ROBINSON CRUSOE. 243,
or six yards from the bottom of the tree. The bear soon came
to the tree, and we followed at a distance; the first thing he
did, he stopped at the gun, smelled at it, but let it lie, and up
he scrambles into the tree, climbing like a cat, though so mon-
strous heavy. I was amazed at the folly, as I thought it, of my
man, and could not for my life see anything to laugh at yet, till
seeing the bear get up the tree, we all rode near to him.

When we came to the tree, there was Friday got out to the
small end of a large branch, and the bear got about half way to
him. As soon as the bear got out to that part where the limb
of the tree was weaker,—‘‘ Ha!” says he tous, “now you see
me teachee the bear dance :” so he began jumping and shaking
the bough, at which the bear began to totter, but stood still,
and began to look behind him, to see how he should get back ;
then, indeed, we did laugh heartily. But Friday had not done.
with him by a great deal ; when seeing him stand still, he called
out to him again, as if he had supposed the bear could speak
English, ‘“ What, you come no farther? pray you come farther ; ”
so he left jumping and shaking the tree ; and the bear, just as
if he understood what he said, did come a little farther ; then
he began jumping again, and the bear stopped again. We
thought now was a good time to knock him in the head, and
called to Friday to stand still, and we would shoot the bear;
but he cried out earnestly, ““O pray! O pray! no shoot ; me
shoot by and then:” he would have said by and by. However,
to shorten the story, Friday danced so much, and the bear
stood so ticklish, that we had laughing enough, but still could
‘not imagine what the fellow would do: for first we thought he
depended upon shaking the bear off; and we found the bear
was too cunning for that too; for he would not go out far
enough to be thrown down, but clung fast with his great broad
claws and feet, so that we could not imagine what would be the
end of it, and what the jest would be at last. But Friday put
us out of our doubt quickly: for seeing the bear cling fast to
the bough, and that he would not be persuaded to come any
farther, “ Well, well,” says Friday, “you no come farther, me
go; you no come to me, me come to you;” and upon this he
went out to the smaller end of the bough, where it would bend

‘with his weight, and gently let himself down by it, sliding down
the bough till he came near enough to jump down on his feet ;
and away he ran to his gun, took it up, and stood still. “ Well,”
said I to him, “ Friday, what will you donow? Why don’t you
shoot him?” “No shoot,” says Friday, ‘no yet; me shoot
now, me no kill ; me stay. give you one more laugh:” and,