The Man and the Bear

A man went to the forest to sow turnips. He plowed and worked there. A bear came to him and said:
— Man, I’m going to break you.
— Don’t break me, little bear. Let’s sow turnips together instead. I’ll take the roots for myself, and you can have the tops.
— So be it, said the bear. But if you deceive me, don’t even think about coming back to the forest.
With that, the bear went back into the woods.

The turnips grew big. In the fall, the man came to dig them up. The bear came out of the woods and said:
— Man, let’s divide the turnips. Give me my share.
— Alright, little bear, let’s divide them: you get the tops, and I’ll take the roots.
The man gave the bear all the greens. Then he loaded the turnips onto his cart and took them to the city to sell.

On the way, the bear met him and said:
— Man, where are you going?
— I’m going to the city, little bear, to sell the roots.
— Let me try one. What’s a root like?

The man gave him a turnip. The bear ate it and roared:
— Ah! You deceived me, man! Your roots are sweet. Now don’t you dare come to the forest for firewood, or I’ll break you.

The next year, the man sowed rye in the same spot. When he came to harvest it, the bear was already waiting for him:
— You won’t trick me this time, man. Give me my share.
The man said:
— So be it. Take the roots, little bear, and I’ll take the tops.

They gathered the rye. The man gave the bear the roots and loaded the rye onto his cart to take home.
The bear struggled and struggled but couldn’t do anything with the roots. He got angry at the man, and from that day on, the bear and the man became enemies.

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The Man and the Bear

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