How a Squirrel helped a Bear (Ukrainian Folk Tale)

There was once a Bear living in the forest who had a great opinion of himself.

One day he was lying under an oak tree and watching a squirrel at play. He was hungry, but there was nothing to eat, so by and by he fell asleep. Now, the Squirrel had been hopping from branch to branch, and she chanced to hop onto a rotting one. The branch broke, and the Squirrel fell right between the Bear's paws!

The Bear seized the Squirrel and held her fast, and the Squirrel began begging him to let her go, saying that perhaps she could do him a good turn too some day. The Bear, who thought himself lord of the forest, burst out laughing. He flung the Squirrel from him, and she at once sprang gaily up into a tree.

By and by the Bear rose and stumped off across the forest. He had not walked far when there, lying before him, he saw a piece of meat.

He snatched at it, and lo! – was caught in a snare.

He roared out loudly in pain, and the Squirrel heard him and came running. She chewed through the rope that held the Bear imprisoned and freed him.

Someone who is small and weak can sometimes do no less for another, you see, than someone who is big and strong.