y
stood on the big boulder and looked down, he could see himself quite
plainly, reflected in the still surface of the water. He waved a paw.
And the little bear in the brook waved _his_ paw too. Of course Cuffy
knew that it was himself he saw. But he pretended for a time that it was
some other little bear who was playing with him. And he was having lots
of fun.

[Illustration: Cuffy Received a Slap on His Nose]

You see, Mr. Bear's family was the only bear family for miles and miles
around. And Cuffy often wished he had other little boy-bears to play
with. To be sure, he had his sister, Silkie. But she was a girl, and
younger than he was, besides.

Well! Cuffy danced a jig on the top of the big boulder. And the little
bear down below danced a jig, too. And Cuffy waved his paw again at the
little bear in the water. And once more the little bear in the water
waved a paw at _him_. It was great sport. And then Cuffy happened to
look up.

To his great surprise, there stood a little bear on the other bank of
the brook, right opposite. Cuffy was astonished. The other little bear
and the little bear in the brook looked as much alike as two peas.
Cuffy had never known that he could see a picture of himself by looking
anywhere except into water. It was very strange, he thought. He waved a
paw. And the little bear on the other bank waved _his_ paw. Cuffy kicked
up one of his hind legs. And the other little bear kicked up, too.

Cuffy was puzzled. Was it really himself he was looking at? He nodded
his head. And the other little bear nodded _his_ head.

Then Cuffy tried something else. He stared very hard at the little bear
opposite him, and called "Hello!"

"Hello, yerself!" the other little bear said. And then Cuffy knew that
it was a real, live boy-bear over there, and not just a reflection of
himself. Cuffy was so delighted that he jumped down off the boulder and
splashed through the brook, he was in such a hurry to get over there
where the strange bear stood.

"What's yer name?" the strange bear asked.

Cuffy told him. And he learned that the strange bear's name was Peter,
and that he lived around on the other side of Blue Mountain, as many as
ten miles away.

"Aw--call me _Pete_," the new bear said, as Cuffy began to talk to him.
"They all calls me Pete." He stuffed his front paws into the pockets of
his ragged trousers. "Say, Cuff--what was yer doin' up on that rock?"

"Playing!" Cuffy told him.

Pete gave a g