Page:The Swiss Family Robinson - 1851.djvu/406

Rh what, then, would be the suffering of her own mamma? She was thought for a moment, and then, embracing Minou and me, 'You am right, mamma mimi; but if she loves her baby, let her come and seek him,' said the little rebel. In the mean time, Sophia had been out, and returned with some brilliant flowers, fresh after the rain, with which they made garlands to dress up the infant. 'Oh! if mamma saw him, she would be glad to let us have him,' said Matilda. She then explained to her sister who this mamma was, and Sophia shed tears to think of the sorrow of the poor mother. 'But how do you know, mamma, that she was Minou's mother?' demanded she. This question proved that her judent was forming d I took e oppoguty of teaching her what information one may derive from observation. She understood me very well and when I told her on what I had founded my idea, she trembled to think he had been brought here by a bear, and asked me the bear would have eaten him.

"'I cannot answer for it,' said I "if it had been pressed by hunger; they tell us that the bear does no harm to man unless attacked, and is especially fond of children. But, notwithstanding this, I should not like to trust it. At all events, the poor babe would have died if we had not found him.'

"'Poor babe, he shall not die of hunger now,' said she. 'Let us give him some figs; but these are not good; we must go and seek some more.'

"The rain having ceased, I consented passing through the grove, where there are no fig-trees, to search farther. My daughters had fed the