“Men and women also lived on similar things, and were contented and happy.  But as the years went on the people became so numerous, and their settlements spread over so much of the earth, that many of the poor animals began to be cramped for room.

“Even this could have been borne, but by and by men began to make bows and arrows, spears and knives, and other weapons, and began to use them on the defenseless animals.  Then soon they began to eat the flesh of the animals, and presently they found that they preferred the meat thus obtained to the fruits and vegetables of the earth.

“Formerly they had made their garments out of the fiber of the trees and plants, which the women carefully prepared and wove; but after a while they discovered that the skins of the buffalo and deer and other animals, when well prepared, made better and more durable garments and wigwams than the materials they had previously used.  As time went on the destruction of the larger animals increased, and men became so much more cruel than formerly that even the frogs and worms, that in the earlier days were never harmed, were now destroyed without mercy, or by sheer carelessness or contempt.  Thus the animals came to be in such a sad plight that it was resolved by them to call great councils of their members together to consult upon what could be done for their common safety.

“The bears were the first to assemble.  They gathered together on the peak of a great smoky mountain, which the white men now call Cathedral mountain, and the great white bear from the Northland was appointed chairman.”

[Illustration:  “Which the white men now call Cathedral Mountain.”]

“Well, that was funny,” said Minnehaha.  “Just fancy a big white bear sitting up in a chair!  Why, he would need a whole sofa to hold him.”

“Don’t be silly, child,” said the patronizing brother.  “It was a bears’ council and, of course, the chairs used were bears’ and not men’s.”

When Mary was appealed to to settle the question she could only say, “As the council was held on the top of a mountain perhaps the bears sat on the rocks.  But never mind; let me go on with the story.

“After the white bear had made his speech he took his seat and said he was now ready to hear the statements of the different bears who had assembled to lodge their complaints against the way in which men killed their relatives, devoured their flesh for food, and made garments and robes out of their skins.

“Nearly every kind of bear had grievous statements to make, and so blood-curdling were some of their recitals that it was decided to begin war at once against the human race.

“Then the question was asked, ‘What weapons shall we use against them?’ After some discussion it was decided to use bows and arrows, the favorite weapons of their enemies.

“‘And what are they made of?’ was the next question.