FABLE XXXVIII
by Unknown · from Favourite Fables in Prose and Verse
Adapted Version
In a big forest, lived a big bear. He was all alone.
The Big Bear lived in a big forest. He was very big. He was all alone. He felt sad. He did not like to be alone. He wanted a friend.
An Old Man lived far away. He lived alone too. He worked in his garden. He had many plants. He felt sad. He did not like to be alone.
The Old Man wanted a friend. He looked for a friend. He went for a walk. He walked in the green forest.
He walked a long way. Then he saw something big. It was the Big Bear! The Old Man was a little scared. The bear looked big.
The Big Bear looked at him. The Old Man looked at the bear. "I like you," said the Big Bear. "I like you too," said the Old Man. They became friends fast. They were happy.
The Big Bear lived with the Old Man. They worked together. The Old Man dug. The Big Bear helped. The Big Bear kept flies away. He was a good helper.
One day, the Old Man slept. He took a nap. A little fly came. It landed on his nose. The Old Man slept soundly.
The Big Bear saw the fly. He did not like the fly. He waved his big paw. He tried to shoo it away. The fly did not go. It stayed there.
The Big Bear was a little mad. The fly stayed on the nose. He lifted his big paw. Wham! He hit the fly hard.
The fly was gone. But his nose had a big bump. His nose hurt a little. Oh dear! It was not good.
The Big Bear saw the bump. He felt very sad. He walked away slowly. He went far away. He felt bad.
The Old Man woke up. His nose hurt. He saw the Big Bear far away. "My friend," he said. "We must say goodbye. You are not a gentle friend." He was sad.
The Old Man learned a lesson. Choose gentle, kind friends. The end.
Original Story
FABLE XXXVIII.
THE HERMIT AND THE BEAR.
Once on a time, a mountain Bear
Lived in a forest drear, with no Bears near him;
Fat, fierce, and sulky.
Nor man nor other beast approached his lair;
His neighbours all despise, or hate, or fear him.
'Tis good to talk—to hold one's tongue—
Though either in excess be wrong:
Our hermit bulky,
So shaggy, sullen, taciturn, and rude,
Bear as he was, grew sick of solitude.
At the same time, by chance, retired
Far from the world, a man advanced in age,
But stout and healthy.
Not with devotion's flame his heart was fired;
Not prayer and fasting occupied the sage;
Though on mankind he shut his door,
No vows of poverty he swore:
The wight was wealthy.
But by some treacherous friend, or fair, betrayed,
He lived with plants, and communed with his spade.
High priest of Flora you might call him;
Nor less was he the favourite of Pomona.
But one day, walking,
He found it dull; and should some ill befall him,
In his sweet paradise, he felt alone,—Ah!
For neither rose, nor pink, nor vine,
Except in such a lay as mine,
Are given to talking.
His head old Time had now long years heaped many on;
So he resolved to look for some companion.
On this important expedition—
But fearing his researches would be vain—
The sage departed:
Revolving deeply his forlorn condition,
He slowly mused along a narrow lane;
When on a sudden—unawares—
A nose met his:—it was the Bear's!
With fright he started.
Fear is a common feeling: he that wise is,
Although his fright be great, his fear disguises.
Prudence suggested—"Stand your ground;
'Tis hard to turn, and harder still to dash on."
Prudence prevails.
'Twixt kindred minds a sympathy is found
Which lights up oft at sight a tender passion.
Where sexes are of different kind;
And oft 'twill ties of friendship bind
Between two males:
These magic signs our hermits, at a glance, see:
Each found he strongly pleased the other's fancy.
Bruin at compliments was awkward,
But was not long his sentiments in telling—
"Old man, I like you!"
The man replied, "Fair sir, you need not walk hard,
In half an hour you'll reach my humble dwelling.
I've milk, and various sorts of fruit,
If any should your palate suit,
Take what may strike you;
On me it will confer the highest pleasure
To spread before you all my garden's treasure."
On jogged the human Hermit with the Bear,
Like smoking Germans, few words interlarding;
Though little said,
Finding their tempers suited to a hair,
They grew firm friends before they reached the garden.
Each took his task, their moods the same,
One dug, the other hunted game,
And often sped;
And Bruin, o'er his friend a strict watch keeping,
Chased off the flies that haunted him when sleeping.
One afternoon, as in the sun
The weary Hermit took his usual nap,
And at his post
The faithful Bear his daily work begun,
Giving full many a brush and gentle slap,
With a light whisp of herbs sweet-scented,
And thus the teasing flies prevented,
That buzzing host,
From fixing on his sleeping patron's visage,
Sunk in the deep repose so fit for his age.
One blue-bottle his care defied;
No place could please him but the old man's nose,
Quite unabashed.
