I was wandering about the forest feeling very weary, and longing for the first fall of snow to herald in the approaching winter and allow of my retiring for the season. Hearing a noise behind me--a puffing, grunting noise which seemed to indicate the presence of one of my own species,--I turned quickly round to see who this could possibly be; and, if a stranger, to warn him that he was trespassing upon land which already belonged to me by the sacred rights summed up in the ancient Roman law which all bears excepting extremely large ones still recognise as binding: "_beati possidentes_." What was my delight to see my dear old brother Vainka puffing and blowing after me as fast as his poor old legs and lungs--both sadly out of condition,--could bring him. He had a ring through his nose, and from this there dangled a piece of chain, and from the end of the chain a torn portion of a halter. We rushed towards one another: "Why, Vainka!" I exclaimed: "where in fortune's name do _you_ come from, and how did you escape?" "It's a long story!" said Vainka--"never mind the details--here I am! I bit through the rope, as you see, and escaped from the barn at night by breaking down the door: now let's have some food! when we are in the _berloga_, which I suppose will be to-morrow--I hope so, for I'm dead tired" (here he yawned twice and I followed suit)--"I'll tell you all about it." I gave him a capital dinner considering the time of year, including some honey--of which I knew of a good store, and showed him the spot I had chosen for the _berloga_, which he quite approved of. During the course of conversation, Vainka informed me that he had grown quite fond of his "master," and would not care to do him an injury; but at the same time he wished to mention that there were six young sheep grazing in the field behind the house he (Vainka) inhabited, and that he should imagine these sheep would make a delightful meal for any one liking mutton. Personally, he said, he would rather not touch them, and he hoped, for his master's sake, that no one else would; but that they were in such and such a field, and the humans never left the house before 6 A.M. A really good feed, he remarked, was considered by some people to be an advantage just before retiring for a sleep of several months. He was perfectly right. Those young sheep were quite delicious; and while we gaily consumed them for dinner next day old Vainka gave me many hints as to the exact disposal, by humans, of their time,--hints which have ever since been extremely useful to me in various ways. Did I mention that Vainka consumed his share of the two sheep which found their way to our larder? well, he did--anyhow; and enjoyed them very much, but was deeply put out (after he had dined) to remember that the mutton had belonged to his master. He would not, he said, for anything have touched it had he recalled that fact in time.