THE RUNAWAY BEAR. by ETHEL MAXINE NEFF. Drawings by HAROLD MUNSON

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2 ( THE RUNAWAY BEAR by ETHEL MAXINE NEFF Drawings by HAROLD MUNSON PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION Boise, Idaho Montemorelos, Nuevo Leon, Mexico Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

3 why. Does he think I am slow and pokey? I'm not, for I have slipped out of my cage and run away two times. Maybe I am called Pokey because I'm always poking my way into some mischief. Copyright, 1950, by Pacific Press Publishing Association

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5 I have not lived in the zoo very long, for I was born in the high mountains of India. I have black fur all over me except for one band of white on my chest. That little white band looks something like a horseshoe. I guess that is for good luck! How happy I was when I lived in the mountains of India with mamma bear. My little twin brother and I had the most fun together. We were two lively cubs romping all over our cave home. Sometimes we even scampered up on mamma bear's back. When she got tired of our playing she would slap us with her big front paw. It didn't hurt much, but we knew mamma bear meant for us to obey her, so we would stop teasing and go to sleep. I loved mamma bear. Her fur was soft and warm to snuggle against at night, and I felt safe when she was near me. One day mamma bear went out to get food for us. She told us to stay inside our

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7 If I had only obeyed mamma bear I would be back in my snug little nest in my cave home. I cried and whimpered for mamma bear! Oh, where was she? How I needed her! I was so frightened. I clawed and scratched until I was tired out. Then I guess I went to sleep. The next thing I knew I was riding in something that went bumpety-bump! bumpety-bump! We rode and rode for many hours. I was getting very hungry. Why didn't mamma bear come and bring me something to eat? After a long time I smelled food. A man opened the sack and gave me some bananas to eat. After I ate all I wanted, the man put me in a box. I liked the box better than the sack; I could stand up and look out between the cracks. But it wasn't like home.

8 Toot-toot! Toot-toot! What was that sound? I was so scared I was shaking when the man picked up my box and carried me closer to that horrible noise. I found that it was a train. The man put my box with me inside it in the baggage car. Then he went away and left me all alone. Now I was really frightened. I growled and whined when the train made strange noises. Ssssshish! Ding! Ding! Ding! Toot-toot! Toot-tooooot! Then it jerked so hard I fell down in the comer of my box. Choo-choo! Choo-choo! The train now started to move. It rocked me back and forth, back and forth, until I went to sleep. When I woke up I smelled water. The train slowed down, the brakes squealed, and we stopped. The man came and opened my box and gave me some fruit to eat. I was glad when, he took me away from that noisy train.

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11 I liked my new home so much I didn't want anyone to find me. There was a bunch of bananas and some other fruit in the corner, so I had plenty to eat whenever I was hungry. The next day I heard some men open the door and come into the room. They looked for me in my box. They were surprised to see that it was empty. I kept as quiet as a mouse. They searched and searched, but couldn't find me. I was in the dark behind a big machine. Finally the men went away. Later the captain and some of the sailors came to look for me. But they didn't find me either. I heard the captain say, "Poor little bear! He must have wandered up on deck and fallen overboard! " I was glad when the men left, for I could enjoy my bananas and other fruit. Then I went to sleep.

12 I chuckled to myself! Here I was all safe and snug in a soft bed, and best of all, I had plenty to eat. Many days passed before the sailors found me. What a fuss they made over me! The man took me on deck and tied me to the rail again. I stretched and rolled in the warm sunshine. All the sailors seemed happy to see me. Even the captain stopped to watch me. I guess they were glad I hadn't fallen overboard. At last the day came when our boat sailed near the land. I wriggled my nose and sniffed the smell of trees and grass. As we sailed into the harbor we saw a tall bridge ahead of us. Our boat went right under it. The sailors were talking about the Golden Gate. Finally our boat docked at a pier in San Francisco. My new home was to be in this big city. I heard the honk, honk of auto horns and the ding, ding of the cable car bells.

