Week 9 Story: The Bear and the Bird

Week 9 

(Source: Bear and the Bird)

The water was flowing as a flutter of fish swimming up stream showed signs of a new spring. The sun was out and the flowers and animals were just now peaking their heads out from hiding. A gentle roar heard over the sound of rippling water. A great brown grizzly emerged from his den in hopes to find the nearest school of salmon. He made his way to the water and saw their shiny scales sparkling back at him. After hibernating for a whole winter he was determined to catch as many fish as he could. He struck his paw down into the water and boom... 

Nothing. 

He got frustrated and tried again and again. Confused as to what he's doing wrong as he's done this many times before he gave up and angrily made his way back to the water bank. He let out a quiet but powerful sigh. 

A bird with long brown and gold feathers swooped down into the stream and picked up the biggest salmon the bear had ever seen. The bears hunger got the best of him and he snarled at the bird and asked if he was going to share. 

The bird looked at him and to the bears surprise he said "No!" 

The bear got mad and started to charge toward the bird. The bird immediately flew away. 

"Ha!" he squawked. 

The bear was furious with the bird and said "How could you act this way to an animal far more powerful and superior to you?" 

The bird suggested they fight to prove who was more powerful. The bear charged toward the bird and fell into the water. He gasped for air but his big winter coat was weighing him down. The bird laughed and laughed, he landed by the water bank and got his foot stuck in the mud. Both of them unable to move from their death traps they yelled for help! Although the salmon were afraid of the bear they all came together and helped lift him to the surface. The bear thanked the salmon and offered to find a different stream to feed on. The bird looked at the bear in desperation and the bear quickly realized he was better off helping his fellow animal friends. He helped the bird get unstuck and they both thanked each other. Now the bear and the bird both go hunting together catching the biggest fish in all different streams except the ones they almost died in. That is where their friendship also blossomed with the new spring. 

The End

Authors Note: This story comes from one of the Tibetan Folk Tales by Albert Shelton called "The Tiger and the Frog" telling the story of an interesting encounter between two animals. The lion is the leader of the animal kingdom and doesn't want any other animals enjoying their time without him knowing. He gets word of the frog not wanting to meet him and asks what he's doing in the grass without acknowledging the lion. The frog is quick to reply telling him there is a beast in the water and the lion must look. The lion believes he is the strongest one in the animal kingdom and goes to the water and drowns himself. 

In my version of the story the animals were different. They experience an encounter where one wants what the other doesn't have. Similar to the Lion and the Frog, the bird is able to outsmart the bear and ultimately avoid getting eaten by him. I kept the idea of water and a reflection of how beastly the mean animal is being in my story as well. I think both animals had a very cocky personality to them so I wanted them both to receive the same treatment to show they should be kinder to each other, and they needed to help each other out in the end.