THE MAN IN THE STUMP
A man who had a field of growing corn went out one day to see how it was
ripening and climbed a tall stump to get a better view. The stump was hollow and a bear had a nest of cubs in the bottom. The man slipped and fell down upon the cubs, which set up such a squealing that the old she-bear heard them and
came climbing down into the stump tail first, in bear fashion, to see what was the
matter. The man caught hold of her the hind legs and the old bear was so
frightened that she at once climbed out again, dragging the man, who thus got
out of the stump, when the bear ran away.
Source:
Myths of the Cherokee, James Mooney