<TITLE>04. Par 36-44</TITLE>L-36 And so notice, this little old... When I come up, I heard a noise. And looked over, and there was old mammy bear and her two little fellows, had got in there. And they just tore up everything there was. So I knew that was "tear up camp then and go." So then I looked, and the old mother bear, she run off to one side. And she cooed, you know. Was black bear. They're just not very big. And so she run off and cooed to her cub. And one of the cubs come to her, and the other one didn't come. Well, I wondered, "What the world is the matter?"

L-37   And I had an old rusty pistol laying over there in that tent. And, but, I guess it was tore up by that time. And I had the ax in my hand, and--and I... You know, an old mother bear with some cubs, she can get kind of angry, you know. And she can scratch you, too, she wanted to. So I was kind of watching her, you know, keeping a tree in mind all the time. That I could...

L-38 You've heard about the preacher in a cinnamon tree, well, any kind of tree will do if a bear is after you. So I watched that tree, and I wondered what was the matter with that little old bear. He was just... wasn't going to go. And his mammy kept cooing to him, and he just kept setting. He all humped up, like this. I thought, "What's the little fellow got?" I thought maybe I could run in and grab that old pistol. I thought, "Oh, I wouldn't kill that old mother bear, if she'd charge after me, because it would leave two orphans in the woods. So I wouldn't do that.

L-39   So I thought, "I'll just watch this tree, and see what the little fellow has got." And now he was all humped up, like this, and I seen him moving. And the old mother was cooing, and walking back and forth, kind of restless. And she was watching me, too. And when she turned her back to look at the other bear, I'd step along sideways, like that, to try to get around, see what the little fellow was... had him so interested. You know what he had? He had my bucket of molasses.

L-40 And you know, I--I like pancakes. I know I got a lot of fellow citizens of that same appetite. So, and--and I know I--I don't believe in sprinkling. I like to really baptize them. I like to pour it on heavy, you know, put plenty of molasses. The last time I eat down here at the Ramada, the other day, we had a finest breakfast. And they had good flapjacks, like that. We call them flapjacks, in the South. But you... If we have them in the morning, tell the waiter just a little more 'lasses, if you please. That, that wasn't enough. I had to put sugar on top of them, you know, to finish out.

L-41   But, however, this little old bear, the little fellow had got his paw, and got this bucket open. He had his... They love sweet stuff, you know. And he got his little paw in this molasses bucket. He didn't know how to eat it with his hands, so he--he just smear them and lick, you know. Then he would smear and lick, after he had got the bucket all sopped out.

L-42 I said, "Get out of there." I kept hollering at him. He wouldn't even turn. And after he got the bucket sopped out, he turned around, looked at me. And he couldn't get his eyes open, you know. From the top of his ears, plumb down his little belly, he was just full of molasses.

L-43 I thought, "That's right. There's no condemnation. That's just like a good old pentecostal meeting. When you get your hand right down in the molasses bucket, or honey jar, up to your elbows, and just shouting, praising God, I don't care what goes on, you don't hear it. See?

L-44 But, you know, the strange thing was, after he got over it, and the rest of them standing out there scolding him; when he got over there, the rest of them had fellowship. They all licked him. Nature holds some strange things, doesn't it, brother? Licking all. Now, them people that didn't attend this meeting, they can just lick your molasses, at the... see, after it's over. All right.


<A HREF="P5">Next Page</A>