Two Friends and the Bear
Once upon a time, two close friends named Rahim and Karim were traveling together to a nearby village. They had known each other since childhood and always trusted one another. One day, they decided to walk through a large forest because it was the shortest way to reach their destination.
The forest was quiet and beautiful. Tall green trees stood on both sides of the narrow path. Birds were singing sweet songs, and the cool wind was blowing gently. Rahim and Karim were enjoying the peaceful journey. As they walked, they talked about many things—about their families, their dreams, and their future.
Before entering the forest, Rahim said, "My friend, forests can be dangerous. We must promise each other that if any danger comes, we will help each other."
Karim agreed and said, "Of course! A true friend always stands beside his friend in difficult times."
Both of them promised to stay together and protect each other no matter what happened.
They walked deeper and deeper into the forest. After some time, the path became darker because the trees were very tall and thick. Suddenly, they heard some strange sounds from the bushes. Both friends stopped walking and looked around carefully.
To their surprise, a huge bear slowly came out from the bushes and started walking toward them. The bear looked strong and dangerous. Its loud footsteps made the ground shake slightly.
Rahim and Karim were terrified. Their hearts started beating very fast.
Rahim quickly looked around and saw a tall tree nearby. Without thinking about anything else, he ran to the tree and quickly climbed up to save himself.
Karim tried to climb the tree too, but he did not know how to climb. He became very frightened because the bear was coming closer and closer.
For a moment, Karim felt completely helpless. But then he suddenly remembered something he had heard from the elders in his village. They used to say that bears usually do not touch dead bodies.
So Karim quickly lay down on the ground. He closed his eyes, held his breath, and stayed completely still, pretending to be dead.
The bear slowly came near Karim. It looked at him carefully. Then it bent its head down and began to smell Karim's face and ears. Karim was extremely scared, but he did not move even a little.
For a few moments, everything was silent in the forest. The bear kept smelling him again and again. Finally, the bear thought that Karim was really dead.
After a while, the bear lost interest and slowly walked away into the deep forest.
Karim waited for a few more minutes to make sure the bear was gone. Then he slowly opened his eyes and sat up.
Rahim, who had been watching everything from the tree, finally came down after the bear disappeared. He walked toward Karim and tried to laugh as if nothing had happened.
With curiosity, Rahim asked, "My friend, I saw the bear come very close to you. It even whispered something in your ear. What did the bear say to you?"
Karim looked at Rahim seriously and replied calmly, "The bear gave me a very important piece of advice."
Rahim asked, "What advice?"
Karim said, "The bear told me never to trust a friend who leaves his friend alone in danger."
After hearing these words, Rahim felt very ashamed. He realized that he had made a big mistake by saving only himself and not helping his friend.
From that day, Rahim understood the true meaning of friendship.
Moral: A true friend always stands by you in times of danger