The Vain Bear

Far away in the north, where the mountain peaks touched the sky, there was a dense forest. The treetops sparkled with emerald green. The air was filled with fresh scents as the fallen leaves and the damp earth mingled with the cool fragrance of distant lakes. It was autumn, but the sun still sent warm rays to the earth. The forest dwellers were busy gathering, trying to prepare for winter. The squirrels scampered nimbly through the tree branches, gathering nuts and acorns, the bunnies filled their tiny baskets with fresh mushrooms and vegetables, and the hedgehogs carried beautiful red apples on their backs. Everyone tried to gather enough food for the cold months.

A cheerful atmosphere prevailed in the forest. Birds chirped, squirrels chased each other, and bunnies happily hopped in the grass. Everyone enjoyed the last warm rays of the sun and the abundant food. But this peaceful atmosphere soon changed.

A huge bear moved into a cave on the edge of the forest. He spent the whole day eagerly searching for food. His size and loud growls made him very scary. He didn’t care about the other animals, he mercilessly devoured their little collected food and drove them away from the places where they could gather food. The forest dwellers began to fear the bear. They didn’t know what to do. The squirrels no longer dared to climb the trees, the bunnies no longer dared to go out into the fields, and the foxes roamed the forest hungry. The cheerful atmosphere was gone and fear reigned in the forest.

Meanwhile, winter came too. The lush greenness of summer and the beautiful colors of autumn faded, and the landscape was covered in a thick blanket of snow. The tree branches gleamed white with frost, and the air was fresh and crisp.

The wise old owl watched the events from the tall tree. He took pity on the suffering of the forest dwellers and decided to help them. He called the animals together at the big oak tree and listened to their complaints. The owl gave them wise advice: they had to join forces against the bear and drive him out of the forest. The animals were afraid at first, but encouraged by the owl, they decided to stick together. They came up with a special plan to defeat the bear.

The owl told them that he thought the bear’s greatest weakness was his vanity. He often looked at his thick fur and powerful strong body in the reflecting surface of the lake. This observation gave birth to the plan.

The owl suggested that they build a figure on the surface of the frozen lake made of branches and dense moss, which would look like another, larger and more beautiful bear. They would cut a hole exactly in front of it, which they would skillfully cover with branches and snow, so it would be almost impossible to notice. With this they would trap the unsuspecting and vain bear.

The inhabitants of the forest loved the idea and immediately got to work. They quickly and skillfully shaped the figure of the big bear from dense moss and carefully selected branches, which they collected from all over the forest. The figure turned out so huge that even the biggest bears would have envied it. The owl kept an eye on the bear to notify the others if he approached. The branches were cleverly placed over the hole, which was covered with snow, so the trap blended completely into the surroundings.

At dusk the next day, the fox set off towards the bear’s cave. He deliberately made a noise to attract attention.

“Who dares to make such a racket?” – the bear shouted as he angrily stormed out of his cave.

“Hey, you bear!” – shouted the fox. – “I saw another bear at the lake. He seemed bigger and stronger than you, and his fur shone more beautifully.”

“Impossible” – said the bear angrily.

“But it is so, see for yourself!” – said the fox confidently.

“Where is that unfortunate one?” – he boomed, and was already trotting towards the lake.

When he reached the lake, the sight of the huge “bear” was truly impressive. At first he just stood and looked at the figure, then stood on two legs and grunted and approached to take a closer look. However, as he reached the hole, the snow-covered branches cracked loudly and the bear fell into the icy water.

The bear struggled in vain, but could not get out of the icy water. The forest dwellers gathered at the edge of the trap and watched together as the giant thrashed in the water. They offered to help him get out of the trap, but only on one condition: if he leaves the forest forever and never hurts them again. The bear, though reluctantly, agreed, as he had no other choice. The animals pulled the bear out of the icy water with thick branches. The bear, in shame, immediately ran away. According to legend, he is still running to this day, far away from the icy lakes.