Aesop
|
Greece

The Bear and The Two Travelers

Two travelers encounter a bear, one climbs a tree and the other pretends to be dead to survive.
Trust
Friendship
Courage
Aesop's Fables - The Bear and The Two Travelers
Audio available for B1 version

Once upon a time, two men were traveling through a forest. As they were walking, they suddenly stumbled upon a huge bear. The two travelers were terrified and started to run away as fast as they could.

While one of the travelers managed to climb up a nearby tree and save himself, the other one, who was not as fast, quickly came to the realization that he had no chance to outrun the bear. Instead, he fell to the ground and pretended to be dead.

The bear, being curious, came closer to the man who was pretending to be dead and sniffed around him. The man, however, did not move a muscle and kept his eyes closed, hoping that the bear would leave him alone.

After a while, the bear, thinking that the man was indeed dead, left him alone and went back into the forest.

Once the bear was out of sight, the traveler who had climbed up the tree climbed down and asked his friend, who had pretended to be dead, what the bear had whispered into his ear. The man replied, "The bear told me never to trust a friend who deserts you in a danger."

Once upon a time, two travelers were walking through a big, green forest. While they were enjoying their walk, they suddenly saw a big bear coming towards them. They were very scared and started to run as fast as they could.

One traveler was quick and climbed up a tree to hide. But the other traveler wasn't as fast. He remembered hearing that bears won't touch a dead body. So, he decided to fall to the ground and pretend to be dead.

He lay very still, holding his breath and not moving at all. The bear came up to him, sniffed around him from head to toe, and even nudged him a little. But the traveler stayed as still as a log.

Thinking the traveler on the ground was really dead, the bear finally walked away back into the trees.

When the bear was gone, the traveler in the tree climbed down. He went over to his friend on the ground and asked, "What did the bear whisper in your ear?"

The traveler who pretended to be dead sat up and said, "The bear told me to never trust a friend who leaves you alone when danger comes."

Two friends walk in a forest. They are happy. Suddenly, they see a big bear. They are scared.

One friend climbs a tree. He is safe. The other friend cannot climb. He thinks, “What can I do?” He remembers bears do not eat dead people. So, he lies on the ground. He pretends to be dead. He does not move.

The bear comes close. The bear sniffs him. The friend stays very still. The bear thinks he is dead and leaves.

When the bear is gone, the friend in the tree comes down. He asks, "What did the bear say?"

The friend on the ground says, "The bear told me to be careful with friends who leave me in danger."

Once upon a time, two travelers were walking through a big, green forest. While they were enjoying their walk, they suddenly saw a big bear coming towards them. They were very scared and started to run as fast as they could.

One traveler was quick and climbed up a tree to hide. But the other traveler wasn't as fast. He remembered hearing that bears won't touch a dead body. So, he decided to fall to the ground and pretend to be dead.

He lay very still, holding his breath and not moving at all. The bear came up to him, sniffed around him from head to toe, and even nudged him a little. But the traveler stayed as still as a log.

Thinking the traveler on the ground was really dead, the bear finally walked away back into the trees.

When the bear was gone, the traveler in the tree climbed down. He went over to his friend on the ground and asked, "What did the bear whisper in your ear?"

The traveler who pretended to be dead sat up and said, "The bear told me to never trust a friend who leaves you alone when danger comes."

Not so long ago in a forest that was as wild as a toddler on a sugar rush, two travelers were having a stroll. One was whistling a tune that sounded suspiciously like "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," and the other was trying to find good cellphone reception.

"Bit too much green for my liking," one of them muttered, looking around at all the nature. "Reminds me of the time I tried to eat a salad. Ghastly experience."

Just then, they stumbled upon a bear that was so huge, it would make Goldilocks think twice about breaking and entering. They were terrified and started to run away like they were in the Olympic finals, only the prize was not getting eaten.

One of the travelers, who fancied himself a bit of an acrobat, managed to climb up a nearby tree like it was nothing. "Ha! Top that!" he exclaimed.

The other traveler, who was clearly not in the gymnast category, quickly figured out that his legs were as useful as a chocolate teapot against a bear that big. Instead, he fell to the ground and pretended to be dead.

The bear, being curious (or maybe just bored), lumbered over to the "dead" man and started to sniff around him. But the man didn't so much as flinch. Maybe the bear just had bad breath?

After a dramatic pause worthy of a movie scene, the bear, deciding that the man was as dead as last year's fashion, shrugged and ambled back into the forest.

Once the bear was out of sight, the traveler in the tree climbed down and said, "So, what did the bear whisper in your ear? Was it 'If you want to get ahead, get a hat?'"

The other man replied, "No, it was a bit more poignant. The bear told me never to trust a friend who deserts you in danger. Or was it desserts you in danger? I always get those two mixed up. Either way, next time, you're getting the cake."

And they both laughed, even though they knew it was a serious matter. But hey, that's what friends are for - turning life's fables into something you can chuckle about over a cup of cocoa.

