The Horse and the Bear

Once upon a time, there was a miller who kept a horse at his mill. The miller had ridden the horse so much and carried so many loads that the poor animal was reduced to skin and bones. Seeing that the horse was no longer fit for work, the miller tied the reins around its neck and set it free, saying, "Go wherever your eyes take you." The horse wandered down the road and eventually reached a forest. There, it found lush grass, cool shade, and clear spring water. It grazed, rested, and regained its strength: its coat became glossy, its sides rounded out, and its ribs no longer showed through its skin. The horse lived happily and freely, even frolicking in the mornings and evenings, prancing, rearing up, and rolling in the green grass. But one day, hard times came for the horse too—a bear began following it, always trying to catch and eat it. The horse neighed:

"Get that foolish idea out of your head, bear, or you might curse the moment we met."

"What, do you think my teeth have worn down, and I can't skin you and eat your flesh?"

"Are you really that strong?"

"Of course I am."

"Then let's test our strength. Show me what you're made of," said the horse. The bear looked around, saw a fallen rock, went up to it, and squeezed it in its embrace—crumbling it into sand and scattering it in the wind.

"Is that all?" asked the horse. "When I strike a stone with my hoof, I don't just make dust—I create fire."

"I see you're quite the braggart," the bear growled angrily.

"Then let's go out to the road, and you'll see for yourself."

They went. The bear stood on its hind legs, watching as the horse backed away, then charged forward like a whirlwind, sparks flying from the stones beneath its hooves.

The bear sat down in awe and fear.

"Well, what do you say?"

"Indeed, you have far more strength than I do," replied the bear.

"How should I punish you for daring to bare your teeth at me? Killing you wouldn't even be enough!"

"Don't kill me, noble horse. I'll serve you in any way you wish, just spare my life."

"Very well, as punishment, you will lead me by the reins and find the tastiest grass for me until I fall asleep."

The bear didn't dare object, fearing the horse might raise its hoof and trample him. So the bear began grazing the horse, waiting for it to fall asleep. But the cursed horse wouldn't sleep! The bear grew exhausted, grinding its teeth and cursing under its breath, careful not to let the horse hear. One day, the bear gathered its courage and timidly said to the horse:

"Your equine grace, perhaps it's time for you to rest."

"I already rest too much."

"When do you rest? I've never seen you lie down, close your eyes, or even doze off."

"Don't you know that a horse sleeps with one ear and listens with the other?"

"But when do you sleep?"

"Well, I sleep when I'm not grazing, just standing and shifting from one leg to the other."

The bear took note of these words and began observing when the horse grazed, drank water, or stood still. One day, the bear noticed the horse standing motionless, staring at one spot and shifting its weight. It tried to let go of the reins. The horse stood as if nothing had happened. The bear took a step back, trembling, then another, sweating profusely. The horse didn't move. So the bear threw the reins over its shoulders and bolted. It ran as fast as it could, not caring where it was going, until it ran into a wolf.

"Why are you running like that, friend, as if you're fleeing death?"

"Because I am."

"Really?"

"Truly! There's a horse sleeping nearby."

"A horse?!"

"Yes."

"So what? Surely you're not afraid of it."

"That's exactly who I'm afraid of. If it wakes up and kicks, it'll be the end of me."

"You're such a coward and a fool, bear! Where's this horse?"

"Look over there, where I came from."

"I don't see anything."

"Climb higher."

"Still nothing."

The bear turned around, stood on its tiptoes, but still saw nothing. The horse was hidden behind a hill.

"Where is it?" the wolf couldn't resist asking.

"Let me lift you up, then you'll see."

As the bear wrapped its powerful paws around the wolf to lift it higher, the wolf just opened its mouth and died on the spot, without even a squeak. But the bear didn't even realize it had squeezed the life out of the wolf. Seeing the wolf dead, the bear sighed and said:

"Ah, poor thing, you only saw the horse and died. Imagine what it's like for me, having to graze it all this time?"

And, overcome with terror, the bear took off running even faster than before—perhaps it's still running to this day, never looking back.

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The Horse and the Bear

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