Two friends talked and sang merrily as they walked through the forest. Suddenly a bear appeared. The first friend quickly climbed a tree. The second one wanted help but his friend had already left him. He was very scared because the bear was big and strong and could easily kill him. He thought hard and when the bear came near, he lay very still on the ground and controlled his breath. The bear came close to him and sniffed and smelt his body all over. Now, bears do not attack the dead. The bear walked away thinking that the man was dead. The first friend then came down from the tree when the bear went away. He asked his friend mockingly, “What did the bear tell you?”
The second friend thought for a while. “The bear told me never to trust a friend who escapes and leaves you alone when you need him most,” he said. The first friend realised his mistake and was ashamed of his behaviour.