In a forest deep and dense,
Two travelers did commence,
A journey filled with thrill and scare,
When they stumbled on a bear!

With eyes wide and legs aflight,
They tried to escape their fright,
One climbed a tree with quickened haste,
The other fell, no time to waste.

He lay down flat upon the ground,
Pretending not to make a sound,
The bear came close, sniffed all around,
But the man stayed still, made not a sound.

The bear then thought, "He's dead, no doubt!"
And turned to leave, with a snort and a pout.
Away he lumbered, back to his den,
And the man on the ground breathed once again.

His friend came down, a smirk on his face,
And asked what wisdom, in that fearful place,
The bear had whispered into his ear,
The man just smiled, his lesson was clear.

"The bear told me, in words quite true,
Never trust a friend who leaves you.
For when danger nears, and times are bleak,
A true friend's courage is what you seek."

Share
Feedback

Word Finder

  1. Travelers

    People who are going from place to place.

  2. Forest

    A large area full of trees and plants.

  3. Suddenly

    Happening quickly and unexpectedly.

  4. Towards

    In the direction of something or someone.

  5. Pretend

    To act like something is true when it’s not.

  6. Breath

    The air you take in and let out.

  7. Sniffed

    Smelled something by taking in air through the nose.

  8. Nudged

    Gently pushed something or someone.

  9. Whisper

    To speak very softly and quietly.

  10. Danger

    The possibility of something bad happening.

Understanding Questions

  1. What did the two travelers see while they were walking through the forest?
  2. How did the first traveler react when he saw the bear?
  3. What strategy did the second traveler use to protect himself from the bear?
  4. Why did the bear walk away from the traveler on the ground?
  5. What lesson did the traveler on the ground share after the bear left?

Word Finder

  1. Forest

    A large area with many trees.

  2. Suddenly

    Happening quickly and without warning.

  3. Climbs

    Moves up something, like a tree.

  4. Safe

    Not in danger; protected.

  5. Pretends

    Acts like something is true when it’s not.

  6. Dead

    No longer alive; not living anymore.

  7. Sniffs

    Smells something with the nose.

  8. Still

    Not moving; very quiet.

  9. Danger

    The chance of getting hurt or harmed.

  10. Careful

    Doing things safely to avoid problems.

  1. Travelers

    People who are going from place to place.

  2. Forest

    A large area full of trees and plants.

  3. Suddenly

    Happening quickly and unexpectedly.

  4. Towards

    In the direction of something or someone.

  5. Pretend

    To act like something is true when it’s not.

  6. Breath

    The air you take in and let out.

  7. Sniffed

    Smelled something by taking in air through the nose.

  8. Nudged

    Gently pushed something or someone.

  9. Whisper

    To speak very softly and quietly.

  10. Danger

    The possibility of something bad happening.

Understanding Questions

  1. What do the two friends see in the forest?

    1. A lion
    2. A bear
    3. A bird
    4. A rabbit
  2. What does the first friend do when he sees the bear?

    1. Runs away
    2. Climbs a tree
    3. Fights the bear
    4. Hides in a bush
  3. What does the second friend do to avoid the bear?

    1. Climbs a tree
    2. Pretends to be dead
    3. Runs away
    4. Talks to the bear
  4. Why does the bear leave the second friend alone?

    1. The friend was too fast.
    2. The bear thought he was dead.
    3. The bear got scared.
    4. The bear was hungry.
  5. What does the second friend say the bear told him?

    1. “Be careful with strangers”
    2. “Be careful with bears”
    3. “Be careful with friends who leave you in danger”
    4. “Run away next time”
  1. What did the two travelers see while they were walking through the forest?
  2. How did the first traveler react when he saw the bear?
  3. What strategy did the second traveler use to protect himself from the bear?
  4. Why did the bear walk away from the traveler on the ground?
  5. What lesson did the traveler on the ground share after the bear left?
  1. What strategy did the second traveler use to avoid being harmed by the bear, and why did he choose this method?
  2. Describe how the first traveler reacted when they encountered the bear.
  3. What was the bear's reaction when it encountered the second traveler lying on the ground?
  4. Why did the second traveler lie perfectly still while the bear was sniffing him?
  5. What lesson did the second traveler learn from the encounter with the bear?

Reflection Questions

  1. Why do you think one of the travelers climbed the tree instead of helping his friend?
  2. How did the second traveler save himself from the bear?
  3. What does the story teach us about how to act when we're scared?
  4. The traveler who was left on the ground said that the bear told him not to trust a friend who deserts you in danger. What does this mean?
  5. Can you think of a time when you helped a friend or a friend helped you when you were in trouble? How did it make you feel?

Fable Quotes

Never trust a friend who deserts you in times of danger.
True friendship is tested when danger arises and reveals who will stand by your side.
Courage is not absence of fear, but the willingness to act despite it.
About

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.