Mrs. Woods had a pet blue-jay that she had taken when young from its nest, and it would do many comical things.  It seemed to have a sense of humor, like a magpie, and to enjoy a theft like that bird.  She finally gave it the freedom of the air, but it would return at her call for food and eat from her hand.  The blue-jay is naturally a very wild bird, but when it is tamed it becomes very inquisitive and social, and seems to have a brain full of invention and becomes a very comical pet.  Mrs. Woods called her pet bear Little Roll Over.

One day a visitor appeared at the emigrant’s cabin.  A black she-bear came out of the woods, and, seeing the cub, stood up on her haunches in surprise and seemed to say, “How came you here?” It was evidently the mother of the cub.

The cub saw its mother and rolled over several times, and then stood up on its haunches and looked at her, as much as to say, “Where did you come from, and what brought you here?” In the midst of this interesting interview Mrs. Woods appeared at the door of the cabin.

She saw the mother-bear.  True to her New England instincts, she shook her homespun apron and said:  “Shoo!”

She also saw that the little bear was greatly excited, and under the stress of temptation.

“Here,” said she, “roll over.”

The cub did so, but in the direction of its mother.

Mrs. Woods hurried out toward it to prevent this ungrateful gravitation.

The mother-bear seemed much to wonder that the cub should be found in such forbidden associations, and began to make signs by dipping her fore paws.  The cub evidently understood these signs, and desired to renew its old-time family relations.

“Here,” said Mrs. Woods, “you—­you—­you mind now; roll over—­roll over.”

[Illustration:  In the midst of this interview Mrs. Woods appeared at the door of the cabin.]

The cub did so, true to its education in one respect, but it did not roll in the direction of its foster-mother, but rolled toward its own mother.  It turned over some five or more times, then bounded up and ran toward the she-bear.  The latter dropped her fore feet on the earth again, and the two bears, evidently greatly delighted to find each other, quickly disappeared in the woods.  As the cub was about to enter the bushes it turned and gave a final glance at Mrs. Woods and rolled over.

This was too much for Mrs. Woods’s heart.  She said: 

“After all I have done for ye, too!  Oh, Little Roll Over, Little Roll Over, I wouldn’t have thought it of you!”

She surveyed the empty yard, threw her apron over her head, as stricken people used to do in Lynn in the hour of misfortune, and sat down on the log at the door and cried.

“I never have had any confidence in Injuns,” she said, “since my saw walked off.  But I did have some respect for bears.  I wonder if I shall ever meet that little cre’tur’ again, and, if I do, if it will roll over.  This world is all full of disappointments, and I have had my share.  Maybe I’ll get it back to me yet.  Nevertheless—­”