The Two Friends

John and James were two friends who were crossing a forest when suddenly they stumbled across a huge black bear. Imagine how terrified they were! They attempted to flee but the bear chased them. John managed to climb up onto a tree. James, just as he was about to be caught, fell to the ground and pretended to be dead. He knew, "A bear only attacks something if it is alive." The bear sniffed him all over, while the man tried to hold his breath as best as he could do hoping that the animal would not discover the pretence. In the end, after sniffing thoroughly, the bear must have thought that the man really was dead, because it ambled off on its huge paws. With the danger over, John came down from the tree and as often happens after a big fright, he felt like making jokes. So he asked his friend, 'Well, what did the bear whisper into your ear?' But James was not in the same mood for jokes and he did not appreciate the question at all. 'The bear said,' he answered, looking John straight in the eye, 'it would be advisable for you not to travel again with a friend, who runs off and abandons you when danger threatens!’ Because, a friend in need is a friend indeed.”