<h2 ><SPAN name="Wakens" id="Wakens">XIII</SPAN></h2><h3>CUFFY BEAR WAKENS</h3>
<p>The winter after Nimble lost his spike
horns was a mild one. The snowfall was
light. And Nimble was able to roam up
and down Pleasant Valley and about Blue
Mountain as he pleased.</p>
<p>It happened that a certain bright day
in early spring found him far up the side
of the mountain, near the cave where he
had waited for Cuffy Bear weeks before.
And as that whole queer affair came back
to his mind Nimble remembered how he
had fed upon the green things under the
snow.</p>
<p>That thought made him hungry. So he<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</SPAN></span>
began to paw away the soft heavy snow,
which wasn't more than a foot deep; and
he was enjoying a good meal when he
heard a sudden <i>woof</i> behind him.</p>
<p>Nimble wheeled instantly. And there,
at the mouth of the cave, peering over the
tangle which screened it, Cuffy Bear stood
upon his hind legs, rubbing his eyes.
Catching sight of Nimble, Cuffy blinked
at him.</p>
<p>"Where's Nimble Deer, madam?"
Cuffy Bear growled presently.</p>
<p>"I'm right here!" Nimble replied.
"But please don't call me 'madam!'"</p>
<p>"You're not Nimble Deer. You're a
Doe," Cuffy Bear insisted. "You have
no horns."</p>
<p><SPAN name="about" id="about"></SPAN>"I'm a Deer," Nimble retorted. "I
had horns; but I've shed them."</p>
<p>Cuffy Bear <i>woofed</i> a bit more. He
seemed to be somewhat ill-tempered.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</SPAN></span>"You can't fool me," he grunted.
"Nimble Deer's horns were firm upon his
head when I left him here and stepped inside
this cave. He agreed to wait for me;
and I'm surprised that he broke his
promise."</p>
<p>"I am Nimble Deer," Nimble declared
again. "You led me to this spot from the
spring. You told me you wanted to take
another look at this cave because you were
thinking of making it your winter home."</p>
<p>Cuffy Bear eyed Nimble with astonishment.
And he shambled up to Nimble and
sniffed at him.</p>
<p>"It <i>is</i> you!" Cuffy cried at last. "So
you <i>did</i> wait for me!"</p>
<p>"No, I didn't," Nimble confessed.</p>
<p>"But here you are!" Cuffy Bear retorted.
"You <i>must</i> have been waiting for
me. And if I've kept you a bit longer
than I intended to, I'm sorry. I think I
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</SPAN></span>fell asleep in that den and had a short
nap."</p>
<SPAN name="Cuffy" id="Cuffy"></SPAN><span class="toill"><SPAN href="#Illus">Illus</SPAN></span>
<p class="center"><SPAN name="image-5" id="image-5"><!-- Image 5 --></SPAN>
<ANTIMG src="images/illus-071s.jpg" class="jpg" height-obs="607" width-obs="400" alt="Nimble Deer Tells Cuffy Bear About His Horns." title="Nimble Deer Tells Cuffy Bear About His Horns" /></p>
<p class="image"><SPAN name="bear" id="bear" href="images/illus-071x.jpg" class="image">
View larger image</SPAN></p>
<p class="center b"><strong>Nimble Deer Tells Cuffy Bear About His Horns.</strong><br/>
<span class="image"><SPAN href="#about"><i>Page</i> 71</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"A short nap!" Nimble repeated.
"You've been asleep in there all winter!
It's weeks and weeks since I last saw you.
And I'm here now only because I happened
to wander this way, when I heard
old dog Spot baying."</p>
<p>Cuffy Bear was so surprised that he
couldn't say another word. His mouth
fell open. And he gazed blankly at
Nimble.</p>
<p>But at last he spoke. "I must apologize
to you," he said, "though it was
really no wonder I called you 'madam.'
You have changed a great deal since I left
you here."</p>
<p>"And you—" Nimble told him—"you
have changed too."</p>
<p>"I have?" Cuffy Bear cried. "How's
that? How have I changed?"</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</SPAN></span></p>
<p>"You look much hungrier," Nimble
explained.</p>
<p>Cuffy Bear laid a paw across his waistcoat.</p>
<p>"I <i>am</i> hungry," he admitted. "And if
you're going down the mountain I think
I'll stroll along with you and see what I
can find to eat."</p>
<p>"Very well!" Nimble agreed.</p>
<p>"One moment!" Cuffy Bear said hastily.
"Just one moment, please! Wait till
I go inside my cave! I believe I left my
cap in there."</p>
<p>"I'm not going to wait for you," Nimble
replied firmly. "For all I know you
might not come out again till haying
time."</p>
<p>And then Nimble trotted off down the
mountainside, heading for Cedar Swamp.
For he didn't think old dog Spot would
wander in that direction.</p>
<span class="totoc"><SPAN href="#toc">Contents</SPAN></span>
<hr />
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</SPAN></span></p>
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