The Blue Fairy Book - online childrens book

Illustrated classic fairy tales for children by Andrew Lang

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	SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED	261
	Snow-white and Rose-red, Don't beat your lover dead.' When it was time to retire for the night, and the others went to bed, the mother said to the bear : ' You can he there on the hearth, in heaven's name; it will be shelter for you from the cold and wet.' As soon as day dawned the children let him out, and he trotted over the snow into the wood. From this time on the bear" came every evening the same hour', and lay down by the hearth and let tho children play what pranks they liked with him; and they got so accustomed to him that the door was never shut till their black friend had made his appearance.
	When spring came, and all outside was green, the bear said one morning to Snow-white: ' Now I must go away, and not return again the whole summer.' ' Where are you going to, dear bear ft' asked Snow-white. ' I must go to the wood and protect my treasure from the wicked dwarfs. In winter, when t tie earth is frozen hardl they are obliged to remain underground, for they can't work their! way through; but now, when the sun has thawed and Warmed the ground, they break through and come up above to spy the land and steal what they can : what once falls into their hands and into their caves is not easily brought back to light.' Show-white w*as quite sad over their friend's departure, and when she unbarred the doorj for him, the bear, stepping out, caught a piece of his fur in the door .