Chapter Seven

by Ruth Stiles Gannett

　　MY FATHER MEETS A LION

　　My father waved goodbye to the rhinoceros, who was much too busy tonotice, got a drink farther down the brook, and waded back to thetrail. He hadn't gone very far when he heard an angry animal roaring,"Ding blast it! I told you not to go blackberrying yesterday. Won'tyou ever learn? What will your mother say!"

　　My father crept along and peered into a small clearing just ahead. Alion was prancing about clawing at his mane, which was all snarled andfull of blackberry twigs. The more he clawed the worse it became andthe madder he grew and the more he yelled at himself, because it washimself he was yelling at all the time.

　　My father could see that the trail went through the clearing, so hedecided to crawl around the edge in the underbrush and not disturb thelion.

　　He crawled and crawled, and the yelling grew louder and louder. Justas he was about to reach the trail on the other side the yellingsuddenly stopped. My father looked around and saw the lion glaring athim. The lion charged and skidded to a stop a few inches away.