Two men, who were friends, decided to travel together, believing that traveling with a companion would allow them to look after each other, especially in dangerous situations.
Before entering a forest, they learned that it was home to bears.
After discussing, they agreed that while one person alone couldn’t defeat a bear, the two of them together, armed with weapons, could handle it. They made a pact to stick together no matter what.
As they ventured into the forest, a bear suddenly appeared and charged toward them.
One man quickly drew his weapon, preparing to fight the bear. But to his shock, his friend climbed a tree in haste, leaving him behind.
Realizing he couldn’t climb the tree in time and that he was no match for the bear alone, the man lay down and pretended to be dead. He had heard that bears don’t touch corpses.
The bear approached him, sniffed him carefully, and, thinking the man was dead, eventually walked away.
Once the danger had passed, the man who had climbed the tree came down.
He asked, “The bear put its mouth so close to your ear as if whispering something. What did it say?”
The man replied, “It told me that a friend who abandons you in times of danger isn’t worth being called a friend.”
This story teaches us: adversity is the true test of friendship.
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