played with him; for he was just like a dog.

So he came every night until the springtime, when, one morning, as
he was going away, he said:

"You mustn't expect me any more. Spring has come, and the snows have
melted. I can't come again till the summer is over."

So he returned to the wood and watched the dwarf, but he could never
catch him without his belt, until one day he saw him fishing for
salmon without the belt, and at the same time his sweetheart and her
sister came by picking flowers.

So the bear went up to the dwarf, and the dwarf, when he saw him
coming, said:

"Ah! good bear! good bear! let me go. These two girls will be a more
dainty morsel for you."

But the bear smote him with his paw and killed him, and immediately
the bear was turned into his former self, and the girls ran up and
kissed him, and talked.

Then he took the two girls to the dwarf's cave, and gave each of
them a bag of treasure, keeping one for himself. And taking the
belt, he put it on, and they all walked back to the hamlet, when he
told the fishermen that their troubles would soon be over--but that
he must kill the witch first.

Then he turned the belt three times, and said: