"Oh, must I?" said February, much relieved. "I thought I had to take pains with my language. People who 'address the young' usually do. Well, if I may go ahead in my own way it's all right: you've taken a weight off my mind."
"I'm glad to hear it," said Max; "but before you begin, where's the gift?"
"Here," said February; and he pulled from his pocket something that looked like a big icicle. It was an icicle, only it didn't melt in your fingers or feel cold; and it had a delicious taste, like buckwheat cakes, maple molasses, sausages, baked apples, turkey, cranberry sauce, and nuts and raisins, all at once. Max broke it in two, and while Thekla sucked one half and he the other, February began:
"It's only about the bears in the North-West Hollow."
"Bears!" cried Max: "what bears?"
"A real nice family of bears who live up there. Last year when I saw them, they were little fellows about the size of kittens; but they are quite
