The Two Travelers and the Bear
兩個旅人與熊
Two old friends set out together on a journey, but when a bear appears on the path, one abandons the other — and later hears a piercing piece of advice.
The story
Once, two friends who had known each other for many years agreed to travel together to a distant town to trade. They set out at daybreak, packs on their backs, following a path that wound through the hills and woods, talking and laughing the whole way so that the road never felt long at all.
By midday the path led into a stretch of forest thicker than any they had passed, where the sunlight barely reached the ground through the heavy leaves, and everything grew strangely quiet. The younger friend glanced around and said softly, "This forest is so deep — what would we do if we met a wild animal?" The older friend clapped him on the shoulder and laughed. "Don't worry. We're together — we'll look out for each other. What could happen?"
He had barely finished speaking when the bushes ahead shook violently, and with a crash, a great dark-furred bear burst out of the undergrowth and planted itself in the middle of the path, snorting loudly. Both friends froze where they stood, their faces turning pale.
The younger friend reacted first. Without a second thought, he spun around, grabbed hold of a branch on the nearest tree, and scrambled up with his hands and feet, disappearing into the thick leaves — leaving his older friend alone on the path. With no time to run and no way to climb, the older friend gritted his teeth, dropped flat onto the ground, held his breath, and lay perfectly still.
The bear ambled closer, lowered its head, and sniffed at him all over with its damp nose, then nudged his shoulder gently with one great paw. The older friend clenched his jaw, kept his eyes shut, and slowed his breath until it was almost nothing at all, doing his best to look lifeless. After sniffing a while longer, the bear seemed to decide there was no breath left in him, lost interest, turned around, and shuffled slowly back into the depths of the forest.
Only once the bear was completely out of sight, and the rustle of leaves had faded into the distance, did the younger friend dare climb down from the tree. Brushing leaves off his clothes, he asked half-joking, "That bear had its face right by your ear — it looked like it was whispering something to you. What did it say?"
The older friend rose slowly to his feet and brushed the dust from his clothes, his face serious. "It told me one thing," he said. "Never travel again with a friend who abandons you and runs at the first sign of danger." The evening sun stretched their shadows long across the path, and the younger friend looked down, unable to say a word.
Story takeaway
A true friend stays by your side when danger comes; one who abandons you to save himself is not worth keeping as a companion.
Talk together
If you and a friend ran into trouble together, what would you want them to do? And what would you do yourself?
For grown-ups
Parent note
This story is a good way to talk with your child about what makes someone a true friend. When danger appeared, the younger traveler thought only of saving himself and left his friend behind — showing that friendship is truly tested not in easy times, but in hard ones. Talk together about how real friends look out for each other when things go wrong, rather than running at the first sign of trouble. You might also ask your child about a time a friend stood by them, or a time they stood by a friend, during a difficult moment.
Words to learn
- companion: someone who travels or spends time with you. e.g. The two companions set out together at daybreak.
- hold one's breath: to stop breathing for a moment in order to stay very still and quiet. e.g. He held his breath and lay perfectly still.
- loyalty: staying faithful to someone, especially when things get hard. e.g. The story is about loyalty between friends.
Reading activity
Play a quick "what would a true friend do" game with your child — read a few situations aloud and talk about the kind, loyal choice, like the one the story asks for: "Your friend trips and falls during a game." → Stop and help them up, instead of running ahead. "You and a friend both got into trouble, and the teacher asks who did it." → Be honest together, instead of blaming your friend. "A friend gets lost and can't find the way home." → Stay and help them figure it out, instead of heading home alone. Finish by asking together: if the younger traveler in the story had a second chance, what could he do differently to truly deserve the word "friend"?
Source information
Aesop · Project Gutenberg public-domain fables
Public-domain fables and short tales from Project Gutenberg.
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