Bear And Two Travellers

Two men were traveling together, when suddenly a Bear appeared in front of them. One of them climbed up quickly into a tree, and hid himself in the branches. The other, scared, fell flat on the ground, and when the Bear came up and felt him with his snout, and smelt him all over, he held his breath, and pretended to be dead. The Bear soon left him, for bears do not touch dead bodies.
When he was quite gone, the other traveler came down from the tree, and asked what the Bear had whispered in his ear?
“ He gave me this advice,“
his companion replied.
“ Never travel with a friend who deserts you at the approach of danger.“

Misfortune tests the sincerity of friendship.