Free The Berenstain Bears in Maniac Mansion by Stan & Jan Berenstain Page A

steered the car up the long drive-way and around the circle at its end. When Greeves greeted Papa and the cubs at the front door, they noticed that he had large bags under his eyes.
    â€œYou look tired, Greeves,” said Papa. “Anything wrong?”
    â€œNot really, sir,” said the butler. “I just haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
    Hmm , thought Papa. Just like Lady Grizzly. Maybe it’s catching .
    They entered the front hallway that led to the main spiral staircase. As the cubs admired a suit of armor that stood before several life-size portraits of Grizzly forebears, Reeves went to an intercom and pressed a button. “The cubs have arrived, Miss Bonnie,” he said.
    Bonnie waved as she came skipping down the stairs. “Hi, guys,” she said. “How about a tour of the mansion?”
    â€œGreat,” said Brother. “I’ve never been upstairs. Can we go up and look around?”
    â€œSure,” said Bonnie, taking his hand. “Let’s go.”
    Once upstairs, Bonnie led the cubs down a long hallway lined with portraits.
    â€œWow,” said Sister. “How many forebears do the Grizzlys have, anyway?”
    â€œDozens,” said Bonnie. “The family goes back centuries.”
    Brother stopped in front of one of the portraits. It was of a very old white-haired bear who looked out from the canvas with dark beady eyes. The eyes had an odd gleam in them. Brother had a hunch that the gleam was a greedy one.

    â€œWho’s this old guy?” he asked Bonnie. “I don’t think I like the looks of him.”
    â€œFunny you should say that,” said Bonnie. “That’s old Farnsworth Grizzly Uncle Squire’s great-grandfather. He built Grizzly Mansion, you know. And he was definitely not a nice bear.”
    â€œWhat did he do that wasn’t nice?” asked Sister.
    â€œHe was a dishonest gambler—a swindler. He cheated bears out of tons of money.”
    â€œKind of an old-time Ralph Ripoff,” said Brother.
    â€œBut much, much worse,” said Bonnie. “Farnsworth Grizzly made Ralph look like an honest citizen. Ralph still lives in that run-down houseboat, but Farnsworth Grizzly swindled his way into a mansion.”
    â€œI never knew your uncle’s family had such a bad apple in its barrel,” said Brother.
    â€œIt wasn’t just Farnsworth,” said Bonnie. “The old-time Grizzlys were a bad lot. Farnsworth was the last of the bad ones, but he was far from the worst.”
    â€œWho was the worst?” asked Cousin Fred.
    â€œFollow me and I’ll show you,” said Bonnie.
    She led them to the very end of the hall, where a large portrait hung high on the wall. It was a painting of a very mean-looking bear dressed in what might have been pirates’ clothes. He wore a black wide-brimmed hat with a feather in it and a black waistcoat with huge gold buttons. In one side of his belt was tucked an old-fashioned pistol; in the other was an antique dagger. Across his eyes stretched a black mask, and his mouth was twisted into a snarl.

    â€œIs that a Grizzly?” asked Sister, staring up at the portrait.
    â€œThe very first one,” said Bonnie. “He was an orphan, and no one knows who his parents were. Have you guys ever heard of Bad Bart Grizzly?”
    â€œThe Maniac of Mountain Highway?” said Cousin Fred. “You mean he was related to the squire?”
    â€œThat’s the only reason he’s here on the wall,” said Bonnie.

    â€œWho was he?” asked Sister.
    â€œHe was a famous highway robber from centuries ago,” said Fred. “He and his band of thieves used to rob stagecoaches along Old Mountain Highway in the Great Grizzly Mountains. It was just called Mountain Highway in those days.”
    â€œLike Robin Bear of Bearwood Forest?” asked Sister.
    â€œNot exactly,” said Bonnie. “Robin Bear robbed from the rich and