<TITLE>04. Par 29-38</TITLE>L-29 Like I used to tell a little story about fishing. Up in northern New Hampshire, I was fishing for trout. And way up at the head of the mountain, I had a little tent sitting up there, oh, those little A-tent, little pup tent from the government. And I had found a place where there was many trout, was back under a bush. And there--and there was moose willow there, and every time I tried to wet my fly, why, it would catch in the willow. So that morning, I got up, went up there, early, and I thought, I'll cut them willows down. I'd just... If I killed a fish, then I would eat it, otherwise I would turn it loose. So I had all week, all I could take care of, and I was up there by myself.

L-30   And while I was gone that morning, on my road back, an old sow bear and two little cubs had got in my tent. And you talk about wrecking things, they really had wrecked it right. And they had tore everything up. And I--I thought... When I come back, I heard a noise, and I looked around some little bushes I was coming around. And the old mother bear and all of them was just having them a time, raking through everything.

L-31 And she saw me, and she run off and cooed to her cubs. One of the cubs come, and the other one didn't come. Little bitty fellow, spring, he was just so high. He was sitting like this. And I thought, "Well, what's the little fellow so interested in?"

L-32   And I got around and looked. I said to her, "Get out of there! Get out of there!" And he just sit there. I thought... And I watched the old mother, because, you know, to fool with her cubs, she would scratch you, you know. So I--I--I watched; there was a tree pretty close, you know. I had an old rusty pistol laying over there in the tent, was probably broke up then. And, anyhow, I wouldn't want to shoot the old mother and leave two orphans in the woods. So I kept watching this tree, getting around to see what the little fellow was so fascinated.

L-33 And, you know, I--I--I like pancakes. We, we're all Southerners, aren't we? [Congregation says, "Yes."--Ed.] Flapjacks is what they are down here, you know. So, and I really love them, and I--and I--I know... There's not much Methodist about me; I really like to pour on the molasses. I really baptize them right, pour it all over them. So I don't like just a little bitty sprinkle like you get in these places here, a little thing. I like to get where you really pour it on, you know, and get them mixed good and heavy.

L-34   I had me a half a gallon bucketful of--of good old sorghum. This little bear had got the top off, and he was really enjoying my molasses. Kept watching him around the corner. He'd take his little paw and stick down in this bucket, you know. And he didn't know how to get the molasses out, so he just sticking his paw down in my molasses, and then rake it up and lick when it come down.

L-35 I tell you, when I finally got around and got his attention, he looked at me. He couldn't see me, he was molasses from the top of his head, all the way down. His little belly just as full of molasses. And his eyes, he couldn't even open his eyes to look at me, you know, trying.

L-36 I thought, "That's right. There is no condemnation to them that's eating." Puts in the mind of a good old Pentecostal meeting, when we get our arms down in that honey jar, about that deep, you know, of that Pentecostal Honey.

L-37   You know, the strange thing about it, after he got his tummy full, and my bucket sopped out, he went over to his mammy and little brother, and the mammy licked him.

L-38 So, you know, I hope we get so much on us here, that, when we go home, those who didn't come will lick off of us, a little of our experience, tell them about what great things the Lord has did down here in Hot Springs. The Lord bless you.


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