Animals > Forest Animals · Insects
First-School.ws
The Bear and the Bees
a fable of North Italian origin
Print, listen and discuss the fable. Prints well in portrait or landscape mode. View in projectable and printable PDF format. Review the complementary activities below the fable.
The Bear and the Bees
One sunny morning, a big brown bear was walking through the forest, sniffing for something sweet. He loved berries, but today he smelled something even better—honey! He followed his nose to a fallen tree. Inside the hollow log, a busy group of bees had made their home and filled it with golden honey. The bear tiptoed closer, trying not to disturb anyone. He peeked into the log, wondering if the bees were out gathering nectar.
Just then, one little bee buzzed back from the meadow, carrying a tiny bundle of sweetness. She saw the bear poking around and knew he was after their honey. So she gave him a quick sting on the nose and zipped into the log. “Ouch!” cried the bear. He got very upset.
Instead of walking away, he growled and swiped at the log with his big paws, trying to break it open. But oh no! That made all the bees come out at once. They buzzed and zipped and zoomed around the bear, stinging and stinging to protect their home. The bear ran as fast as he could and jumped into a cool pond to escape. He sat in the water, rubbing his nose and thinking quietly.
It’s better to stay calm when something small bothers you. Getting angry can make things much worse.
A little patience can save you from a big mess.
