How the Hare Outwitted the Bear

Once upon a time, there was a bear in a forest. He was so strong and fierce! He would roam the forest, strangling and tearing apart everything he encountered.

The forest was vast, and there were many animals living in it, but fear spread among them all. For it seemed that not a year would pass before there would be no living soul left in the entire forest if the bear continued to wreak havoc like this.

After much deliberation, the animals decided to send emissaries to the bear and say to him: "Noble Lord Bear! Why do you torment us so? You eat one, and in your rage, you tear apart ten and leave them! If this continues, there will be no living soul left in the forest by the end of the year. Here's what you should do: sit quietly in your den, and we will send you one of us every day to eat."

The bear listened to this speech and said:

"Fine! But remember this: if you deceive me even for a single day, I will tear you all apart!"

From that day on, the animals began sending one of their own to the bear each day. They started drawing lots: whoever the lot fell upon had to go to the bear...

One day, the lot fell upon the hare.

The poor hare was so frightened, it's hard to describe! But what could he do? Others had gone, so he must too. He didn't resist. He only asked for an hour to say goodbye to his wife and children. But by the time he found his wife, gathered his family, said their goodbyes, cried, and hugged each other, the sun had already passed noon.

Finally, the hare had to set off on his journey.

The poor creature made his way to the bear's den. But don't think he was hopping along like a hare, racing against the wind! Oh no, the poor hare wasn't in the mood for hopping now. He walked slowly, step by step, stopping often, wiping away his tears, and sighing so deeply that the sound echoed through the forest. Then he saw it: a stone well in the middle of the forest, lined with bricks, with deep water at the bottom.

The hare stood by the well, looked down, and his tears fell drop by drop into the water. Suddenly, he cheered up and even jumped for joy. A happy thought had come to him: how to save himself from death and all the animals from this fierce and senseless bear.

No longer crying or sighing, but running as fast as he could, he hurried to the bear's den.

It was already evening. The bear had been sitting in his den all day, waiting for the animals to send him someone for dinner.

He waited and waited, but no one came. Hunger began to gnaw at him, and with hunger came anger.

"What is this?" roared the bear. "What are they thinking? Have they forgotten about me, or do they think I can be satisfied with one crow for two days? Oh, cursed beasts! If they don't send me my meal right now, I swear by the beech and the birch that tomorrow at dawn I will go into the forest and strangle everything living in it! Not a single tail will remain!"

But moment after moment, hour after hour passed, and still no meal came.

By evening, the bear didn't know what to do with his hunger and rage.

It was in this mood that the hare found him.

"Ah, you scoundrel, you little runt, you goose feather," the bear shouted at him. "What do you think, coming so late? Do you think I, starving all day, should wait for a little gnat like you?"

The hare trembled at the bear's roar and furious words, but he quickly composed himself and, standing on his hind legs before the bear, spoke as politely as he could:

"Noble Lord! It's not my fault that I came so late. And you can't blame the animals either. Today, on your name day, they gathered at dawn and sent four of us to you, and we all raced like the wind to bring you a grand feast, noble sir."

"Well, and what? Why are you so late, and where are the other three?" asked the bear.

"A terrible misfortune befell us," said the hare. "Thinking there was no other lord in this forest but you, we were walking peacefully along the path when a huge bear jumped out of a stone castle and shouted, 'Stop!' We stopped. 'Where are you going?' We told him the truth. 'Ho, ho,' he roared. 'That won't do! This is my forest, and I won't allow you to feed some stray with your flesh, who has no right here! You are mine, and I will have you for dinner!'"

"We begged and pleaded, telling him it was your name day and it would be very wrong for you to go without a meal on such a day. But it was no use. He wouldn't listen. 'I am the lord here,' he shouted, 'and I alone have the right to you! No one dares interfere!' And he took all four of us to his castle. I barely managed to persuade him to let me go to you. Now, noble lord, you decide whether we are to blame for your hunger and what you should do next."

Hearing this, the bear bristled with rage. All his anger turned to this new rival who had so unexpectedly appeared in his path.

"What kind of scoundrel dares to intrude here!" he roared, clawing the ground with his paws. "Hey, hare, take me to him right now, and I'll tear him to pieces!"

"Noble lord," said the hare. "He is a very powerful lord, terribly fierce."

"What? Do you think I'm afraid of him? Take me to him right now, and we'll see who's stronger!"

"Noble lord, but he lives in a stone castle."

"Bah, what do I care about his castle! Take me to him, and I'll get him, even if he hides at the top of the tallest tree."

The hare led the enraged bear to the well and said:

"Your strength is great! See, your enemy, as soon as he saw you approaching, ran off and hid in his castle."

"Where is he? Where is he?" shouted the bear, looking around and seeing no one.

"Come here and look down here!" said the hare, leading the bear to the well.

The bear stood over the well, looked down—and there indeed was a bear.

"Do you see your enemy," said the hare, "peeking out from his fortress?"

"I won't be myself if I don't get him out of there!" said the bear, and he roared with all his might into the well.

And from the well, his voice echoed back twice as loud, as if from a huge trumpet!

"So that's how it is?" shouted the bear. "You dare threaten me? Just wait, I'll show you!"

And with that, the bear leaped into the well and drowned.

The hare ran back to the animals as fast as he could and told them how he had outwitted the bear and saved them all from a terrible fate.

Needless to say, joy spread throughout the entire forest.

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How the Hare Outwitted the Bear

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