THE BEAR and THE TRAVELLERS
by Aesop · from Aesop's Fables; a new translation
Adapted Version
Tom and Ben were friends. They walked on a road. They walked together. The sun was warm. They felt happy. They talked and laughed. They saw green trees. They saw blue sky. It was a good day. They enjoyed their walk.
Suddenly, a big bear came. The bear was on the road. It was a wild bear. It had brown fur. It looked at Tom and Ben. The friends saw the bear. They felt scared. The bear was very big.
Tom saw the big, wild bear. He ran to a tall tree. Tom was very quick. He climbed up the tree fast. He climbed higher and higher. Tom went high into the branches. He hid among the green leaves. Tom felt safe up there. He looked down at Ben. He did not wait for Ben.
Ben could not climb. He was not fast. Ben had a good idea. He had to be smart. He lay down on the ground. He lay very quietly. Ben closed his eyes. He held his breath. He held his breath tightly. He pretended to be very still. Ben pretended to be asleep. He stayed very, very still.
The bear came closer. It sniffed Ben's head. It sniffed Ben's ear. Ben held his breath. The bear thought Ben was dead. It did not move. The bear walked away. It went into the trees. It was gone.
Tom waited in the tree. He saw the bear leave. He climbed down slowly. Tom reached the ground. He stood next to Ben.
Ben opened his eyes. He sat up slowly. Tom asked Ben. "What did it whisper?" The bear was near your ear. "What did it tell you?"
Ben looked at Tom. Ben spoke clearly. "The bear gave advice." It said, "Do not trust friends." "They leave you in trouble." "A true friend helps you." "They stay when there is danger." Tom felt sad. He knew Ben was right. Ben's words were true.
Original Story
THE BEAR AND THE TRAVELLERS
Two Travellers were on the road together, when a Bear suddenly appeared on the scene. Before he observed them, one made for a tree at the side of the road, and climbed up into the branches and hid there. The other was not so nimble as his companion; and, as he could not escape, he threw himself on the ground and pretended to be dead. The Bear came up and sniffed all round him, but he kept perfectly still and held his breath: for they say that a bear will not touch a dead body. The Bear took him for a corpse, and went away. When the coast was clear, the Traveller in the tree came down, and asked the other what it was the Bear had whispered to him when he put his mouth to his ear. The other replied, "He told me never again to travel with a friend who deserts you at the first sign of danger."
Misfortune tests the sincerity of friendship.
Story DNA
Moral
Misfortune tests the sincerity of friendship.
Plot Summary
Two travellers encounter a bear. One quickly climbs a tree to save himself, while the other, unable to escape, pretends to be dead. The bear sniffs the 'dead' man and leaves. When the danger passes, the tree-climber asks what the bear whispered, and the feigning traveller reveals the 'bear's advice' to never travel with a friend who abandons you in danger, exposing his companion's disloyalty.
Themes
Emotional Arc
tension to relief to disillusionment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Aesop's Fables are a collection of ancient Greek stories, often featuring anthropomorphic animals, intended to convey moral lessons.
Plot Beats (8)
- Two travellers are walking together on a road.
- A bear suddenly appears in their path.
- One traveller immediately climbs a tree and hides.
- The other traveller, unable to escape, lies on the ground and pretends to be dead.
- The bear approaches the feigning traveller, sniffs him, and, believing him dead, departs.
- Once the bear is gone, the traveller from the tree descends.
- The tree-climber asks his companion what the bear whispered in his ear.
- The feigning traveller replies that the bear advised him never to travel with a friend who abandons him in danger.
Characters
★
The Selfish Traveller
Of average height and build, perhaps a bit lean from travel. His movements are quick and agile, as demonstrated by his ability to swiftly climb a tree.
Attire: Simple, practical traveling clothes suitable for walking long distances, likely made of sturdy wool or linen in muted earth tones. Perhaps a tunic, breeches, and worn leather boots, with a cloak for protection against the elements.
Wants: To ensure his own survival above all else; to avoid danger.
Flaw: Cowardice and a profound lack of loyalty or concern for others, especially friends.
He does not change; his actions reinforce his selfish nature, and he receives a verbal rebuke but no internal transformation.
Self-preserving, cowardly, quick-thinking (in terms of self-preservation), lacking empathy, opportunistic.
★
The Loyal Traveller
Of average height and build, perhaps slightly less agile than his companion. He is capable of remaining perfectly still under extreme duress.
Attire: Simple, practical traveling clothes suitable for walking long distances, likely made of sturdy wool or linen in muted earth tones. Perhaps a tunic, breeches, and worn leather boots, with a cloak for protection against the elements.
Wants: To survive the immediate danger; to teach his companion a lesson about true friendship.
Flaw: Initially less agile, putting him in a vulnerable position.
He endures a terrifying ordeal, demonstrating his resourcefulness. He gains a valuable, albeit harsh, lesson about the sincerity of friendship and delivers a moral judgment.
Resourceful, quick-witted (in a desperate situation), resilient, observant, loyal (implied by his later rebuke), wise (by the end).
⚔
The Bear
A large, powerful wild bear, likely a brown bear, with thick fur and strong limbs. Its presence is imposing and threatening.
Attire: Its natural fur coat.
Wants: To investigate potential food or threats; to follow its natural instincts.
Flaw: Its aversion to dead bodies (as per the fable's premise).
It serves as a catalyst for the travelers' actions and then departs, unchanged.
Instinct-driven, curious, cautious (regarding dead bodies), predatory.
Locations
Forest Road
A winding, unpaved path cutting through a dense, temperate forest, likely in a European setting given Aesop's origin. The road is flanked by mature trees, one of which is tall enough for a man to climb and hide in its branches.
Mood: initially peaceful, then suddenly tense and dangerous, finally relieved
The travellers encounter the bear; one climbs a tree, the other feigns death. The bear investigates.