out laws in it--laws
that I must obey as well as you. I must teach, and you must learn.
The two first laws of the school are teach and learn--you must help
me to obey mine; I must help you to obey yours. And we'll have as
much fun as possible, but we must obey."

Then Trove invited Darrel to address the school.

"Dear children," the tinker began with a smile, "I mind ye're all
looking me in the face, an' I do greatly fear ye. I fear I may say
something ye will remember, an' again I fear I may not. For when I
speak to the young--ah! then it seems to me God listens. I heard
the teacher speaking o' the law of obedience. Which o' ye can tell
me who is the great master--the one ye must never disobey?"

"Yer father," said one of the boys.

"Nay, me bright lad, one o' these days ye may lose father an'
mother an' teacher an' friend. Let me tell a story, an' then,
mayhap, ye'll know the great master. Once upon a time there was a
young cub who thought his life a burden because he had to mind his
mother. By an' by a bullet killed her, an' he was left alone. He
wandered away, not knowing' what to do, and came near the land o'
men. Soon he met an old bear.

"'Foolish cub! Why go ye to the land o' men?' said the old bear.
'Thy legs are not as long as me tail. Go home an' obey thy mother.'

"'But I've none to obey,' said the young bear; an' before he could
turn, a ball came whizzing over a dingle an' ripped into his ham.
The old bear had scented danger an' was already out o' the way.
The cub made off limping, an' none too quickly. They followed him
all day, an' when night came he was the most weary an' bedraggled
bear in the woods. But he stopped the blood an' went away on a dry
track in the morning. He came to a patch o' huckleberries that day
and began to help himself. Then quick an' hard he got a cuff on
the head that tore off an ear and knocked him into the bushes.
When he rose there stood the old bear. "'Ah, me young cub,' said
he, 'ye'll have a master now.'

"'An' no more need o' him,' said the young bear, shaking his bloody
head.

"'Nay, ye will prosper,' said the old bear. 'There are two ways o'
learning,--by hearsay an' by knocks. Much ye may learn by knocks,
but they are painful. There be two things every one has to
learn,--respect for himself; respect for others. Ye'll know,
hereafter, in the land o' men a bear has to keep his nose up an'
his ears open--because men hurt. Ye'll know better,