The boy rose and turned his head , and saw a huge black bear coming towards him . ` What are you doing here ? ' cried the bear . ' I am running away from the mermaid , ' answered the boy ; but the bear took no interest in the mermaid , and only said : ' I am hungry ; give me something to eat . ' The knapsack was lying on the ground among the fern , but the prince picked it up , and , unfastening the strap , took out his second flask of wine and another loaf of bread . ` We will have supper together , ' he remarked politely ; but the bear , who had never been taught manners , made no reply , and ate as fast as he could . When he had quite finished , he got up and stretched himself . ` You have got a comfortable-looking bed there , ' he observed . ' I really think that , bad sleeper as I am , I might have a good night on it . I can manage to squeeze you in , ' he added ; ` you do n't take up a great deal of room . ' The boy was rather indignant at the bear 's cool way of talking ; but as he was too tired to gather more fern , they lay down side by side , and never stirred till sunrise next morning . ' I must go now , ' said the bear , pulling the sleepy prince on to his feet ; ` but first you shall cut off the tip of my ear , and when you are in any danger just wish yourself a bear and you will become one . One good turn deserves another , you know . ' And the boy did as he was bid , and he and the bear bade each other farewell . ' I wonder how it feels to be a bear , ' thought he to himself when he had walked a little way ; and he took out the tip from the breast of his coat and wished hard that he might become a bear . The next moment his body stretched out and thick black fur covered him all over . As before , his hands were changed into paws , but when he tried to switch his tail he found to his disgust that it would not go any distance . ` Why it is hardly worth calling a tail ! ' said he . For the rest of the day he remained a bear and continued his journey , but as evening came on the bear-skin , which had been so useful when plunging through brambles in the forest , felt rather heavy , and he wished himself a boy again .
He was too much exhausted to take the trouble of cutting any fern or seeking for moss , but just threw himself down under a tree , when exactly above his head he heard a great buzzing XXXXX a bumble-bee alighted on a honeysuckle branch .
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