In general, also, she was apt to be rather careless about keeping watch against her enemies.

But now she was vigilant even when she seemed asleep, and anything the least bit out of the ordinary was enough to make her take alarm.

As she lay sluggishly rocking, the great blackish round of her head and back now all awash, now rising like a reef above the waves, she suddenly caught sight of a white furry head with a black tip to its nose, swiftly cleaving the water.

She knew it was only a white bear swimming, and she knew also that it was not big enough to dare attack her calf.

But with her foolish mother fears she objected to its even being in the neighborhood.