At the edge of a deep forest lived two friends — Squirrel and Hare. Every day Squirrel would puff out his bushy tail and declare, "However big the danger, I will never, ever leave you behind!" And Hare would only smile. "I know you won't."
One day the two set off deep into the woods to hunt for ripe fruit. The trees grew thicker and the light dimmer. Then, from past the bushes — thud… thud… thud. Hare's ears shot straight up. "What was that?"
The bushes parted — and out lumbered an enormous bear! "Yikes!" squeaked Squirrel, and quick as a blink he was at the very top of a tree. And Hare? Hares can't climb trees at all. There he stood, all alone on the ground. Now what?
Then Hare remembered what his grandmother once told him — a bear won't touch a creature it believes is dead. Down he flopped, right where he stood. Eyes shut. Breath held. The bear came closer… thud… thud… and his heart hammered away.
The bear leaned right down over Hare. Sniff, sniff — it snuffled at his ear, at his cheek. Then it brought its great mouth close and whispered something. And at last, slow and heavy, it padded away into the trees.
The moment the bear was gone, Squirrel scrambled down, his tail drooping. "Friend… what did the bear whisper in your ear?" Hare sat up and answered slowly. "He said: a real friend is the one who stays beside you when danger comes."
Tears welled up in Squirrel's eyes. "Forgive me. I was so frightened I forgot every word I'd ever said." Hare rested a paw on his shoulder. "It's all right. From now on, whatever comes — we face it together."