night found grunty pig huddled close to the outside of the piggery. many times he had walked around the low building, snuffing at the doors and trying in vain to find some opening through which he might crawl. to his dismay, all was snug and tight. there wasn't a hole big enough even for miss kitty cat to creep through.

though grunty had called a good many times, nobody had answered him. inside the piggery, in their pen, mrs. pig and her other children were sound asleep. now and then grunty could hear a throaty snore, which he knew to be his mother's.

"how can she sleep, when i'm missing?" he cried.

now, mrs. pig had been much upset by grunty's absence. and when farmer green came to put her family into the piggery for the night she had tried to explain to him that grunty had run away. unfortunately, it happened that farmer green was in a great hurry. he didn't stop to find out what was troubling mrs. pig, but hustled her and her children inside and closed all the doors.

try as she would, mrs. pig hadn't been able to stay awake. her eyes would close, in spite of all she could do. though she slept, she dreamed about the truant grunty. now and then she cried aloud in the darkness, when some terrible creature seemed to be chasing him. but mrs. pig never quite waked up.

once grunty pig thought he heard his mother speak his name. and he called out in as brave a voice as he could muster, "here i am, just outside the piggery! won't somebody please let me in?"

he called in vain. at last he fell asleep, for he was about as tired as any little pig could be.

in the middle of the night grunty pig awoke with a start. somebody said "woof!" and somebody came sniffing and snuffing around the corner of the piggery. dimly grunty could see a dark, burly form. and he was so frightened that he bawled right out, "it's a bear! it's a bear! it's a bear!"

almost at the same instant old dog spot ran out of his kennel, barking furiously. and like magic the prowler—whoever he was—vanished into the night.

"keep still!" grunty's mother called to him; for the noise had half roused her. "don't you mention the word bear again, or i'll attend to you in the morning."

drowsy as she was, mrs. pig actually thought grunty was right there in the pen with the rest of her children. and in no time at all she was snoring again.

grunty pig didn't dare open his mouth nor close his eyes the rest of the night. and when morning came, farmer green found him huddled against the door of the piggery.

it was a joyful meeting—for grunty pig.