THE BEAR IN THE WOOD.
Two men had to pass through a thick wood, and one of them said, “Should we fall in with wild beasts, I will come to your help, if you will do the same by me.” “So be it,” said his friend, and off they set. They had not gone far when a bear made a rush out of the wood. The man who had made the good rule for them to act on, got up a tree to hide, and his poor friend was put to his wits’ end to save his life, so he fell flat on the ground, held his breath, and lay quite still, that the bear might think he was dead. The huge beast came close up to him, and felt him with his snout, but as he took him for a dead man, did him no harm. When the bear was gone, and all was safe, the man came down from the tree, and with a smile, said, “What did the bear tell you when he put his snout so close up to your ear?” “Well,” said his friend, “what he told me was this—‘Have a care of that rogue up the tree, and for the time to come put no trust in him!’”
Prove thy friend ere thou have need of him.