Clever Hedgehog heard this funny story from his grandmother.
Listen While You Read Along!
Far away and deep in the forest, Mother Bear made her home with her two Bear Cubs.
When the Cubs grew up, they decided it was time for them to leave their mother’s den and set off on a journey.
They walked and walked for many days until all their food supplies were gone. “Oh, I am so hungry!” the younger Bear complained. “Me too!” the older Cub said.
They walked and walked for many days until all their food supplies were gone. “Oh, I am so hungry!” the younger Bear complained. “Me too!” the older Cub said.
So they walked on and suddenly found a large piece of cheese just sitting in the middle of a road. They wanted to divide it equally, but couldn’t trust each other to share the piece. Each was afraid that the other would get more. They started to argue.
A hungry, very skinny Fox was passing by and couldn’t believe her luck when she saw a big piece of cheese and the two Bears arguing.
“Why are you arguing?” the Fox asked in a sweet voice.
The Cubs told her about their trouble.
“Let me divide the cheese equally for you,” said the Fox. “I don’t care who gets more.”
“Okay!” the Bear brothers rejoiced. “Divide it!”
The Fox took the cheese and broke it into two pieces. She broke it so that one piece was larger than the other.
The Bears cried out: “One piece is bigger!”
The Fox said: “Calm down, young fellows! I’ll fix everything now.”
She bit off a large piece of the larger part and swallowed it. Now the smaller piece became larger.
“It’s still not even!” the Cubs cried.
“Oh, come on!” said the Fox, barely able to speak because her mouth was full of delicious cheese. “Just a little more and it will be even.”
The Fox continued to divide the cheese. The Bears only moved their eyes back and forth, back and forth – from the larger piece to the smaller, from the smaller to the larger.
The Fox kept dividing and dividing the cheese until she was full. The pieces were finally equal, but tiny. The Cubs had almost no cheese left.
“Well,” said the Fox, “they are little, but even! Enjoy your meal, Bear Cubs,” and waving her tail, she ran away.
That’s what happens to those who can’t agree to share, or those who become greedy! The Bear cubs were unable to compromise. The Fox, taking advantage of the bear cubs, deceived them and ate most of the cheese. So, greed can lead to losing things, friendship, and trust.
The Ukrainian folk story “The Magic Mitten” shows how different animals find shelter in a small mitten, and they find a way to coexist, showing us the importance of mutual respect.
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Tags: stories for kids, bedtime stories, fairy tales for children,story about bears cubs, Ukrainian folk tales, stories for toddlers, stories for preschoolers, stories for kindergarten, fairy tales for 5-years-old, fairy tales for 6-years-old, fairy tales for 7-years-old, fairy tales for 8-years-old, fairy tales for 9-years-old
