Two friends, Hemant and Vikas,
planned to go hiking in the woods. They packed their knapsacks, lugged them over
their shoulders and started out.
One evening, while walking through the dense forest, they heard a bear growl.
They were very scared and started to run away, but "Twick, twick", they could
hear the twigs breaking with each step the bear took towards them.
Desperate, Hemant saw a low branch hanging from a tree. He quickly caught hold
of the life-saving branch and climbed on top of the tree as soon as possible. He
was so scared that he did not even look at his friend once.
Vikas, who was behind the first, was not so lucky. The bear was right behind him
and when he saw Hemant save himself, all he could think of doing was to was to
throw himself flat on the ground.
And that's how the bear found him. Face down on the ground and not even daring
to breathe. The bear put his nose close to Vikas' ear - and then he sniffed and
sniffed and sniffed. He was trying to make out whether Vikas was just pretending
or if he was dead.
Then finally he stopped sniffing. Vikas dared to take small breath. Then the
bear growled, and Vikas' blood ran cold.
But by then the bear had decided that Vikas was not alive and it is well-known
that bears will not touch dead meat. So the bear slouched off into the forest.
Seeing that the worst of the danger was over, Hemant slowly climbed down the
tree where he was hiding. Walking up to Vikas, who was still so shaken up that
he could hardly stand, Hemant he laughingly asked, "Hey, what did Master Bear
whisper to you?"
Vikas gave Hemant a long steady look. "He told me," said Vikas very slowly,
"never to trust a friend who deserts you at the first opportunity he gets. So,
if you'll excuse me..." Saying that, Vikas picked himself up, brushed off the
dust, and walked away.