But just then the boy heard something click very close to them, and
saw the muzzle of a rifle two paces away.
"Father Bear! Don't you hear the clicking of a trigger?" cried the
boy. "Run, or you will be shot!"
Father Bear grew terribly hurried. He gave himself time, though, to
pick up the boy and carry him along. As he ran, a couple of shots
sounded; the bullets grazed his ears, but he escaped.
When Father Bear had run some distance into the woods, he paused and
set Nils down on the ground.
"Thank you, little one," he said. "I dare say those bullets would have
caught me if you hadn't been there. Now I want to do you a service in
return. If you should ever meet with another bear, just say to him
this--which I shall whisper to you--and he won't touch you."
Father Bear whispered a word or two into the boy's ear and then
hurried away.
THE GIANT ENERGY AND THE FAIRY SKILL
Long, long ago, when there were giants to be seen, as they might be
seen now if we only looked in the right place, there lived a young
giant who was very strong and very willing, but who found it hard to
get work to do.
The name of the giant was Energy, and he was so great and clumsy that
people were afraid to trust their work to him.
If he were asked to put a bell in the church steeple, he would knock
the steeple down before he finished the work.
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