The Bear and the Fox

🐻 The Bear and the Fox

Once upon a time, a Bear and a Fox became friends. They were together day and night. If one had a headache, the other would rush to his side; if one was hurt, the other would come to help.

One day, the Fox said to the Bear:

"Oh, brother Bear, my closest brother! Let's go to the vineyard together. We can pluck the grapes in bunches and eat them, one by one."

The Bear agreed:

"Okay."

They walked and walked, over hills and valleys, until they reached a Hunter's vineyard. This Hunter was very skilled; he could close his eyes and shoot a fly out of the air without looking back.

The Bear and the Fox arrived at the Hunter's vineyard. They chose the best grapes. Every grape was as big as a walnut! They plucked them and ate.

After eating a little, the Fox realized that eating too many grapes would be harmful. He immediately lay down in a corner. The Bear saw the Fox lying down and asked:

"What is wrong, brother Fox? You don't look interested in the grapes anymore. Is there something else you want? An apple, a pear, or perhaps honey?"

The Fox said:

"Brother Bear, dear brother! My stomach is stuffed full."

The Bear said:

"As you wish. You won't see a vineyard like this again in your lifetime."

Then the Bear started picking and eating bunches of grapes from every vine he could reach. He ate and ate until he was completely swollen. He could barely take another step!

The Fox said:

"Brother Bear, if you are finished, let's go. That's enough now."

The Hunter had set a trap just beyond his vineyard. The Fox walked in front, and the Bear walked behind. They came to the spot where the trap was. The Fox jumped over and passed the trap. But the Bear, swollen from eating too many grapes, had no strength to move. He tried to leap but found himself at the bottom of the trap!

The Fox just kept walking away.

The Bear shouted:

"Save me, brother Fox!"

But the Fox didn't listen. He left the Bear right there and ran into the forest. As the Bear roared, the whole area echoed. The Hunter heard the Bear's voice. The Hunter grabbed his stick and taught the Bear a big lesson. Finally, with the pain, the Bear leaped out and saved himself. He ran, breathless, into the forest.

He found the Fox and asked:

"How could you leave me in such a terrible situation? Weren't you sad for me at all?"

The Fox acted as if nothing had happened:

"What could I do? Should I have fallen into the trap too? When you fell into the trap, I thought I should save myself."

The Bear and the Fox stayed angry with each other for a few days. Finally, they made up.

They walked and walked until they reached a flat field. They saw a field of crops as tall as a wall! The Fox showed the crop to the Bear, dipped his hand into the fertile soil, and said:

"Look, brother Bear! This is the most wonderful soil in the world. You plant once, and you get a thousand times more!"

The Bear looked at the crop and the soil but didn't understand. He turned to the Fox:

"What should we do?" he asked.

The Fox said:

"Let's be farmers together. Let's plant barley and wheat here, and then we'll divide them at harvest time."

The Bear said: "Okay."

The Fox tied his apron ($peştamal$) around his waist. The Bear started the heavy work: "Ha," he grunted, "ho," he grunted. The Bear did all the work.

One day, the Fox finished plowing the field. After planting the seeds, he stepped aside and rested. Time passed, the crops grew tall.

When harvest time came, the Fox said to the Bear:

"Come, my brother, let's divide the harvest fairly. The bottom parts will be yours, and the tops will be mine."

The Bear said: "Agreed."

So, the seed heads (grain) went to the Fox, and the straw and stems went to the Bear. Everyone took their share and left.

However, the Bear later realized his mistake. He said to the Fox:

"Brother Fox, you tricked me! The straw was left for me, but you took the grain!"

The Fox laughed and said:

"We agreed on this, and we worked together. If you like, this time, let's plant onions. The roots will be mine, and the tops will be yours."

The Bear agreed to this: "Okay, fine!"

They immediately rolled up their sleeves. One grabbed a shovel, one carried the seeds. Then the Fox lay back and relaxed, and the Bear did everything alone. When the onions were ready, they harvested them. Then they shared.

The Fox said:

"You were angry last time, so this time, you get what you want, brother Bear. The roots will be mine, and the tops will be yours."

The Bear agreed. They collected the onions. But after a little while, when the leaves dried out, the Bear realized he was tricked again!

He said to the Fox:

"You always trick me! Aren't you ashamed of doing this?"

The Fox said:

"You agreed, friend! And I did what you asked this time. Why are you angry?"

The Bear and the Fox started fighting angrily. The Fox grabbed a long pole, and he gave the Bear a short piece of wood. They walked, arguing, until they reached a cave.

The Bear said again:

"You tricked me, Fox!"

The Fox laughed. He immediately gave the long pole to the Bear:

"Take this pole, it's yours. Since you want the long one, let's fight with the pole for you and the short stick for me!"

The Bear happily took the pole. But the cave was small, and the Bear could barely swing the pole. The Fox, with the short stick, gave the Bear a good beating in the cave. Finally, the Bear ran out of the cave, screaming.

He said to the Fox:

"I give up on the crops and the onions! They are all yours, just leave me alone! Everything is yours!"

The Bear understood that he couldn't beat the cunning Fox. He decided that the solution was to get away from him. He never made friends with a cunning Fox again.

• peştamal: The long, wide fabric tied around the waist while working (translated here as 'apron').