But the Little Bear's husband did not love her. He was sulky and said: "I wish my wife were beautiful like the other maidens! Why must I marry an ugly Little Bear? I wish I might have had one of her pretty sisters instead!" And he was cruel to Little Bear and made her weep. But after a while she dried her tears, and was angry to think how foolish she had been in choosing this youngest son for herself, just because he was so handsome. She thought about it for a long time. One day she said to her husband: "You do not love me, because I am an ugly Little Bear. Take me and throw me into the fire." "I do not love you," said her husband, "but I cannot kill you, for then the Chief would punish me." "Do as I tell you!" said Little Bear, and she stamped her foot. The young man was afraid, for he knew that Little Bear was very wise and powerful. So he did as she bade him, and threw Little Bear into the fire. This made a great noise in the wigwam, and presently up came running Little Bear's two sisters. "Wicked man! What have you done to our dear Little Bear?" they cried. "I have done only as she told me," said the young man sulkily. "Little Bear is not beautiful, but she is wise. So I did what she told me to do. I threw her into the fire." "Oh, wicked man!" cried the sisters again, bursting into tears. Just then they heard a strange sound in the fire, and turning, they beheld a most beautiful maiden with dark eyes and raven locks coming out of the flames. She smiled at the two sisters, and turning to the young man said:-- "Husband, do you know me? I am Little Bear, who was wise but not beautiful. Now I have become beautiful, but I am still wiser than before." "O my wife!" cried the husband eagerly. "I do not care whether you are wise or not--that matters little to me. But I love you with all my heart, you are so beautiful!" Little Bear laughed and said: "You were unkind to the ugly Little Bear, though she loved you. You are like most men; you care more for beauty than for wisdom. But I have grown wiser than I was when I married you and I do not care what you think." And Little Bear, now the most beautiful young woman in the village and the pride of the tribe for wisdom, lived happy ever after. XIX: THE RED KING'S VISIT "That is a fine story!" cried Harold, clapping his hands after the Red King had finished telling the tale of the Little Bear. "I wish I could remember all the tales that I read, and tell them as well as you do, Your Majesty!" Red Rex looked pleased. "It is a tale that, when I am not at war, I tell often to my little daughter," he said. "She likes all kinds of stories, but especially those of countries different from our own." "Then she ought to hear the Tales of Kisington!" cried Harold. "So I think," mused Red Rex. "I would that you could read them to her, even as you have read them to me, Harold."