rise the bees were
right there waiting for him. And he ducked under again, and swam to the
opposite side, near the big boulder. And once more, when he came up to
breathe, he found the buzzing bees all ready to pounce upon his nose.

So poor Cuffy had to keep pulling his head down into the pool. He would
keep it there just as long as he could hold his breath; and then he
would simply _have_ to stick his nose out of the water in order to draw
some fresh air into his lungs.

It was not long before Cuffy became very tired from so much swimming. So
he found a shallow place where he could stand on the bottom of the
brook, with just enough water to cover him, and where he could poke his
nose out whenever he had to. And just as often as his little black nose
came up above the surface of the pool the bees lighted on it and stung
Cuffy again.

All the rest of the afternoon poor Cuffy had to stay there in the water.
For the bees did not leave him until sundown. And then, when the last
one had gone, Cuffy crawled out of the brook and started toward home.
His little round body and his sturdy little legs were not warm now, as
they had been when he sat down beneath the tree to get cool. For the
mountain brook was ice-cold; and Cuffy felt quite numb from standing in
it so long. But cold as he was, his face felt like fire. And for some
reason, which Cuffy couldn't understand, he could hardly see to pick his
way through the shadows of the forest.

XVIII

CUFFY FRIGHTENS HIS MOTHER

When Cuffy Bear reached home, after his adventure with the bees, he
found that his father and mother and his sister Silkie were just sitting
down to their evening meal. Cuffy didn't speak to them as he came into
the room where they were. He felt too miserable to say a word, with his
face aching and burning, and a terrible smarting in his eyes. So he just
stumbled inside the room and tried to make himself as small as he could,
so he wouldn't be noticed.

Cuffy's parents and his little sister all looked at the little bear who
had come into their house without even a knock. And his father said, in
a cross voice--

"Go away, little bear. Where are your manners?"

Cuffy didn't know what to make of that. He didn't know what his father
meant. So he just stood there and stared.

"What do you want?" his father asked him. "Whose little bear are you?
And whatever is the matter with your face?"

Actually, Cuffy's own father didn't know him. And neith