The Bear, provoked, no means would leave untried;
At last, a vigorous, certain mode, he chose:
Extending wide his heavy paw,
And thrusting hard each crooked claw,
The fly was smashed:
But his poor patron's face, so roughly patted,
All streamed with blood, and smooth his nose was flatted.
The Bear sneaked off to humble distance,
Seeing the damage he had done his friend;
Who raged with smart.
But calling in philosophy's assistance,
Anger, he thought, his wounds would never mend,
So coolly said, "Farewell, friend Bruin!
Since you have laid my face in ruin,
'Tis time to part."
MORAL.
All those must such mishaps expect to share,
Who, for a friend, think fit to take a Bear.
Story DNA
Moral
All those must expect to share mishaps who, for a friend, think fit to take a Bear.
Plot Summary
A lonely, wealthy hermit and a solitary, fierce bear both grow tired of their isolation and seek companionship. They meet by chance, form an instant friendship, and the bear moves in with the hermit, protecting him from flies during his naps. One day, a persistent fly lands on the sleeping hermit's nose, and the bear, in an attempt to kill it, smashes the hermit's face with his paw. The injured hermit, though calm, dismisses the bear, concluding that such a friend is too dangerous, reinforcing the fable's moral about choosing companions wisely.
Themes
Emotional Arc
loneliness to companionship to regret
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Fables often served as moral instruction, popular in various cultures throughout history.
Plot Beats (13)
- A fierce, solitary bear in a forest grows tired of being alone.
- A wealthy, aged hermit, living in seclusion, also feels the dullness of solitude.
- The hermit decides to seek a companion.
- During his search, the hermit unexpectedly encounters the bear.
- Despite initial fright, they both feel a mutual liking and quickly become friends.
- The bear moves in with the hermit, and they establish a routine where the bear protects the hermit from flies while he sleeps.
- One afternoon, as the hermit naps, a persistent blue-bottle fly lands on his nose.
- The bear, annoyed by the fly, tries various methods to shoo it away.
- Frustrated, the bear chooses a 'vigorous, certain mode' and smashes the fly with his heavy paw.
- The fly is killed, but the hermit's nose is flattened and his face streams with blood.
- The bear, seeing the damage, sneaks off to a distance.
- The hermit, though in pain, philosophically accepts the situation and tells the bear they must part.
- The story concludes with a moral about the danger of choosing a bear as a friend.
Characters
The Hermit
An old man, stout and healthy despite his age, with a face that eventually becomes disfigured and flattened at the nose due to the bear's actions, streaming with blood after the incident.
Attire: Not explicitly described, but as a recluse living with plants and a spade, he likely wears simple, practical, and durable clothing suitable for gardening and mountain life, possibly made of coarse linen or wool in earthy tones.
Wants: To escape the world after being betrayed and to find companionship to alleviate his solitude.
Flaw: His trust in an unsuitable companion and perhaps a certain naivety about the nature of wild animals.
He starts lonely, finds companionship, experiences a profound betrayal (albeit accidental), and ends up alone again, wiser about the dangers of mismatched friendships.
Wealthy (though not by vows), reclusive, philosophical, practical, initially lonely, and eventually pragmatic in the face of injury.
The Bear
A large, mountain bear, fat, fierce, sulky, and shaggy. He possesses heavy paws with crooked claws.
Attire: None, as he is a wild animal, covered in his natural shaggy fur.
Wants: To alleviate his solitude and find companionship.
Flaw: His lack of human understanding and his inherent animalistic clumsiness, leading to unintended harm.
He starts as a solitary, feared creature, finds a friend, but his natural instincts lead to the destruction of that friendship, leaving him alone again.
Fat, fierce, sulky, taciturn, rude, lonely, awkward at compliments, loyal (in his own way), but ultimately clumsy and destructive due to his animal nature.
Locations
Mountain Forest
A dreary, dense forest in a mountainous region, serving as the solitary lair of a fat, fierce, and sulky bear. The environment is unwelcoming and isolated.
Mood: Desolate, wild, solitary, unwelcoming.
The bear's initial state of lonely solitude, prompting his search for companionship.
The Hermit's Garden Dwelling
A humble dwelling surrounded by a lush, well-tended garden, rich with various plants, roses, pinks, and vines. It is a 'sweet paradise' cultivated by the wealthy hermit, providing milk and fruits.
Mood: Peaceful, cultivated, abundant, initially solitary but becomes a place of companionship.
The hermit's initial solitude, his decision to seek companionship, and later, the shared life of the hermit and the bear.
The Hermit's Napping Spot
A sunny spot within the hermit's garden, where the weary hermit takes his afternoon nap. It's a place of rest and quiet, where the bear performs his duty of chasing flies.
Mood: Serene, peaceful, warm, but ultimately leads to a violent mishap.
The climax of the story, where the bear attempts to swat a fly from the hermit's nose, leading to the unfortunate injury and the end of their friendship.