Two friends walk in a forest. They are happy. Suddenly, they see a big bear. They are scared.

One friend climbs a tree. He is safe. The other friend cannot climb. He thinks, “What can I do?” He remembers bears do not eat dead people. So, he lies on the ground. He pretends to be dead. He does not move.

The bear comes close. The bear sniffs him. The friend stays very still. The bear thinks he is dead and leaves.

When the bear is gone, the friend in the tree comes down. He asks, "What did the bear say?"

The friend on the ground says, "The bear told me to be careful with friends who leave me in danger."

Once upon a time, two men were traveling through a forest. As they walked, they suddenly stumbled upon a huge bear. Panic surged through them, and they both immediately fled, running as fast as they could.

One of the travelers managed to climb up a nearby tree, securing himself safely among the branches. The other traveler, however, was not as fast. Realizing he had no chance of outrunning the bear, he recalled something he had once heard—that bears do not harm a lifeless body. Acting on this, he quickly lay down on the ground and pretended to be dead.

The bear, curious about the motionless figure, approached the man and sniffed him thoroughly. Despite the bear's close inspection, the man remained perfectly still, holding his breath and keeping his eyes tightly shut, hoping the bear would leave him alone.

After a tense few moments, the bear, convinced that the man was indeed dead, lost interest and slowly wandered back into the forest.

Once the bear was out of sight, the traveler who had climbed the tree descended and hurried over to his friend. He asked with curiosity, "What did the bear whisper in your ear?"

The man, sitting up slowly, responded, "The bear told me never to trust a friend who abandons you when danger approaches."

Not so long ago in a forest that was as wild as a toddler on a sugar rush, two travelers were having a stroll. One was whistling a tune that sounded suspiciously like "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," and the other was trying to find good cellphone reception.

"Bit too much green for my liking," one of them muttered, looking around at all the nature. "Reminds me of the time I tried to eat a salad. Ghastly experience."

Just then, they stumbled upon a bear that was so huge, it would make Goldilocks think twice about breaking and entering. They were terrified and started to run away like they were in the Olympic finals, only the prize was not getting eaten.

One of the travelers, who fancied himself a bit of an acrobat, managed to climb up a nearby tree like it was nothing. "Ha! Top that!" he exclaimed.

The other traveler, who was clearly not in the gymnast category, quickly figured out that his legs were as useful as a chocolate teapot against a bear that big. Instead, he fell to the ground and pretended to be dead.

The bear, being curious (or maybe just bored), lumbered over to the "dead" man and started to sniff around him. But the man didn't so much as flinch. Maybe the bear just had bad breath?

After a dramatic pause worthy of a movie scene, the bear, deciding that the man was as dead as last year's fashion, shrugged and ambled back into the forest.

Once the bear was out of sight, the traveler in the tree climbed down and said, "So, what did the bear whisper in your ear? Was it 'If you want to get ahead, get a hat?'"

The other man replied, "No, it was a bit more poignant. The bear told me never to trust a friend who deserts you in danger. Or was it desserts you in danger? I always get those two mixed up. Either way, next time, you're getting the cake."

And they both laughed, even though they knew it was a serious matter. But hey, that's what friends are for - turning life's fables into something you can chuckle about over a cup of cocoa.

In a forest deep and dense,
Two travelers did commence,
A journey filled with thrill and scare,
When they stumbled on a bear!

With eyes wide and legs aflight,
They tried to escape their fright,
One climbed a tree with quickened haste,
The other fell, no time to waste.

He lay down flat upon the ground,
Pretending not to make a sound,
The bear came close, sniffed all around,
But the man stayed still, made not a sound.

The bear then thought, "He's dead, no doubt!"
And turned to leave, with a snort and a pout.
Away he lumbered, back to his den,
And the man on the ground breathed once again.

His friend came down, a smirk on his face,
And asked what wisdom, in that fearful place,
The bear had whispered into his ear,
The man just smiled, his lesson was clear.

"The bear told me, in words quite true,
Never trust a friend who leaves you.
For when danger nears, and times are bleak,
A true friend's courage is what you seek."