Roars of laughter hailed the
propitious escape of the dogs, even at the cost of so much good crockery.
They laughed till the tears came into their eyes, and rolled down their
red faces, and they panted for breath.
In a quarter of an hour there came a lull; then people began to think it
was time for the terrible bear from Asturias to make his appearance.
"The Asturian bear! the Spanish bear!" was the cry.
The bear-leader made signs to the people to be quiet, as he had something
to say to them. It was impossible! The cries and the uproar redoubled.
"The bear of Asturias! the bear of Asturias!"
Then the fellow muttered a few unintelligible words, unfastened the brown
bear, and took it back into its den; then with every appearance of
precaution he loosened the door of the pigsty and took the end of a chain
which was lying on the ground. A formidable growling was heard inside.
The man quickly passed the chain through a ring in the wall and fled,
crying--
"Now, you there, let the dogs go!"
Immediately a black bear, low, and almost stunted in its stature, with a
low forehead, ears wide apart, eyes red as fire, and glowing with a
fierce sullen passion, hurled himself out into the open, and finding the
chain fast in the wall, howled furiously.
Pages:
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238