Phil Baumgardt, age 11, of Indianapolis, Ind., for his question:

Are bears sleepy after their hibernation?

We tend to think that in the fall every bear finds himself a cozy cave and retires from the world. We think of him passing the winter in the deep sleep of hibernation. But nature experts tell other wintry tales of the bear. What's more, if you visit a zoo in December or any other month you are likely to see Bruin wide awake and ready for handouts.

The most common bruin of the North American wilds is the black bear, who may be any shade of brown from chocolate to pale honey color. Often, of course, the clownish character really is a black colored bear. He may tip the scales at anything from 250 to 400 pounds and measure more than six feet from his sharp nose to his stubby tail. As a cub he is a great tree climber, but as a rule in later life he becomes too heavy to lift his big bulk off the ground. Bruin has a thick coat to keep him warm enough through the coldest weather. His favorite diet includes grass and fruit, mice and other small rodents, birds and their eggs, insects and their larvae and fish. And as everyone knows, he loves honey. These foods disappear from the wilds in the cold weather, and as winter approaches the bear feasts himself and adds an extra layer of warm fat to his bulky body.

Sometime between November and January he Shuffles off to a sheltering den in a cave or hollow tree and goes to sleep. But he does not fall into a deep coma like a hibernating frog or woodchuck. If snow leaks in upon him or if cold winds whistle through the cracks, he may wake up and shuffle sleepily off to find a Cozier bedroom. HE may be aroused by the barks of a hunting dog or wake up and go outdoors for a breath of fresh air.

In April or May the dozing bear wakes up to greet the spring. Many people think he is famished and fierce enough to attack any living thing in sight. It is true that a wild bear may be dangerous, so sensible people avoid getting close to him at any time of the year. But for a short while after hibernation he tends to be lazy and rather sleepy.

The long winter without food does not make him thin. His coat is glossy and he is in good condition. His stomach could not digest a big meal after such a long fast, and Bruin is not very hungry. For the first few days he does no hunting, and he nibbles only a few dainty morsels of grass and tender shoots.

Mrs. Bruin often comes forth to greet the spring with a surprise  or maybe with a pair of surprises. Her cubs are born between January and March while Mama is still hibernating in the winter den. The newborn infants are toothless and almost hairless. Their eyes are not yet open. For six weeks or two months the cubs grow and develop, fed on Mama's milk and blanketed in her cozy fur. When they emerge, the fluffy, bright eyed youngsters are all ready to romp and play.