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Why did the bear want to eat the little bee Maja
A whole honeycomb of bees lived on a tree trunk. They were extremely dangerous because every bite of them was deadly. At the end of the forest there was a village where a young and beatiful boy was living. He was absolutely resistant to the bites of the bees. One day the boy went into the forest and saw a great swarm of bees on a trunk. Then the conversation between him and the bees began: “Oh , my dear bees, I am living in a poor house with my old mother who is very sick and the only medicine which can help her is your propolis.” “Wait,” said the bee. “Do you think it is that easy, we are working hard for many years to make this medicine. Do you know that we produce honey our whole life, but except honey, we make propolis which is life nourishment for all good people around the world.” “Good,” said the boy. “But maybe you want to give me a bit of honey and propolis to cure my mother?” “No, not a bit of it. The working bee has forbidden us to give it to you,”- said the bees.
The boy was very sad because he did not get the medicine. He kept on walking through the forest and suddenly he heard a painful groan. When he came closer he was astonished. A group of violent boys dug a hole in which a very young bear unfotrunately fell in. He could not get out of it. The naughty boys stood around the hole and hit the bear with stones. The bear groaned painfully trying to climb out, but one stone hit him above the eye. Blood began running out of the wound and the bear could not see on that eye. As the boy was kind hearted he fell pangs in his heart seeing such an injustice and wildness. He did not dare to attack the young savages, because they were in a great number there and they were stronger than he was. But an idea crossed the boy’s mind; he imitated the police sirens and the boys ran away on different sides. The boy asked himself how to drag the bear out of the hole. He looked around and saw a thin willow growing near the hole. He climbed to the top of the willow, the willow bent to the bottom of the hole and the bear caught the branch. The boy and the bear began to climb together, but then the willow broke and the boy and bear fell into the hole. They looked one another as if they were asking “And what now?” The boy said: ”Let’s make a thief ladder and you climb out and run for help.” The boy leaned on the hole wall, tightened his hands and the bear climbed over his hands, shoulders and head out of the hole. The bear ran as quickly as he could to his mummy, the big she-bear. He told her what had happened and they returned together to the hole. The she-bear broke a big tree, pushed it into the hole and the boy climbed out easily. They went together to the cave in which the bears dwelt. The mother bear put on the table the best of the bear food. There were ants cooked in nettle juice, crushed dried fish eggs poured over with juice of oak rind and as a dessert she served delicious dried pears poured over with honey. Everybody was pleased until the moment the boy saw the honey. He remembered why he had gone to the forest and began to cry bitterly: “What is going on, why are you crying?”, asked the mother bear and the boy told them about his sick mother and the rude queen bee who did not let the bees to give the boy honey and propolis. “Good!”, said the young bear. “Try to sleep now and tomorrow we will go together to visit the bees. “
Early in the morning they set on and when they arrived at the trunk with the bees the bear asked them very kindly to give them honey and medicine for the boy ‘s mother. “I do not want to give you, I do not” they heard the queen bee shouting out of the deep hole of the trunk where the swarm was settled. Then the young bear became very angry, he shook the trunk with his paws and the honeycomb fell down to the ground. Not taking notice of the bites of the bees the bear grabbed the comb, broke it and said to the queen: ”Give us what we want, because it is a medicine, or I will eat you immediately.” The queen became very frightened and ordered the bees to give them a whole pot of honey and a set of propels for the boy’s mother. The bear and the boy brought it to the boy’s house and the boy’s mother became frightened at the moment she saw the bear. Then they told her the whole story, she ate honey and propels and look, what a wonder, she was cured immediately. Since then the boy and his mother have been living happily and they often visited the bear family and often ate the honey. Frequently they asked me to come with them because I like to eat honey, too. My lips are still sweet from honey. Good night and have sweet dreams.
Grandpa's Tales Page 4