10. TWO FRIENDS AND A WILD BEAR
Storytelling is as old as man. It has been one of the greatest sources of preaching moral values because every story is written with some moral purpose. All the prophets, the saints, religious scholars and teachers have been adopting it as a source of preaching any kind of morality. If one follows the lesson preached in the story, one can avoid many perils and problems. The story “Two Friends and a Wild Bear” also gives us a sublime moral lesson.
Once, two friends set out on a journey. They promised to help each other through thick and thin. They were passing through a forest. They saw a bear coming towards them. They were filled with horror. One of the friends climbed up the tree and did not care for the other. The other friend did not know how to climb up the tree. However, he knew that the bear does not harm a dead body. So, he lay down and held his breath. The bear came, sniffed at him and went away thinking that the man was dead. The other friend came down the tree and asked his friend what the bear had whispered in his ears. The second friend replied that the bear had advised him not to trust a selfish friend. Saying this, he bade goodbye to him and continued his journey alone. The story teaches us that we must beware of false friends.
Moral:
1. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
2. Beware of false friends.
IMPORTANT POINTS TO BE KEPT IN MIND:
- Never use the moral lesson as the title of the story. The title must be pure title. It should be “Two Friends and a Wild Bear. Whatever the title you have read, follow that specific title.
- Most of the moral stories have more than one moral lesson. Sometimes, the students try to write more than one moral lesson. In doing so, they make mistakes. I would advise them to write the specific moral lesson in which they have been asked to write a story.