Once upon a time, in a vibrant and jubilant forest, there was a restless Little Bear Cub. He was always grumpy and grumbled incessantly, even as he soothed his paw with his mouth. He declared, “This is the most uninteresting place I have ever seen.”
With his continuous grumbling, he ventured towards the bear cave near the hillside. He addressed the Big Bear and said, “I’m bored. I want to go out and explore the world. I believe I can achieve something greater than being a normal bear.” The Big Bear growled in disbelief, “Better than a bear, you say?” He swiftly pushed Little Bear Cub away, which sent him rolling in the dust.
The Little Bear Cub managed to stand up after this surprising action from the Big Bear. He then strutted proudly through the forest and set his eyes on the world beyond. “I shall be a prince,” he daydreamed. Soon, he met a boy who looked at him in awe and asked, “Where are you headed, Little Bear Cub?” The cub responded proudly, “I’m going to the world of humans. I believe I can be something more than a bear.”
“But you are a bear and can only be a bear. Also, you have no shoes, clothes, or hat, like humans,” the boy replied. The Little Bear Cub retorted confidently, “I will manage to get clothes somehow.” As if by magic, the cub was suddenly dressed in the boy’s clothes, leaving the boy unharmed. The Little Bear Cub stood proudly and declared, “Look at me, I am now a man!”
With newfound confidence, he ran straight to the King’s palace. Dreaming of living a princely life, he asked the princess to marry him. The King, slightly amused, said, “Who are you? Show us your talents.” The Little Bear Cub claimed that he could dance. The princess asked him to prove it, and to her delight, he danced with such grace that she was convinced he must be a prince. They decided to get married and the King invited everyone to a grand wedding feast and ball.
The Little Bear Cub, standing beside the princess, was filled with pride. He carried himself so well that nobody suspected he was actually a bear. Everything was going perfectly, until a servant accidentally dropped a dish of honey. The sight and smell of the honey made the Little Bear Cub forget all his manners. He rushed to the spot, got on all fours, and started lapping up the honey greedily.
It became clear to everyone that he was not a prince at all, but just a bear. Everyone shouted, “Get him out! Look at his behavior, it’s evident that he’s just a bear – greedy, clumsy, rude, and rough. Chain him, and never let him in again.” So instead of marrying the princess and living in a palace, the Little Bear Cub ended up chained, unable to roam freely. He could have enjoyed his life playing with the other cubs in the vibrant forest, if only he had been content being just a bear.