13 wanted to eat-melons, lettuce, bread, milk, and many kinds of fruit. I ate and ate, and the good food helped me grow. I felt so good I decided I would get out of the cage. I wanted to go and find mamma bear. Every day I chewed and chewed on the wooden bars of my cage. The hole got bigger and bigger. When I poked my nose in the hole, it was almost big enough to squeeze through. The next day the zoo keeper saw the hole I had chewed, so he moved me to an It was here that I first met the zoo keeper. I think he must have been expecting me on this boat, for he had a truck waiting at the dock. He put my box on the truck and took me out to the Fleishhacker Zoo. Isn't that a long name for the home of a little bear? I was not very fat when I arrived at the zoo. The keeper put me in a special cage near his office. He gave me all I

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15 quiet so that no one found me. When it was dark I ran into the woods. If I heard anyone coming near I hid in the bushes. The woods were not far from the ocean. At night I went down to the beach to look for food. I found some scraps that picnickers had left in the sand. One evening a man saw me and came running after me. I hid in some berry bushes, so he didn't find me. It was fun to be free! If only I could find mamma bear, everything would be all right.

16 One night, after I had been out of my cage for twenty days, I smelled oranges and meat in a box. I poked my head in the box and grabbed the oranges and ate them. Then I reached for the meat. Suddenly a rope fell on me. I jumped and ran as fast as I could. It was a trap to catch me; but I was too clever, and so I got away. I ran and ran, for I remembered that mamma bear had told me to keep away from traps. I slept in the woods, safely hidden from the men who were searching for me. The next night I smelled food again. The picnickers had not left enough scraps on the beach for me, so I was very hungry. I reached in the box for the food. Bang! The lid dropped on me, and I was caught in a trap. I ate the food, but I could not get out of the box. Early the next morning the zoo keeper found me.

17 "Hello! Pokey, you little runaway bear! What a monkey you've made out of me," he shouted. The keeper took me back to the zoo and put me in a bear grotto. He wanted to be sure I would not get away again. I liked the bear grotto, for there was lots of room to run and play. What fun it was to splash in the big pool of water! "Now, Pokey, you will never be able to run away again," the zoo keeper said.

18 "You won't climb those twelve-foot walls, and you can't get across the deep ditch. YOU are safe here." The bear grotto was the best home I had found since I left my cave in the mountains of India. The boys and girls threw peanuts, popcorn, and candy to me. I soon learned to sit up so the boys and girls would throw more peanuts to me. Sometimes I would sit in the pool of water and lie back on its smooth side. I lived in the bear grotto for about six months. Then I decided it was time for me to look for mamma bear again.

19 I was hungry, and I started to look for food. Sniff, sniff! Yes, I smelled food, so I ran to find it. I saw people eating their picnic dinners. I decided to ask for something to eat, but as soon as the women saw me they screamed and ran away from me. I didn't bother them, for all I wanted was something to eat. The walls of the bear grotto were steep. Again and again I tried to climb up the wall, but I always slipped back. How would I ever find mamma bear inside these walls? One day, when no one was watching me, I climbed up the high wall of the grotto. It was a real climb, all right, but I finally reached the top. I ran to a high fence and climbed over it. Once more I was free! I a

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21 I was in such a hurry to get back to my grotto I made a serious mistake. I jumped over the wrong fence! I scrambled down the steep wall and landed right in the grotto of four black bears. Their names are Oscar, Mary, Jack, and Lulabelle. I didn't have time to get acquainted, though, for those black bears didn't like me. They chased me round and round. I tried to be friendly, but they didn't like to have me in their grotto. I climbed up the wall again and slid down the other side. Whoopee! I made the worst mistake you could ever imagine! I landed in the grotto of Sam, the giant grizzly bear. Sam was sitting in the sun when I ran up to him. I wanted to be friendly and play, but he didn't like me either.

22 "Gr-rrr!" he growled. Then he slapped me and started to fight. His mate, Sue, came running to help him. But Sam was so big and I was so little he didn't need any help. He squeezed me until I could hardly breathe. When I saw I could not get away from Sam, the Hugger, I bit his nose. I guess it hurt him, for he let me go.

23 While this was going on the zoo keeper and his helpers were shouting, ringing bells, and firing guns, trying to scare Sam. I guess they were afraid he would squeeze me to death. I was scared, too, so I climbed up the wall and slid down the other side. This time I did the right thing, for I landed in my own grotto. How nice and quiet it was! I was tired after my exciting adventure, so I lay down and went to sleep. Yes, I am Pokey, the runaway bear. If you want to see me you will find me at Fleishhacker Zoo in San Francisco. I like to see the boys and girls who come to visit me. They give me so many good things to eat. I don't know whether I'll run away again or not. I'll see about that later.

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