Page:Notes upon Russia (volume 2, 1851).djvu/233

This page needs to be proofread.
AND KINGDOMES LYING THAT WAY.
205

which he slypt vp to the breast, and lyued there only with Hony for the space of two dayes, calling in vaine for helpe in that desart of woodds: and that in fine dispayryng of helpe, he escaped by a marueylous chaunce, beyng drawen out by a great Beare that descended into the tree, with her loynes downewarde after the maner of men. For when the man (as present necessitie and oppertunitie serued) perceyued the Beare to be within his reache, he sodenly clasped her about the loynes with his armes, and with a terrible crye prouoked the beast to enforce her strength to leape out of the tree, and therewith to drawe hym out, as it chaunced in deede.

A marueylous chaunce.

Beares feede of hony and bees.

Beares inuade Bulles.

The Beares byrth.

The Beares denne.

These regions abounde with Beares, whiche euery where seeke both Honye and Bees, not only herewith to fyll theyr bellyes, but also to helpe theyr syght: For theyr eyes are oftentymes dulled, and theyr mouthes wounded of the Bees: both which greefes are eased by eatyng of Honye. They haue weakest heades, as Lions haue strongest: Insomuche that when (beyng thereto enforced) they cast them selues downe headlong from any rockes, they couer theyr heades with theyr feete, and lye for a tyme astonished, and halfe deade with knockes. They walke sometymes on two feete, and spoyle trees, backewarde. Sometyme also they inuade Bulles, and so hang on them with all theyr feete, and they weerye them with weight. The Beare (as sayeth Plinie) bringeth foorth her byrth the thirtie day, and often tymes two. Theyr birth is a certaine white mass of flesh without fourme, and litle bigger then a mouse, without eyes, and without heare, with only the nayles or clawes commyng foorth: but the damme with continuall lyckyng, by litle and litle figureth the informe byrth. When she entreth into the denne which shee hath chosen, shee creepeth thyther with her belly vpwarde, least the place should be founde by the steppes of her feete. And beyng there deliuered of her byrth, remaineth in the same place for the space of .xiiii.

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.