Page 73 - The Book of Rumi

Friendship with a Bear

he mountains in the northern part of Persia were rampant with large
Tbrown bears who roamed the vast region and hardly ever had to defend
themselves against any predators. There was, however, one extraordinary beast
that the locals had never set eyes upon called a dragon, which could easily kill
and devour the bears.
A hunter from the central part of the country went to the mountains in
the north in search of prey, but he knew nothing about the legendary dragon.
As he pitched his tent and prepared a fi re to keep himself warm overnight, he
hummed his favorite melody, excited about his anticipated morning hunt. All
of a sudden, he heard the excruciating cry of a beast and the piercing roar of
some other creature that he had never heard before. His curiosity was aroused,
and he picked up his bow and arrow and swiftly but carefully approached the
scene of the fi ght.
Right there before him was the elusive dragon with fi re coming out of his

mouth as he flashed his huge sharp teeth at an enormous bear, the latter stand-
ing on his hind legs preparing for the imminent fi ght. The hunter wasted no
time, aiming straight between the dragon’s eyes and shooting him on the spot.
Down fell the dragon with the most hideous sound thundering from his fi ery
mouth. The bear, looking upon the scene in disbelief, was stunned. He turned
to the hunter and gazed at him for a while before lowering himself onto all
fours and slowly swaggering over to him.
At fi rst, the hunter was alarmed that the bear might attack him, but his
fears were eased as the huge animal sat before his savior’s feet, resting his head
on his paws. It seemed to the hunter that the animal was demonstrating grati-
tude in his own way, and he was relieved. As he turned around to walk back to
his tent, the bear got up and quietly began to follow him.
From that day on, the bear never left the hunter’s side, and the hunter
gradually became accustomed to his presence. The two became odd compan-
ions, much to the surprise of everyone who saw them together. Often, people

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