tuz morning th' old Bear went "Wooh!"     Agin, an' try to climb up in the tree     An' git the Little Boy. - But he can't     Climb t'save his soul, he can't! - An' oh! he's mad! -     He ist tear up the ground! an' go "Woo-ooh!"     An' - Oh,yes! - purty soon, when morning's come     All light - so's you kin see, you know, - w'y, nen     The old Bear finds the Little Boy's gun, you know,     'At's on the ground. - (An' it ain't broke ut-tall -     I ist said that!) An' so the old Bear think     He'll take the gun an' shoot the Little Boy: -     But Bears they don't know much 'bout shootin' guns:     So when he go to shoot the Little Boy,     The old Bear got the other end the gun     Agin his shoulder, 'stid o' th'other end -     So when he try to shoot the Little Boy,     It shot the Bear, it did - an' killed him dead!     An' nen the Little Boy dumb down the tree     An' chopped his old wooly head off: - Yes, an' killed     The other Bear agin, he did - an' killed     All boff the bears, he did - an' tuk 'em home     An' cooked 'em, too, an' et 'em!          - An' that's