Two Greedy Bears - Hungarian Folk Tale

The Story of Two Greedy Bears

Once upon a time, in a dense forest where no one had ever set foot, there lived a mother bear and her two cubs. The mother bear was old and had to work hard every day to provide for her two children.

The Bear Family

Feeling sorry for their mother's hard work, the two bear cubs said:

- Mother, we are grown up now. Tomorrow, please allow us to go out and find food on our own!

Seeing that her cubs were becoming independent, the mother bear was very happy. She hugged her two children and gave them many instructions. Although she was worried about their safety when they left to search for food, she was also very happy.

The Mother Bear’s Advice to Her Two Cubs

The next morning, the two bear cubs said goodbye to their mother and set out on their own. Along the way, they saw many strange and interesting things that they had never seen before at home. Flocks of green butterflies and red butterflies fluttered around them, and even the colorful flowers in the forest emitted a sweet fragrance, inviting the two greedy bears to stop and play.

Two Greedy Bears - Hungarian Folk Tale

The two cubs were so busy exploring the world and playing that they forgot the time. As the afternoon approached, they became very tired and hungry. Suddenly, they saw a large piece of cheese on the side of the road. Both of them were ecstatic.

The Greedy Bears

The two bears rushed over to grab the cheese and tried to divide it into two equal parts. However, their greediness made them unwilling to share. Whenever one bear tried to divide the cheese, the other would quickly snatch it back, fearing that they would get a smaller share.

The two brothers forgot their mother's instructions and refused to give in. At first, they spoke softly, but soon they began to argue loudly and fought fiercely over the cheese.

At that moment, an old fox passed by and, hearing the commotion, stopped and asked:

- What's going on? Why are you two making so much noise?

Two Bears and Fox

The two greedy bears told the fox the whole story from beginning to end. Being a sly and experienced forest dweller, the fox laughed and said:

- You thought this was a big deal? Bring it here, I'll help you divide it. I guarantee you'll get two equal portions, no more and no less.

Hearing this, the two bear brothers cheered with joy:

- Great! Thank you for helping us divide it!

The fox held the piece of cheese in his hand and broke it in half. But he deliberately broke it into two unequal pieces. The older bear saw this and cried out:

- This piece is bigger!

The sly old fox replied:

- No problem! I'll fix it right away so they'll be even!

The Story of Two Greedy Bears

With that, the fox put the larger piece of cheese in his mouth, taking a big bite and chewing it slowly. The larger piece became smaller. This time, it was the younger bear's turn to complain:

- No, they're not equal anymore!

The old fox licked his lips and looked at the two greedy bears, showing sympathy:

- Don't worry! I'll fix it again so they'll be even.

So the fox opened his mouth and took another large bite out of the bigger piece of cheese, which made that piece even smaller. Seeing this, the two bears cried out in unison:

- Uneven again! The two pieces are not even!

The fox looked at the two bears and tried to comfort them:

- Alright, I'll just adjust it a bit more!

And so the cunning old fox continued to nibble from one piece to the other, while the two bear brothers sat and watched, craving the cheese. After each bite that the fox took, the two bears argued over whether the pieces were divided evenly or not.

A Lesson for Greediness

When the fox had eaten his fill, the larger piece of cheese was now reduced to two small pieces. The fox then divided the pieces evenly and said to the two bears:

- All done! Now they're even! You two can go ahead and eat, but remember not to fight over it anymore!

With that, the fox laughed slyly and ran off. The two greedy bear brothers grudgingly took their share of the cheese without saying a word to each other. But they probably learned their lesson about their greedy and unyielding behavior.