buster bear hadn't enjoyed himself so much since he came to the green forest to live. his fun began when he surprised little joe otter on the bank of a little pool in the laughing brook and little joe was so frightened that he dropped a fat trout he had just caught. it had seemed like a great joke to buster bear, and he had chuckled over it all the time he was eating the fat trout. when he had finished it, he started on to do some fishing himself.

presently he came to another little pool. he stole up to it very, very softly, so as not to frighten the fish.[pg 13] then he sat down close to the edge of it and didn't move. buster learned a long time ago that a fisherman must be patient unless, like little joe otter, he is just as much at home in the water as the fish themselves, and can swim fast enough to catch them by chasing them. so he didn't move so much as an eye lash. he was so still that he looked almost like the stump of an old tree. perhaps that is what the fish thought he was, for pretty soon, two or three swam right in close to where he was sitting. now buster bear may be big and clumsy looking, but there isn't anything that can move much quicker than one of those big paws of his when he wants it to. one of them moved now, and quicker than a wink had scooped one of those foolish fish out on to the bank.

buster's little eyes twinkled, and he[pg 14] smacked his lips as he moved on to the next little pool, for he knew that it was of no use to stay longer at the first one. the fish were so frightened that they wouldn't come back for a long, long time. at the next little pool the same thing happened. by this time buster bear was in fine spirits. it was fun to catch the fish, and it was still more fun to eat them. what finer breakfast could any one have than fresh-caught trout? no wonder he felt good! but it takes more than three trout to fill buster bear's stomach, so he kept on to the next little pool.

but this little pool, instead of being beautiful and clear so that buster could see right to the bottom of it and so tell if there were any fish there, was so muddy that he couldn't see into it at all. it looked as if some one had just stirred up all the mud at the bottom.

[pg 15]"huh!" said buster bear. "it's of no use to try to fish here. i would just waste my time. i'll try the next pool."

so he went on to the next little pool. he found this just as muddy as the other. then he went on to another, and this was no better. buster sat down and scratched his head. it was puzzling. yes, sir, it was puzzling. he looked this way and he looked that way suspiciously, but there was no one to be seen. everything was still save for the laughter of the laughing brook. somehow, it seemed to buster as if the brook were laughing at him.

"it's very curious," muttered buster, "very curious indeed. it looks as if my fishing is spoiled for to-day. i don't understand it at all. it's lucky i caught what i did. it looks as if somebody is trying to—ha!" a sudden thought had popped into his head.[pg 16] then he began to chuckle and finally to laugh. "i do believe that scamp joe otter is trying to get even with me for eating that fat trout!"

and then, because buster bear always enjoys a good joke even when it is on himself, he laughed until he had to hold his sides, which is a whole lot better than going off in a rage as little joe otter had done. "you're pretty smart, mr. otter! you're pretty smart, but there are other people who are smart too," said buster bear, and still chuckling, he went off to think up a plan to get the best of little joe otter.