"That was very clever of the Cock," said the little boy. "But, grandmother, I don't think that Fox belonged to our mir, for he was not at all clever. He must have belonged to your mother's mother's mir." "You are perfectly right," replied the grandmother. "That is a story from her mir. And as it is a very short story, I shall tell you just one more." So the grandmother told the story of THE DISAPPOINTED BEAR Once upon a time a little old woman, who was walking in the forest, climbed up into a wild-cherry tree to gather cherries. Now a Bear espied her, and he came under the tree and cried, "Come down, old woman, that I may eat you!" "Go along with you!" answered the old woman. "Why should you eat a scrawny old woman like me? Here, gnaw upon my shoe till I come down, and I will take you to my house; I have two little children there, named Janko and Mirko; they will make you a right savory dish. So have patience till you get them." So said the little old woman and threw down one of her shoes. Master Petz gnawed and gnawed upon it, but the more he gnawed the hungrier he grew. Greatly enraged, he screamed up to the old woman: "Come down, you old wench, and let me eat you!" "Just wait a little longer, till the old wench has gathered enough cherries," she answered. "Here, gnaw this other shoe awhile; she'll soon come down and show you the way to her house." So saying, she threw down the other shoe. When Petz found that the second shoe was no juicier than the first he made no further effort, but contented himself with thinking of the fat little children at the old woman's house. When she had gathered cherries enough, down she came and went home, the Bear tramping along behind her. When they reached the house the old woman said, "I'll tell you what, first let me give the children a good supper, that they may be all the fatter; and meanwhile do you run about till evening to get up a better appetite." So Petz went away and ran about in the woods all the rest of the day, and at evening he came back to the hut. "Here I am, little mother!" he cried; "now bring out Janko and Mirko, and see me polish them off. I am starving to death!" "Oho!" answered the little old woman from within, "Janko has made the door fast with bolts, and I have just put Mirko to sleep. I couldn't think of waking him. And little mother is so old and weak that she can't unbolt the door alone. Come some other day." Then Master Petz perceived that he had been fooled, and he walked reluctantly away, with drooping snout and an empty stomach. "I'm glad he didn't get Janko and Mirko," said the little boy. CHAPTER IX CAT AND DOG