"If ye'll scratch my back fer me I'll let ye cut a piece o' my tail off t' eat." 'Bear's tail, ye know, hes a lot o' meat on it--heam tell it was gran' good fare.

So the boy he scratched the bear's back an' the bear he grinned an' made his paw go patitty-pat on the ground--it did feel so splendid.

Then the boy tuk his jack-knife 'n begun t' cut off the bear's tail.

The bear he flew mad 'n growled 'n growled so the boy he stopped 'n didn't dast cut no more.
'"Hurts awful," says the bear.

"Couldn't never stan' it.