There was no one else in the bear cave just then to go to the help of whoever was calling, as Mrs. Stubtail and Aunt Piffy had gone over to the house of Mrs. Kat, the kitten children’s mamma, to ask about making sugar pie. So Neddie and Beckie had to do whatever they were going to do all by themselves.
They hurried on toward where they heard the voice. It was still calling:
“Yes, we are coming!” answered Neddie, and then he and Beckie ran around the corner by a stump, and they saw, sitting there, Uncle Wigwag, the old joking bear gentleman himself. He did not seem to be in any trouble, and the bear children wondered what had happened to him.
“Why, what is the matter?” asked Neddie. “If you are in trouble why don’t you come away? I see no one hurting you.”
“No, you can’t see it, but I’m in trouble just the same,” said the bear gentleman making a funny face. “I am frozen fast to a cake of ice!”
“Frozen to a cake of ice?” said Beckie in surprise.
“Yes. It’s a trick played on me by Mr. Whitewash, but I am not complaining about it. It serves me right for playing so many jokes to-day, especially the one on him with the ink.
“I was walking along, thinking of a new joke to try, when I saw what I thought was a nice seat here by this old stump. The seat had a blanket over the top, and a sign saying:
“Well, of course, I sat down, and before I knew it I was frozen fast. You see there was a cake of ice under the blanket, and I’m sure Mr. Whitewash put it there, just to fool me.”
“I guess he did,” said Neddie, and he could hardly keep from laughing, for Uncle Wigwag looked so funny, frozen fast.
“Can’t you help me?” asked the bear gentleman. “You see Mr. Whitewash can sit on a cake of ice without freezing to it, for he is used to living at the North Pole, but I am not. Oh, dear! I’m freezing tighter and tighter. I may have to stay here all night.”
“Oh, no, we will help you,” said Neddie kindly. So he and Beckie blew their warm breath on the cake of ice, and soon it was melted enough so that Uncle Wigwag could pull himself loose. And very glad, indeed, he was to get up. Then along came Mr. Whitewash saying, as he combed his claws through his white fur:
“Yes,” spoke Uncle Wigwag, “it did. And it served me right. Now let’s all go and have some hot chocolate, for I am chilled through.” So they had the hot chocolate in the drug store, and everybody was happy, and Uncle Wigwag didn’t play any more tricks until the next time.